Over Lamont McClure's claims that it's unnecessary, Northampton County Council has approved a $5.5 million program designed to prevent inmates from returning to jail. At their December 12 meeting, by a 5-1 vote, Council approved a five-year contract with Community Education Centers to provide substance abuse programs called the Future Foundation program for men, Sister to Sister program for women and the West Easton Treatment Facility program.
"It's a lotta' money," complained McClure, who said prison policy should be decided by the next administration. "I've seen no evidence that is justified," he added. He argued that education, not treatment, is what reduces recidivism, noting that 1/3 of the inmates have no high school diploma. Corrections Director Arnie Matos countered that he has seen jails with and without treatment programs.
"This way works," he insisted.
"You're wrong," answered McClure.
Council member Tom Dietrich worried that that they were setting prison policy for the next administration. "You can cancel this with three months notice. What are you talking about?" answered Stoffa.
Matos told Council of one suicidal female inmate who went through the Community Education Center program and claimed it saved her life and gave her a reason to live.
"How do I put a price on that?" he asked.
Unmoved, McClure said the treatment could be done by volunteers at no cost to the County. But he was a minority of one. The contract was approved by John Cusick, Tom Dietrich, Peg Ferraro, Scott Parsons and Bob Werner. Barb Thierry, Bruce Gilbert and Ken Kraft were absent.
In their final act of business of the year, Council appropriated $5,000 grants from their contingency fund for the following:
* Stephen's Place, a halfway house for non-violent males recovering from addiction;
* Slate Belt YMCA, which is under construction;
* The Miracle League, which allows differently abled children to experience the joy of baseball;
* Pennsylvania Water Rescue, which performs rescue operations along the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers; and
* College Hill Neighborhood Association, for improvements to Nevin and Eddyside Parks.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Friday, December 13, 2013
26 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
McClure is right and Stoffa is still a pissant. This could have been done next month. This was foisted on the new county council and administration by the good old spendthrifts. They wanted to make it look horrible to revoke it.
ReplyDeleteDirty politics again.
Try good government. A true conservative will support this bc when recidivism drops, so does the cost of housing and feeding inmates. 66% of every tax dollar pays for the back end of crime. This program reduces this cost.
ReplyDeleteLet me add that the $ for this was appropriated in the budget for next year.", so Stoffa has stuck Brown with nothing. As Stoffa observes, this contract can be eliminated with 3 months notice. Procurement said it's actually just 30 days.
John Brown has been elected Executive, not Tricia Mezzacappa. At the Exec debate, Brown made clear he supports these treatment programs. If he changes his mind after taking office, he can simply cancel the contract.
This was the right thing to do. We need to treat humans like humans, not animals.
Jail or Prison is for punishment. Time to stop with the progressive crap. Punish, Punish and Punish the individuals so that their thought process is that they will never do anything to land them back in there. If one needs so called treatment, go to a doctor on your own nickel.
ReplyDelete"Punish, Punish and Punish the individuals so that their thought process is that they will never do anything to land them back in there."
ReplyDeleteDear Sir/Ma'am,
Your premise is flawed.
"Punishing criminals by putting them in a correctional facility such as prisons can be successful in repenting the criminal as they would reflect on their own actions, allowing the guilt to make them better people, probably even seeing their own faults through other prisoners. Prisons give criminals a chance to rehabilitate themselves by using the facilities there present such as the counseling and seminars given. The fact that prisons house a lot of criminals that associate with each other has created a "criminal community", an atmosphere where crime inhibits; therefore criminals can only aid each other out to become better "crims", learning the tricks of the trade as well as toughening each other up through the highly abusive nature of the criminals there."
Judge Roscioli was informed of this several weeks ago @ a sentencing hearing. The inmate stated that "Jail is only making me a better criminal."
Truer works have never been spoken in the Courthouse.
Perhaps McSupid is smoking wacky weed and needs treatment himself?
ReplyDeleteAsk Schlener's girl about the prison system. Her husband died there. Must have been the water!
ReplyDeleteMcClure was right. Overpriced program that need not have been voted on until vetted by the next administration. However, promises were made right Mr. Mohr. Hell, I am surprised County Council didn't give Stoffa another building on the last meeting before he leaves.
ReplyDeleteNow all the bills come due and the treasury is bare.
It already was voted on by McClure, but he and you are just too stupid to realize. The money was appropriated in the budget he just approved. The notion this should wait for Brown is just as idiotic bc Brown can end these contracts with 30 days notice and had expressed support for this while running. Finally, the fiscal argument is flawed. Reducing recidivism means less tax dollars to house inmates and more tax dollars to pay for bridges or Gracedale.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that most people hate criminals, McClure is pandering to
Regardless of the vote's outcome, one-third absenteeism is not good government.
ReplyDeleteIf jail is making somebody a better criminal, that criminal clearly has no fear of repercussion from further criminal acts (e.g. going back to prison). Perhaps we should make prison less comfortable for the incarcerated. That said, let's end the phony jobs program know as the drug war, give half the money saved back to taxpayers, and spend the other half strictly on rehab for those who want it. And give three strikes at rehab on the taxpayer dime because everybody falls and we want them to get better. It'll still save a fortune and it'll save lives.
I'd agree that when 1/3 of our elected officials can't show up for a meeting, that's bad government. Ironically, at that very meeting, Lamont McClure was bragging that they are so much better now. Though he did not mention him, he was indirectly criticizing Angle.
ReplyDeleteAs for your suggestions, they have to come from the state.
" Perhaps we should make prison less comfortable for the incarcerated. "
ReplyDeleteWhich part? The concrete floors, the cinder block wall's, the steel bunks/bars/doors?
To administrate humans as animal's to be abused and then reintegrate them into society as an abused animal, The cruelty shown them, shall be revisited upon the society. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy that never ends.
Oh the libetard whines of Clinton. Mr. Benol has the right ideas regarding the prison and prisoners.
ReplyDeleteStop the coddling.
Don't bitch when your sky rocketing taxes provide for a better quality of life in Prison than you are able to financially provide for yourself in Society.
ReplyDeleteMcClueless is a shameful showboat whose ass will be kicked in two years when Cusick runs against him.
ReplyDeleteI hope what you're saying is true. I disagreed with Cusick on many points, but he showed up. That's more than McClure can say.
ReplyDelete" He argued that education, not treatment, is what reduces recidivism"
ReplyDeleteThe C.E.C. Program is a 27 week education about personal responsibilities & preventing substance abuse. It is like going to college for addiction.
What would reduce recidivism for C.E.C. Graduates, is adequate Aftercare Resources and Funding.
The Graduates are being set up for Failure without an adequate support structure to facilitate their reintegration into society & be in Recovery. Many have no home to go home to, so they become the Vagrant's of Easton, thus becoming a burden on Society immediately upon discharge. How does this help Society?
You should know Clinton..as a former inmate and CEC grad who faked his way thru the program and is still a raging dope addict with no prospects for success..your words ring true.
ReplyDeleteBernie , Could it be that they spending 5.5mm in the wrong market?I would have asked for NAACP input. The leadership of the local NAACP should have had that input, at least as a professional issue. As a card carrying member myself ,I think education , mentoring and setting examples of successful life styles are bridged by people who really live it.5 MILLION DOLLARS can mean something then.
ReplyDeleteYou need to stay off this blog Clinton..you're being watched. Time to go pee in the bottle..
ReplyDeleteWhat is your PO going to say when she finds out what you have been up to?
ReplyDeleteYou are too. Incident # BC-13-51883 Time to go to Jail again!
ReplyDeleteHe's using you Bernie..maybe you should consider pulling the plug on him..
ReplyDeletePeter, the local NAACP does not hold itself out as a treatment center. Some of its members, as I am sure you know, are employed at the jail. Maybe they could form a 501c3 for this, but that is up to you folks.
ReplyDeleteSee ,this country is in trouble .We have more per cap stowed in prisons than any other "civilized"nation. But ,what we need is "consequences"for returning to crime. We need to ship career criminals ,those that are completely un- comparable to humans to a place like Siberia to work on the wood piles. They can even escape if they want. You get a young buck that thinks he can get over on the system, show him on film where he is going , no mail, no visits , no visits from Sue. Just woods and snow and cold .
ReplyDeleteBernie , I honestly believe that the folks of this organization , the fiber people , could help keeping people from returning to a life of crime.
ReplyDelete, This thing should not have been budgeted on some inmate that said the wanted to kill them self, SO WHAT! In this market 2million dollars would have been saved of tax payers money.People never been criminals or in jails want to kill themselves , What did this prove? Anyone ,anyone ,anytime can jump from a bridge. Right. Let us be of clear thinking, and not spend on some emotion, like buying a Corvette!Mr Brown , get downtown asap.
ReplyDelete