Class of Offenders: Exploring Alternatives for Non-Violent Offenders

The Bureau of Justice Statistics breaks down crimes into four major offenses: violent offense, property offense, drug offense, and public-order offense. The 2004 figures show the following:

1. Violent offenders: 52 percent
2. Property offenders: 21 percent
3. Drug offenders: 20 percent
4. Public-order offenders: 7 percent

From this breakdown of the numbers, you see that the dangerous criminals make up 52 percent of the prison population. That means, the other 48 percent of inmates could be out of jail and not pose any serious threat to public safety, because those are non-violent offenders.

Should America not step up the effort by providing the needed funding to explore and utilize real alternatives to incarceration for these non-violent offenders? Surely, a nation as wealthy and able as America can do just that, if not more.

Here are some alternative sentencing measures that can reduce the prison population, cut the cost of incarceration, benefit society, and help to rehabilitate hundreds of thousands of the prisoners in our backyards, all at the same time:

• Property Offenders: sentence them to labor equal to the value of the property stolen or damaged.
• Drug Offenders: sentence them to drug treatment centers, shelters or programs. If the person does not improve, combine this treatment with some hard, sweaty labor. The Divert Court program in Texas provides a working model.
• Public-Order Offenders: sentence those who violate public order to labor or community service. They could actually be given low-wage jobs to pay fines commensurate with their offenses.

Let us not forget that among America's prison population are many mentally ill people. Now, what class of offender do these fit in? Who knows what crime it is to lose one's mind? Just think about that: the world's most civilized nation hauls its mentally ill citizens to jails! Not that I want to fault my country, but can't we find a better solution than incarcerating crazy people? Yes, I know, they are often included with the druggies, because drug abuse may have resulted in their mental condition. But can't we find a better way than locking up the mentally ill like criminals?

Keep the brainstorming going; America might just one day shed its record as the world's lead jailer.