Due to severe overcrowding in prisons, inmates are unable to take part in rehabilitation programs that could lead to their early release. In California, there are more than 90,000 prisoners convicted of drug-related crimes. If these individuals had access to rehabilitation facilities, their likelihood of picking up old drug habits upon release would decrease…
California has already managed to reduce its prison population from 156,000 to 152,000 in a single year, largely by diverting drug and other non-violent offenders to rehabilitation programs outside prison walls. The lowering of reincarnation from drug related crimes is what needs to keep happening to stop the overcrowding problem.
A year of incarceration costs $20,000 to tax payers while using rehabilitation alternatives to shorten the convict’s sentence only costs $4,000. It is obvious that in order to reduce prison populations and save money, we must increase rehabilitation programs in California prisons. For the current rehabilitation programs by the bureau’s Residential Drug Abuse Program, the wait lists are so long to enter the program, that only 25% of the inmates signed up for it gained entry to the program and graduated. This program would help reduce prisoners sentence by one year, which would help to reduce the prison population.
Currently, out of the $43,000 California spends on each prisoner, only 5% of the goes toward their rehabilitation. These static’s are not okay, something needs to be done! More rehabilitation programs must be available to inmates to stop recidivism!
Text by: Jackie McDonald
Jam the Revolving Door 