Comments on: Prison Camps Waste Taxpayer Resources

By: Jason Okubo

Jason Okubo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:56:55 +0000

Dear Mr. Santos,
I would agree that the American prison system is overburdened and largely ineffective in rehabilitating inmates. The current system wastes billions of the dollars incarcerating criminals and is therefore in dire need of reform. However you stated that “…we need a system that would encourage offenders to work toward earning freedom through merit”. How is this different from the current good time statutes that reduce a prisons sentence for good behavior? In your article you feel that minimum security facilities should be abolished and changed into community confinement programs. Wouldn’t these programs be very similar to probational terms given to inmates who have served their time?

By: Susanne

Susanne — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:13:45 +0000

I am very interested in doing what I can to assist in moving prison reform forward. My husband will soon be at Taft (after his 3/23 sentencing and Taft is the minimum security facility they choose to send him to). Like what you continue to speak about there is a much better way to use these valuable resources (like my husband and plenty others) then to send them to minimum security prisons. What my husband did is wrong but the punishment certainly does not fit the crime. There is so much good that he could do and share with others that would benefit society rather than incarcerate him. I need some assistance on how to best to proceed to move this forward. I know your wife is doing some wonderful things and I would love to join her in these efforts. My husband is currently in the county jail and I continually send him your articles and blogs (today I’m sending him this one). They are very insightful for those of us that have never had anything more than a parking ticket. He also looks forward to meeting you. Keep up the great work! You’re an inspiration!

By: Christina West

Christina West — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:45:32 +0000

Can there be any balance between long term incarceration to appease conservatives while still allowing programs that help prisoners to be able to function normally, be gainfully employed and self sufficient for example, upon their release? If so, what types of programs would “help prisoners emerge successfully”? Do you believe these would reduce recidivism or are the types of people who would truly take adavantage of them unlikely to reoffend in the first place? If minimum-security camp inmates should be released into society, where should the line be drawn for minimum/medium security?—since without minimum-security camps, current medium-security facilities would be the lowest rung of severity in terms of confinement, the new minimum-security facilities.

By: Alex Gomez

Alex Gomez — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:27:03 +0000

March 9, 2009

Mr. Santos,
In the article entitled, “Prison Camps Waste Taxpayers Resources” you indicated that the prison needs reform and instead of seeking justice through the turning of calendar days, the system needs to encourage offenders to work progressively to earn their freedom. You also suggested, that tax payers are wasting their money since the longer an individual is confined in prison the more difficult it is for him to reconcile with society. Moreover, I honestly agree with the comments you made about the correctional institution prisons are supposed to be. I do not see any correction being made because the recidivism rates rates speak for themselves. My questions to you are if you were President Barack Obama’s policy advisor what would be your first steps in reforming the prison system? Would you release the less dangerous offenders? What would you do in cases where offenders have committed violent offenses in the past but have changed their ways?

The book entitled, Inside: Life Behind Bars in America, was an different way of looking at the correctional institution. I never imagined prison to be that dangerous of a place. Honestly, once I first was assigned to read the book, I thought it was another one of those books Dr. Sam Torres glorifies in class. But after reading the book it opened my eyes of how the prison system is a world itself with different rules each offender has to follow. Moreover, the book was badass and I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for your contribution to my small library.

Thankyou,
Alex Gomez