Our jails are packed with what we call criminals. Most of them are full and overflowing. They keep on coming faster than they let them out. The majority of these "criminals" are those of petty crimes. Jails are meant to rehabilitate a person who has done wrong. But instead of being rehabilitated the inmates sit on their butts most of the time. Sure some of them get a job to do, some of them do learn a trade or two but they do not attempt to rehabilitate. Rehabilitate into society.
Taxpayers pay to keep these people in jail. When they are released we expect them to "behave".
When they are released they are given a few bucks and are on their own. If they are incarcerated far from home they first have to find the money to get home.
They have very little to feed themselves, find a place to live and or buy furniture or supplies if needed.
Now we can say so what! They got themselves in that mess and they should pay for it.
But really it is the rest of us who ultimately pay for it then and later.
It is not enough that they are put in jail away from society because they have a tendency to go back in.
The problem being that they are not rehabilitated by the time they come out.
If these guys do not have the money when they come out to provide a roof over their heads and some food in their mouths while waiting for a paycheck we can expect them to get into trouble. If they do not have the skills to work or know how to read or write we cannot expect them to get any kind of job that will pay well.
If the courts would allow programs of rehabilitation instead of time served it would save taxpayers an enormous amount of money. It would also benefit the person.
The system would work if in essence they were given a 10 hour day. Each day would consist of 5 hrs of community service work ie., cleaning graffiti, sweeping streets, painting areas of demise, picking up garbage off the streets etc., of course the service would be appropriate to the crimes committed. In other words a murderer would not be allowed off premises or on this program.
Tracking ankle bracelets would be installed and guards would be supervising.
This is how they would pay their debt to society by helping to take care of it.
Several hours on education. Learning to read and write, GED classes, training for a job or profession that they would then pursue after being released. Then the remaining of the 10hrs total would be spent on skills needed for the application of that job. Each time they pass a certain level of education and/or skill a deposit of $$ is put into an account for that person. Dollars would not be given for the labor preformed. This would provide needed dollars when they are about to leave.
If they looked at their lives before jail and look at the reasons why and/or how they got there, they could look at the people they associated with and what they were going to do to keep away from them. Real life examples of how their solutions could work.
Once the person has completed their program to where they can actually apply what they have learned. Release could then be available.
A job would be found for them and appropriate housing in areas were the person could flourish.
It sounds more like a reward for them doesn't it?
Actually, it is a reward for us. We get trained, educated people who can now function in society with the possibility of less crime.
They have done their time. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we just need to do what we say we do and that would be to rehabilitate the person back into society so they can be part of it again.
The expense can be justified by less time in jail under the taxpayers money.
While this may not solve the problem it sure will make someone feel better about themselves, better moral and debt paid a chance at a new life. By educating they get the basic skills needed to be part of society.
It's a win win situation.
