What To Do With Non-Violent Criminals

A little over half of all criminal offenders prosecuted and imprisoned are for non-violent crimes. But the purpose of prisons is not for punishment, nor for reform - it is to keep the general public safe from those who would do us physical harm. We can punish non-violent criminals without using prisons.

The cost to imprison a person is $50,000-$60,000 per year, and while it may be a worthwhile cost to keep a violent person out of circulation, it is not justified for keeping a non-violent person out of circulation, particularly since there are other, more viable and more fair solutions.

Here is one suggestion that would quickly and easily solve the problem of imprisoning non-violent offenders. This plan solves (4) issues:

1. Eliminates prison over-crowding
2. Makes victims "whole"
3. Saves taxpayers $35,000,000,000 annually
4. Treats non-violent offenders fairly and humanely

First, of course, is to require offenders to make their victim(s) "whole", through restitution or repairing any damage their criminal action(s) may have caused. See below in the event they are financially incapable of doing so.

Whereas the greatest expense of prison is the salaries of all the necessary guards and other employees, I would suggest that each county set up a non-secure (no bars or fences) facility run by "house mothers" that monitor the residents - only one such person per shift, and perhaps a counselor/case manager. Residents may only leave the facility to work and earn the money necessary to make their victim(s) "whole" and to pay their own share of the costs of housing them. Once they have done so, they would be released.

In the unlikely event that any resident leaves the residence without permission, they would immediately be relegated to doing their time in prison - "alternative time" determined by the court.

Residents of these facilities would have free run-of-house, like a half-way house, but the residences would have very limited amenities - it should not be so nice that residents don't mind living there. There needs to be incentive to fulfill their obligation and then transfer back into society.

Since the convicted residents, themselves, are paying their own housing costs, this would eliminate the $50,000-$60,00 annual cost of imprisoning each. With 700,000 non-violent inmates each year, that would save taxpayers $35,000,000,000 a year and eliminate overcrowding in prisons.

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