There are a number of domestic issues that need to be dealt with in the coming years. A few weeks ago I suggested that America's prison system needed to be overhauled. Today's (December 29) Washington Post has an article that Senator James Webb is going to take on prison reform.
My understanding is that Webb (D-Va.) plans to introduce legislation on 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.'
You can find a great blog article on this matter here on Firedoglake.
Would you support efforts to reform our nation's prison system?
4 comments:
I like the way this guy thinks.
Mike - I agree. Do you know what federal department is responsible for prisons?
Most definitely I'd support reform. The prison industry is just that...an industry. Beyond prison reform, we should also focus on the judicial side of things. The prison is the last stop, but it all begins with the cops and onto the judicial system and ultilmately the "industry".
I also support the current lawsuit against Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzalez. Cheney pushed for the privatization of prisons all the while profiting by being a major investor in one of the corporations that received gov't contracts.
RiPPa - Do you know of any other politician on the national scene that is serious about prison reform? Sen. Webb is the first one that I've seen talking about the issue. I wonder if the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will take on this issue?
Post a Comment