Inmates In The States Prisons example essay topic

Outsourcing Inmates is a Bad Move Governor Greg Benson wants to outsource the states medium security prisoners. Outsourcing would mean send inmates in the states prisons out of state to serve their prison sentence. We would be sending these inmates who aren't just a number; they are fathers, sons, and grandchildren to prisons in states such as Texas or Georgia. He says this will help with over crowding and will save New Hampshire tax payers money.

Shipping inmates out of state will hurt the community's of New Hampshire, it won't save much money, and is a bad idea. About 70 protesters, calling them selves Families of New Hampshire Inmates, gathered outside the statehouse on March 15, 2004. The prison staff and families of inmates are concerned about Governor Benson's plan to ship inmates out of state, which will also send jobs out of state (Inmate). Charlene Newman, a Massachusetts resident, insists it is irresponsible to make budget cuts to the Department of Corrections; it puts a strain on public safety. "If they send our families away, they are just warehousing them", Newman said.

"They are going to send them back to this community not reformed, and our communities are going to be unsafe" (qt d in Inmates). Another protester was Portsmouth's mayor Evelyn Sirrell. Her son is in the state prison on a kidnapping sentence. "To sit in that room and watch the children, the wives, and the grandparents visit their loved ones is very warming", Sirrell said.

"I've been taking my 8-year old grandson to visit his father regularly, and his face just lights right up. To snatch that away just isn't right. I'll fight this, and fight it and keep on fighting it" (qt d in Manning). "There's still a feeling that they are a throw-away society. But everybody makes mistakes, and we should give these inmates a chance to bounce back", Sirrell said. "Separating them from there families will make it that much harder for them" (qt d in Manning).

David Michaud, an inmate at Concord state prison, said the governor's proposal is causing "anxiety" and "uncertainty" among the inmates. (CCA) The Executive Councilor of NH, Peter Spaulding, doesn't agree with Benson either. He notes the Governor didn't even consult with the council or legislators before enouncing his plan. "To me it doesn't make a lot of sense. Nobody went to the legislature or the council, and there wasn't even much consultation with corrections officials from what I can tell", Spaulding said. "Unless you get everybody on board with this, what company would put a lot of effort into this proposal?

There was no thought or planning behind it". (qt d in Benson) Benson's idea isn't new, lawmakers considered it in 2000 before deciding to build the Berlin prison (Benson). The Berlin prison opened in 2000. If we ship are inmates out and close that prison we would still have to pay the $33 million bond on the facility. "It doesn't make sense to bond a facility when it's empty. And most of these prisoners we would be shipping out would be released back into society here in New Hampshire", Spaulding said. "If they " re out of state, we have no control over what will happen to them in terms of continuing their education or training.

I think we have a responsibility to release them in better condition then when they came in" (qt d in Manning). Governor Benson plan to save the state of New Hampshire money would mean privatizing prisons in the entire state. New Hampshire would be the first and only state in the country to privatize all of its prisons (CCA). Benson's office said the state could save an estimated amount of $19 million a year by going private (Benson). They also say its costing New Hampshire about $22,000 a year per inmate (Manning). There are many critics of private prisons.

"States should look at the hidden costs". Private companies save states money, at whose expense? Most private facility's are understaffed or have poorly trained staff. Is saving money worth cutting or reducing rehabilitation services like the drug and alcohol counseling?

"You can save money, but the question is whether it's a good idea", said Philip Matter a (qt d in CCA). Although budgets are still tight in Wyoming, Arizona, Hawaii, Wisconsin, and Connecticut, these states officials want to bring their outsourced inmates back to their own prisons. Officials are "concerned" about riots, gangs, "recidivism", and the strain outsourcing is causing families. Two inmates from Connecticut, who where outsourced to a Virginia prison died. Connecticut had to pay the families over $2 million.

States are saying inmates "need better drug treatment". The public information officer Melinda Brazeale of Wyoming Department of Corrections thinks working with the inmates through the whole process of incarceration is a good thing. She explains, "This way when they get out, they say out" (qt d in Rock). I understand the prisons are over crowded and something needs to be done. I'm sure if we are creative we can come up with some other alternatives. Sentencing low-risk inmates to house arrest with electronic monitoring isn't a bad idea.

Maybe Benson could put a little more money into the programs these inmates attend, by the looks of it he is cutting the funding for a lot of them and there is already a wait to get into them. They have an Academy program for non-violent offenders with drug and alcohol problems, what if we expanded it. Offenders live at home, but they must have a job, attend counseling, and take a drug test at least twice a week when they report to the Academy staff. We need to focus on the inmates leaving the system so they don't mess up again.

I have a friend in Concord state prison, serving a 5-10 year sentence. He has a mother, father, and two sisters who love him very much. It's hard for his family to get to see him but they try to get there once a week. If we send him out of state they would never be able to see him. When sending our inmates out of state who are we punishing, the inmates or the family? In my opinion the family and they are not the ones who messed up.

I don't believe we should be sending are inmates out of state. In closing I think Colin Manning, N.H. Statehouse Writer sums it up, "Will New Hampshire choose cheap labor or family values?" (qt d in Manning).

Bibliography

Benson proposal to out source inmates should be rejected". Concord Monitor Online 15 Feb. 2004.
5 Dec. 2004.
CCA". N.H. Statehouse 10 June. 2004.
C Monitor 15 Dec. 2003.
6 Dec. 2004.
Inmate Families Protest Privatization Plan". 5 Dec. 2004.
Manning, Colin. N.H. Statehouse Writer. "Families of inmates protest Benson's transfer plan". Foster's / Citizen Online 16 March. 2004 24 Sep.
2004.
Rock, Christa Lee. "States pull prisoners back home". The Christian Science Monitor 21 Sep. 2004 21 Dec.