West Virginia’s jails and prisons are bulging.
Over the last ten years, the rate of people going to jail in West Virginia has been three times the national average.
As a result, state prisons are so full that approximately one-fourth of all prisoners are doing their time in regional jails, which were designed primarily to replace the old county jails.
But it gets worse.
A report just released by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center found that the state’s prison population will increase by another 24 percent over the next five years, forcing taxpayers to spend $200 million dollars on new jails and another $150 million in operating costs.
However, the analysis by the Justice Center says there is a better way forward, not only for the taxpayers, but also for many of the prisoners.
One fundamental problem is that the vast majority of prisoners are substance abusers, and West Virginia spends no money on treatment for suspects after they are arrested or on parolees when they get out of prison. That means they are more likely to end up back on drugs and alcohol and back in prison.
The Justice Center recommends that West Virginia invest in substance abuse programs for prisoners and combine those with new sentencing options and better supervision upon release. Currently, one in four prisoners returns to the community with no one watching them.
State Supreme Court administrative director and Justice Center board member Steve Canterbury says it’s an economic issue. Substance abuse programs cost $1,000 to $7,000 per person, depending on the level of severity. Housing an inmate for a year in a West Virginia prison costs $24,000.
“Every person who recidivates represents a failed investment of taxpayer dollars,” Canterbury told me.
But does treatment instead of jail work?
Texas added 100,000 prison beds between 1989 and 1995 to try to accommodate a dramatic rise in incarcerations. In 2007, faced with having to build even more prisons, Texas decided to follow the Justice Center’s recommendations of alternative treatment and rehabilitation programs.
The Austin Statesman reported last August that Texas’ prison population has leveled off, and even declined slightly in 2011. As a result, Texas, which had one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, has dropped to fourth.
Not everyone is convinced the decline is attributable entirely to the change in corrections philosophy, but officials are hopeful. “It’s real,” criminal justice consultant Tony Fabelo told the Statesman. “It’s happening, not only in Texas, but around the country.”
One of the truisms of corrections is that you can’t lock up everyone who breaks the law and throw away the key. The vast majority of prisoners will get out one day. The trick is to lower the chances of them returning a second and third time.
The best way to accomplish that, at least according to the Justice Center, is to help criminals deal with their drug and alcohol problems. Ultimately, it’s just good economics.
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Comments
TD
Sounds worth trying to me, another thing we could do is legalize marijuana, I've seen dozens of meth arrest lately in my county and can't help but think if these people could legally buy marijuanna, why would they get on the meth? Of couse some people are just idiots but I think the majority may choose a natural high that isn't nearly as damaging and far less threatening to society.
January 23, 2013 at 8:05 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
Actually TD the heroin and meth users I have dealt with would have still more than likely have used meth and heroin. Too common place that abuse of prescription drugs have lead down this road not marijuana use. I am still on the fence of legal marijuana or not. I would have to see more valid studies but the tax benefit would be substantial but do the negative outway the positives. I do not know.
January 23, 2013 at 8:15 am | Report comment
bulldog95
Making pot seems like a good idea but knowing what it does to people would make most people change their mind. My friend smokes pot quite often and he openly tells me that it kills all motivation that he has, that he goes into work late or calls in "sick" at least once every other week. He told me last week that he was going to let up on the smoking because he feels that he is turning stupid from smoking it. He also hangs out with people that smokes more pot than he does and says that none of them have a job, wouldnt work if they were given one, and basically take turns turning to crime to get enough pot for them to share. How about a certain amount of pot on you will not result in you going to jail but rather a small fine.
January 23, 2013 at 10:52 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
hmmm sounds like some of my co-workers. That would explain a lot.
January 23, 2013 at 11:37 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
This is a fundamently different approach to corrections. I believe the legal issues do run deaper than just drugs or less offensive crimes. I believe that it is multi facet. We coddle children and they never learn to fail. We also do not teach respect, self importance, independence, and a plethora of other traditional morals. Then we have the "after prison life" where criminals come out better enhanced at the crimes they have committed due to collective brainstorming. And who wants to hire an Ex-Con. I worked in the prison industry of this state when I was much younger. I know a little of what goes on in these facilities. The programs or rehabilitation is no where close to as intense as what is truly needed. But there are some really good people in prison that did some really crappy things. Good luck with this new initiative and i truly hope that is works.
January 23, 2013 at 8:21 am | Report comment
smokey
Hoppy,
In addition to substance abuse treatment, West Virginia could make beter use of alternative sentencing such as probaton, home confinement, and Day Report Centers for non-violent offenses. Our parole procedures could be reformed to where they are no more or less liberal than the national average, more like West Virginia parole used to be. We should reform the criminal justice system to have less mandatory sentences and give sentencing judges more discretion. Probation and home confinement officers should realize that without followup treatment, offenders are likely to slip up. Right now substance abuse centers are few and far between in West Virginia and there is a long waiting list to get into them. Nationally, jail overcrowding is an issue that has both liberal and conservative interest. We simply cannot afford to continue building jails and hiring correctional officers. How much higher do you want your taxes to be? We can be smart on crime without being soft on crime. Have a great day.
January 23, 2013 at 8:52 am | Report comment
mntnman
Lock up violent offenders and throw away the key. All other crimes need to be dealt with through alternative measures and treatment. Where appropriate, we need to try home confinement, drug courts, etc to reduce the cost to society, transfer the cost to offenders and provide opportunities to rehabilitate. Even job training that is required of offenders (at their expense) might be an idea whose time has come.
January 23, 2013 at 9:22 am | Report comment
Uncle Fester
Legalize marijuana. Have the death penalty for those who want to pedal the poison of the hard drugs and profit from it. Taxes raised from the growing and sale of marijuana can fund the treatment centers. If we executed the drug dealers and the child molesters, then there would be plenty of room for the other criminals in our jails and prisons.
January 23, 2013 at 9:31 am | Report comment
Uncle Fester
If you take the time to listen to law enforcement officers around the state, you will hear that the hard drugs are responsible for about 75-80% of the other crimes that are committed; the break-ins, burgarlies, armed robberies, etc. Execute the drug dealers who pedal this poison upon our towns, cities and counties. Especially the ones from out-of-state, like Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, and Baltimore. That'll get the message across.
January 23, 2013 at 9:36 am | Report comment
CaptainQ
Hoppy, the economics of treatment vs. prison for substance abusers certainly does sound like something worth looking into. In fact, it's such a great idea that... the lawmakers in Charleston will NEVER go for it! Since when do great ideas that will work and SAVE money EVER pass into law in this state? Not very often, that's when!
One other thing that needs to be pointed out when comparing the legal systems of Texas and the Mountain State. Texas has a little something called the DEATH PENALTY for convicted criminals who are deemed to deserve it by their court system. Every year for over two decades, a GOP lawmaker in WV proposes to reinstate the death penalty here and EVERY year the Chairperson of that committee (ALWAYS a liberal Democrat for some odd reason) never even allows a vote to move the bill out of that committee. Can't understand it.
Your idea sounds wonderful, Hoppy, a true win-win-win for taxpayers, inmates and prison management. Too bad that THIS IS WEST VIRGINIA and in West Virginia, RARELY does government do the 'right thing' for its citizens.
This proposal has as much chance of becoming law as the death penalty, year-round school, referendum and recall.
Good luck with this, you'll NEED it.
January 23, 2013 at 9:45 am | Report comment
ShinnstonGuy
Captain,
While I am probably considered a liberal to the regular readers on this MB, I am definitely in favor of the death penalty. An example would be the inmate that killed the guy in prison recently, and by guy I mean that kid that shot someone in Motown for spilling a drink on him. This person has no value to society; he is a waste of oxygen. I also think we should allow sheriffs to act like Joe Arpaio (sp) of Arizona. Make them sleep outside, wear pink, and do other humiliating things. That's what my parents did to me and it worked!
January 23, 2013 at 6:19 pm | Report comment
Pioneer
2 words....capital punishment ...problem solved
January 23, 2013 at 10:25 am | Report comment
GregG
Here is a thought or two....legalize weed, then buy some rope and start hanging these pill pushing doctors and meth heads. I have never held a gun to someones head and force them to cook meth or eat pills so I damn sure don't buy this "addiction is a disease" B.S.! Instead of spending millions of dollars on a bunch of meth heads, we should be putting this money into improving our schools.
January 23, 2013 at 11:03 am | Report comment
NorthernWVman
as long as it is a hemp rope :)
Seriously though I have a question for you, since you say to put more money into improving schools. How much money do we put into schools to improve them? We are spedning historical high amounts of money to improve schools yet it seems to me the educational quality has not improved in decades and quite possibly has decreased. Please don't get me wrong I support a good quality education but if it was just about throwing money at the school should we not be so much more educated now? Maybe the funds provided to schools are not used effectively. IMHO
January 23, 2013 at 11:43 am | Report comment
GregG
In my opinion we should get away from this "consolidation" kick we have been on and go back to smaller schools. Yea, it will cost more money, but I think we would get more education for the buck if we were to go back to smaller schools. Just my opinion.
January 23, 2013 at 12:21 pm | Report comment
NorthernWVman
I would like to get back to the smaller schools/classrooms. But again how is this going to cost more and get a better education if we go back to the era of smaller schools when we spent much less on education? Trust me I am not attacking. I just don't understand why it has to cost more. And no I am not against funding schools. Maybe there is a lot of wasteful spending. I don't know. Maybe the supply companies such as textbook companies are having record profit margins?
January 23, 2013 at 1:53 pm | Report comment
GregG
I figure the bulk of the cost would be in construction of new schools. Just like in my area, three grade schools were combined into one years ago. In order to go back to smaller schools, these schools would need to be rebuilt. Not to mention that the land these old school were on was auctioned off or given back to the landowner. I'm sure it would cost lots of money to go back to the smaller schools. But the way I see it, things are not working now and we are throwing away money. But on the other hand, new construction, more teachers, more buses etc....mean more jobs. And we sure could use more jobs. If there is a chance it would better our education system and also create more jobs, maybe we should atleast look at it.
January 23, 2013 at 2:14 pm |
bulldog95
Tha same thought can be applied to the war on poverty. After all the money thrown at poverty, it would seem we have more people than ever.
January 23, 2013 at 1:14 pm | Report comment
Red Dwarf
Legalizing something just to ease prison and jail overcrowding is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
January 23, 2013 at 12:42 pm | Report comment
GregG
Spending millions to incarcerate a person over a weed while hand slapping meth heads and pill heads is the "stupidest thing I've ever heard". Of course I can pretty much grow a weed for free, but cracking down on meth and Rx drugs and you'd be cutting into the profits of big business. Can't be having that, can we?
January 23, 2013 at 12:55 pm | Report comment
NorthernWVman
I think you would be very surprised at the low incarceration for marijuana alone. Truly it is not very high in WV. For a person to actually be incarcerated in prison for marijuana in this state would take either a very very large amount of marijuana and therefore the criminal would then be arrested for intent to deliver. Meth crack down would do little to big pharma companies. Restrictions on how much can be purchased already did the hurting to that industry. Meth ingredients are being smuggled in from Mexico in unpresedented amounts these days. Rx drugs is harder to convict because of so many scripts written, warranted or not.
January 23, 2013 at 1:49 pm | Report comment
Red Dwarf
Then once mj is decriminalized, the pencil pushers will find something else to go light on to save even more money and puff up (no pun intended) the crime stats. DWI? ("buzzed driving") Domestic abuse? ("but he didn't mean to hit me") If you honestly think decriminalization will stop with weed, think again. Barney Fife was right: "We've got to nip this in the bud". (Pun intended this time.)
January 23, 2013 at 4:28 pm | Report comment
Wowbagger
Hmmm...
War on drugs
War on poverty
Government incompetence at it's best! Just wait until they get firm control over your healthcare!
January 23, 2013 at 2:20 pm | Report comment
chas
simple solution - DEATH PENALTY to those doing " life " ... wake up legislators- let the people decide
January 24, 2013 at 3:17 pm | Report comment
Jim
For all the advocates of the death penalty: How soon you forget the WVSP lab tech that faked evidence and cost the state millions!
You can't take the death penalty back once its been used.
January 25, 2013 at 5:46 pm | Report comment
TR
Prisons are not filled to the gills with small time weed dealers. Some of you seem to make up stuff to comment about
January 29, 2013 at 11:40 pm | Report comment