You work hard for your money, right? How would you feel if I told you that a portion of your hard earned money goes to the support of felons? Murderers, rapists, child molesters and others of the worst sort of the human animal, convicted felons serving life sentences for heinous crimes who can never be trusted to walk the streets freely. Or inmates serving life sentences involved in gangs and gang related activities, continuing the same anti-social violent behavior that caused them to be incarcerated. Some inmates even running gang activity from their prison cells. Controlling drug trafficking and commanding gang violence such as drive by shootings, which often harm or kill innocent by standers. Take little Sunny Elijah Peralez, who on August 6th, 1999 went to shut his East L.A. homes front door and was struck and killed by a stray bullet, innocent victim of a drive by shooting.
With an overcrowded prison system, the United States has the highest incarceration rates in the world. 750 inmates per 100,000 citizens compared to a world average of 166 per 100,000 (that's.75% compared to.17%) and although crime rates have decreased since 1990, the rate of imprisonment has continued to rise, costing the American taxpayer billions. Combined expenditures of local, state and federal governments for law enforcement and corrections total over 200 billion dollars annually, money that some of which could be better spent on something more beneficial to humankind. For instance, prisons are housing many of the nations mentally ill. The number of mentally ill inmates is nearly five times the number in inpatient mental hospitals. Large numbers of mentally ill inmates as well as inmates infected with H.I.V. tuberculosis and hepatitis (often spread through drug use and tattooing with unclean needles) also raise serious questions regarding the costs and distribution of health care resources. (Facts about the prison system in the United States October 2007)
My proposal for eliminating these costs and redistributing these funds consist of several elements. The first element being the unbiased elimination of the cause or reasons of these costs, by that I am referring to convicted felons on death row and felons serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. I mean, why are we wasting money to keep these worthless pieces society alive? If they have shown by their actions and deeds that they hold no value on human life and serve no purpose or value to mankind then they should just be put to death. Now, the immediate execution of them of course, would be unfair. We need to give them some time incarcerated to actually serve some form of punishment prior to their execution, and time to reflect on their lives and misdeeds and perhaps find their way to God to maybe give their soul a chance for salvation. After all, God is all forgiving right? That's more than most of them gave their victims. Another idea is live televised executions to maybe deter others from committing the same offense. Then maybe a nice cremation ceremony, after which their ashes would indeed make a fine fertilizer for the prison garden there by interring them to complete their life sentence. At least then they would have served some benefit from their existence.
Secondly, lesser crimes that inmates were convicted of such as non-fatal or non-violent crimes like fraud or theft, or persistent drug related petty crimes stemming from drug dependency could be given a military option to help strengthen our depleting armed forces in a more cost effective manner by having them serve their time deployed overseas. For example, let's say someone was convicted for burglary and drug related charges and was given a six year sentence. That person could opt for unpaid military service for seventy five percent of his sentence time, after which if he or she decides to remain in the military the time served could be considered applied towards a military career. Any rank they may have achieved may be considered and the time served would be applied to the twenty year requirement for retirement. That way assists in the overcrowding and expense problems related to incarceration and they have served their country and now have become a valuable and productive citizen instead of a burden and liability. The combined savings to the government from both not having to support him or her in prison and not paying him or her while in the military would no doubt be quite substantial.
Thirdly, money saved by not wasting it on death row and life without parole inmates by simply executing them could be put to better use on programs for drug therapy and rehabilitation of lesser charged inmates. Also some of the money could be used for programs for the homeless for housing, job training and programs for them as well for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Programs for therapy and treatment of the mentally ill homeless could also be instituted to help them re-establish themselves into society so that they may live a happier and more productive life.
I am aware that opponents to my proposal would argue by saying things like that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to the inmates and against their rights. To them I say what about the rights of their victims? What if it had been your child killed by that stray bullet or found horribly abused and buried in a shallow grave? Would you still feel that it is wrong? What if your loved one had been killed in a robbery for only a few dollars they had in their pocket? Does that murderer with no sanctity for human life deserve more than to just die? And knowing that the money saved could be put to better uses to help others more deserving or in need to have a better life and to become a more productive member of society would you still want to let the murderer, rapist, child molester or serial killer languish in a cell often still perpetrating the same crimes that landed them there? Or would you rather see a nice new establishment for the betterment of mankind with a nice organically fertilized garden in front of it, providing hope for the many thousands of people this money could help? That's not really a tough question, is it?
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