Prison Reform: Senator Webb’s Herculean Task

Today’s (December 29) Washington Post has an article that Senator James Webb is going to take on prison reform.

This spring, Webb (D-Va.) plans to introduce legislation on a long-standing passion of his: reforming the U.S. prison system. Jails teem with young black men who later struggle to rejoin society, he says. Drug addicts and the mentally ill take up cells that would be better used for violent criminals. And politicians have failed to address this costly problem for fear of being labeled "soft on crime."

It is a gamble for Webb, a fiery and cerebral Democrat from a staunchly law-and-order state. Virginia abolished parole in 1995, and it trails only Texas in the number of people it has executed. Moreover, as the country struggles with two wars overseas and an ailing economy, overflowing prisons are the last thing on many lawmakers’ minds.

And of course, all the usual suspects start lining up against the idea.

State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax), who is running for attorney general, said the initiative sounds "out of line" with the desires of people in Virginia but not necessarily surprising for Webb. The senator, he said, "is more emotion than brain in terms of what leads his agenda."

Gee, whoever would have guessed that a Republican state senator running for the state Attorney General position would think it’s a bad idea?

But there are other forces at play as well. The Prison Industrial Complex of course. With all the private prisons built over the last few years. But not just the private prisons, since many states have overbuilt prisons and rented out capacity.

But the article points out some of Webb’s reasoning:

In speeches and in a book that devotes a chapter to prison issues, Webb describes a U.S. prison system that is deeply flawed in how it targets, punishes and releases those identified as criminals.

With 2.3 million people behind bars, the United States has imprisoned a higher percentage of its population than any other nation, according to the Pew Center on the States and other groups. Although the United States has only 5 percent of the world’s population, it has 25 percent of its prison population, Webb says.

A disproportionate number of those who are incarcerated are black, Webb notes. African Americans make up 13 percent of the population, but they comprise more than half of all prison inmates, compared with one-third two decades ago. Today, Webb says, a black man without a high school diploma has a 60 percent chance of going to prison.

Webb aims much of his criticism at enforcement efforts that he says too often target low-level drug offenders and parole violators, rather than those who perpetrate violence, such as gang members. He also blames policies that strip felons of citizenship rights and can hinder their chances of finding a job after release. He says he believes society can be made safer while making the system more humane and cost-effective.

But the task is being made more difficult even as we speak. Just this weekend the AP had an article on how states are cutting back on Juvenile Justice programs due to the economic downturn.

Today’s Boston Globe had a report on a study on homicides among black males:

A study analyzing homicides across the country shows that Boston is among six major cities that have seen the sharpest spikes in the number of young black males killing one another between 2000 and 2007, an alarming trend that comes at a time when the state is cutting back on programs geared toward helping troubled youths.

Another story in today’s Post is how Child Neglect and Abuse cases are increasing due to the current economic stresses.

I don’t have any of the studies ready to hand but I know there have been many studies that show how victims of abuse and neglect, wind up more likely to be incarcerated.

So we have Senator Webb wanting to bring about prison reform. We have the "Lock ‘em up and throw away the key" types lining up against him. The Prison Industrial Complex will most likely be working behind the scenes.

We have Juvenile Justice Programs being cut due to lack of funds, leaving juveniles to be incarcerated with no treatment programs but learning first hand lessons on how to be a criminal.

We have young black men either in prison or dead from homicide.

We have increases of abuse and neglect due to economic hardship.

Senator Webb is truly taking on a Herculean task. Let’s do what we can to help him treat other humans as humans. Not every person needs to be incarcerated for decades.