"When I was raped for the first time by my uncle at the age of eleven, my aunt told me to smoke a joint to feel better."That's the story of one Northampton County female inmate. She never had a chance.
Sadly, she's not alone. Lafayette College's Dr. Bonnie Winfield told Northampton County Council last night that seventy-five per cent of female inmates are themselves the victims of domestic abuse. Eight-five per cent become addicted to drugs.
Contrary to what we commonly think, few programs are available to women behind bars, at least on a county level. As Dr. Winfield explained, most have nothing when they leave. As a volunteer, Dr. Winfield has initiated a women's program, designed to create what she calls "circles of caring" on the outside. She believes efforts like hers might reduce the recidivism rate.
According to county exec Stoffa, the recidivism rate is 69% across the state. This certainly explains, at least in part, why Northampton County's prison population increases by about 100 every six months. But in Pike County, which has initiated programs like those being implemented by Dr. Winfield, recidivism is only 10%.
Northampton County Exec John Stoffa's new budget proposes a building with anti-recidivism programs for low-risk prisoners.
I am not a fan of Stoffa. However, finding alternatives to high cost imprisonment and ways to reduce recidivism are clearly in the best interest of Norco and taxpayers
ReplyDeleteEven this is only a short term solution. We are going to need a new prison.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need a new prison if the courts utilize technology to provide alternatives to high cost incarceration. Is your buddy Stoffa going to propose another prison expansion?
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ReplyDeleteI don't know what Stoffa is going to do. I do know that the housing for anti-recidivism is a stop gap measure. I also know that your suggestion, great as it may sound, is light years away. Stoffa does not impose sentences. And even the judges are hampered by mandatory miniumums. In many cases, there is no discretion. In the meantime, people continue to pour into this area from the bigger cities, and they bring those problems with them as we lose more and more greenfields.
A major prison expansion is inevitable. Reibman's poor planning resulted in a prison expansion that was full the moment it was built.
Stoffa is at least mindful that his home for anti-recidivism is only a partial solution, and I believe he is undertaking a study of the county's long-term prison needs.
Your idea sounds great, but you're not King. Neither is Stoffa. Until sentencing patterns change, we have to deal with it.
Insightful post that points up another larger issue related to prison populations and the types of people we put in them.
ReplyDeleteThe so-called "War on Drugs" is a ridiculous failure that sends non-violent druggies to prisons that regularly release violent felons far ahead of their original sentences. You'd think we would've learned that prohibition doesn't work, and, in fact, creates greater dependency and increased crime to support that dependency.
But "drug enforcement" is a billion dollar industry in this country, and many of its "fighters" (cops, lawyers, judges, prison guards, probation officers, etc.) don't want their gravy train abandoned.
I don't use drugs or condone their use. I think we could save billions by treating these substances like their legal counterpart, alcohol. Then, prisons could be used to house the truly violent, and the money saved could help the addicted who need and want the help.
The war on drugs is a multi billion dollar public works project most conservatives would not tolerate if it was directed to infrastructure, schools and health care.
ReplyDeleteAnon u r right. Drug crimes, except for major dealers, are HEALTH issues. We wharehouse people in our prisons who need mental health and substance abuse help, not incarceration. However, it is e-z politically.
And Reibman, in his capitulation to the courts, implemented their plan for prison expansion.
The good news here is we are looking at alternatives to high cost incarceration. That should be the goal.
anon 1:36 pm. One of the problems is that drug abuse victems are sometimes robbing people and breaking into homes and cars to support their habit. That is a crime. Some are selling on the street to support their habit, even to children. What else can you do? Many drug addicts will not admit they have a problem, if they did, they can find help. If someone refuses help and continue abusing illegal drugs , you have no chouse but to throw them in jail
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