4000 more prison beds planned for Florida.

[The Backlash Cometh]

Drug users are increasing the prison population, and Republicans want to be tough on criminal offenders -- but not a word about Noelle Bush in this article:

Drug offenders lead the pack as prisons swell
August 18, 2003

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's sudden upsurge in inmates imprisoned on drug-related charges comes after two years of state budget cuts that have dramatically reduced treatment dollars for drug offenders behind bars.

Experts say that may have contributed to the need for state lawmakers to dip into reserve funds last week and approve $66 million in emergency funding to build about 4,000 new prison beds.

<snip>

"The rise in prison admissions that's happening in Florida certainly seems to be bucking national trends," said Ryan King, a research associate with The Sentencing Project, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit criminal-justice policy group.

<snip>

Other possible causes for the rise are stricter sentences handed down by a new generation of conservative state court judges appointed by Bush.

<snip>

"The primary purpose of the prison system is not to treat but punish," Ober said. "Counties have drug courts that help steer people into treatment. But if they don't comply with the laws, sometimes they end up in prison."

- - - -

Well, er, Noelle didn't comply with the law. Why did she get a Get-Out-Of-Jail Card?

Complete article at:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-asecprisons18081803aug18,0,4187520.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

[Samuraimad]

1. That should solve the problem!

More beds, geez, why didn't we think of it sooner! :eyes:

[tom_paine]

2. The Law does not apply to the Imperial Family or Aristocracy

Just where the hell do you think you live?

A Free Country?

You live in an Empire selflessly devoted to the flourishment of every single person making over $1,000,000/year.

You live in an Empire, where despite this pleasant twilight in which we appear to be free, we are actually nothing of the sort. And when needed, the Busheviks will squeeze their fists and even THAT illusion will be gone.

[Parche]

3. one more bed

We need another bed for JEB!!!!

[CO Liberal]

4. And One for Noelle, One for Jenna, and One for Barbara

Preferrably in the detox unit.

[samsingh]

5. i have a nasty feeling

about all the illegal activities becoming committed in Florida by the shrub clan and their co-horts.

[madrchsod]

6. i hope they got alot of money in florida

about 60 million a year for inmate`s costs,then add maybe 50 million in constrution of 2000 new cells- two per cell- 25 thousand per unit. that`s alot of money for rehab and half -way housing isn`t it? havegive those big contracts out to the big money contractors don`t they....

[SoCalDem]

7. Aaaw.. isn't that sweet.. a slumber party..

:eyes:

Don't you just love it?? Whenever they are talking about prison/jail, they refer to them euphemistically as "beds"...when they are really talking about CELLS/... You know.. BARS on the doors.. Locked in 23 hrs a day...

I firmly believe that if 1/3 of the "prison" money was spent on community colleges and real jobs programs, there would be a lot of unemployed jailers..:)


Lives of crime start early.. 13 or 14 yrs old.. If a kid that age sees that his "family" is never going to be able to help him go to college, and he sees that a high school diploma is just a piece of paper that he can write his Mc Donald's work schedule on the back of, it's not a big jump to see why they get into trouble with drugs & crime..

Give them something to look forward to, and they might actually think they HAVE a future..

It's a no brainer.:(

[JNelson6563]

8. short on slave labor??

"recruit" them at the taxpayers expense!!

Julie

[prolesunited]

9. Wouldn't it make so much more sense

if we had a headline that read 4,000 more drug treatment slots opening up, or 4,000 new after school programs for youth or 4,000 new middle class jobs. But then again, they make MUCH more money off of the prison industrial complex.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Treatment will not be pushed over Punishment until...

...the police start being fair about who they're stopping for drug searches. In other words, you'll have to affect the lives of young white middle class children, before the preferred method of handling drug abuse becomes treatment rather than incarceration.

This sentence in the article says it all: "It's a significant investment," Bush said of the additional prison funding. "But if we need to build prisons in order to make sure public safety is first and foremost, we'll do that."

That statement speaks volumes. It's not safety that Bush is really concerned about.

[JCMach1]

11. Even worse-- building contracts will go to Repug supporters

Check out this article...

http://www.thesyndrome.com/archives/00000508.htm

Because this bill was written up as an 'emergency' measure, the normal bidding process is circumvented and the Gov. can pick whomever they want to do the 66 million in work!

:grr:

[Oracle]

12. Fucking Jeb & Harris...

http://www.ericblumrich.com/gta.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Nice Link.

I wonder what kind of music the California Recall will inspire.