Question

What is the possibility of ending the mass incarceration in the USA by opening the global market for prisoners, so they can choose the location where they want to serve their time? I understand the problem stems out from a deeper more complex issue, but my goal is to open the global market to cause competition that will end private oligopoly over prisoners here in the US. These private prison system spends millions of dollars lobbying government officials to pass laws that incriminate minorities and vulnerable population of African-American descent. My ideal scenario will be these prisoners will have a better chance of getting the rehabilitation they need to be introduced back to society; while we try to address the social inequities brought by years corporate greed and systemic oppression.

Answer 1

Answer: America is a world leader in incarceration. The U.S. locks up more people than any other country, the University of London’s Institute for Criminal Policy Research reports. An estimated 1.6 million individuals were held in state and federal prisons at the end of 2014, while roughly 1 out of every 36 adults fell under correctional supervision, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Yes, by allowing the prisoners to choose the location where they want to serve their time will end private oligopoly over prisoners in the US. As these private prison system spends millions of dollars lobbying government officials to pass laws that incriminate minorities and vulnerable population of African-American descent. These prisoners will have a better chance of getting the rehabilitation they need to be introduced back to society. If we know that something is good policy, then we should practice it. Many times, criminal justice reforms only impact future defendants. But if the reform is the right policy, then we should live by it. Current inmates should be able to petition judges for retroactive application of the two reforms above, on a case-by-case basis.

Democrats and Republicans alike agree that mass incarceration is a problem, and state and federal efforts are underway to enact criminal-justice reform. But enacting effective reform requires an understanding of what caused the problem in the first place.

But there is not enough clarity on how to tackle mass incarceration from the perspective of people already inside the system. “We haven’t developed the foundational research to identify what alternatives work,”. “If somebody has committed a violent offense, there are very few options for them out there besides prison.” And that’s a result, “of the fact that we’ve all just turned our heads and said, ok, those people are locked up, let’s ignore them.” So the option of allowing them to  choose the location where they want to serve their time will definitely work. In a time of deep political and ideological divides, the fight for justice is more urgent than ever. At the same time, the need to reform our criminal justice system remains a point of agreement among a public made increasingly aware of injustices, leaders of red and blue states alike, and the local government actors who are in charge of delivering nearly all of our nation’s justice system. We are working to sustain and grow the momentum to undo the failed apparatus of mass incarceration. In its wake we can instill practices and build institutions that help build safe communities, are responsive to people, and affirm human dignity.

The best way to keep us all safe is for prosecutors to seek the most proportional punishment – one that fits the crime ? not simply the harshest one.