Liberal Analysis of Criminal Reform

[$ecular#eckler]

Billion-dollar supersize prisons are slated to be built across the U.S. But do they help or hurt public safety?

At least three states are moving forward with plans for larger, pricier prisons, with proponents of such facilities citing the need to address issues of overcrowding, poor sanitation conditions and a lack of mental health resources in the current facilities.

www.yahoo.com

In response to the issue, the report quotes some liberal criminal justice warriors, and here is a quick review.

“If you have a football team that’s losing year after year, a new stadium doesn’t make it better. You need new leadership,” Morrison said.

“The issue is not the building,” Tylek told Yahoo News. “It’s the system and the system actors in it.”

“Let’s begin with the key question: Why is the jail overcrowded in the first place?” — Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts, the Georgia Sun

The first one is not bad until the end when she blames leadership for crime. Which is probably an incorrect solution to the football team losing, unless she is referring to the underlying issue of cheap ownership.

The second comment is exactly right, although, he probably has a more specific system in mind than the social system and his "actors" are probably the same as the previous commentor's "leadership."

And the third comment - he just cannot blame the criminals for violating the laws that are probably necessary for safe commerce and community.

 

[1srelluc]

Meh, prisons get old and go into disrepair, mostly due to the public not wanting to keep them up to snuff and the revolving door of patronage positions in the upper echelon of leadership. Both parties are guilty of it.

Besides, it's a lot more cost effective to have a 4K+ unit than there is to have several 1K+ units.

Many of the old state "Walls" type prisons were in capital cities of states and the footprint of them, as far as land value goes, does not make it viable for them to remain there if they want to grow a state capital.

Such was the case of the old Virginia State Pen at 500 Spring Street in Richmond Virginia. It was demolished and the land sold in 1991.

Afton Chemical's R&D facility sits there now.