I learned a long time ago from visiting with County Sheriffs all over Tennessee (It was my job) that, no matter what the county's population size, If a county had a jail that houses 200 inmates they would fill it. Once a referendum was passed and a new modern jail housing 400 prisoners was completed - they would fill that one in short order.
Theoretically, if a county of 50,000 population were to build a jail that could house 50,000 prisoners the only thing that would keep the authorities from filling it would be a lack of funding. A sizable tax base is needed to support a jail and the law enforcement system that feeds it - so they couldn't lock up everyone unless it was paid for by federal funds. In that event, the only people in that county that would not be in jail would be the county sheriff, his officers and jailers and a minimum of one judge to sentence anyone that slipped through the cracks and to return those to jail that served their time for the first offense.
A jail and the law enforcement employees that are needed to support it is a business - and a profitable one. Just ask Corrections Corporation Of America that privately operates prisons and jails across the nation. It was formed and has it's headquarters right here in Nashville, Tennessee. CCA now has a capacity of 70,500 in it's prisons and maintains a 95% occupancy rate which is much better than most major hotels. They generated $1.16 billon in revenues last year and recently increased their prisoner capacity to shore up profit margins. .
The total number of prisoners in US federal prisons and state jails was 2,131,180 in 2004 and is increasing about 3.5% per year. The figure from the following report that jumps out at you is that 60% of federal prisoners housed are drug prisoners. That's probably true of local jail populations as well - or perhaps a much higher percentage. The link below addresses this problem and discounts the contention that locking up drug offenders decreases crime rates and makes drugs less available.
In fact, locking away drug users has been shown to create more criminals by placing these basically law-abiding drug offenders in long-term contact with hardened criminals. The severe prison sentences handed down to recreational drug users make them bitter towards society for violation of a law they consider unjust in the first place. For example, contrary to popular belief, marijuana smokers users do not automatically graduate to stronger, more addictive and deadlier drugs nor do they get involved in crime other than the one violated in the course of marijuana procurement, distribution and use. The fact that the criminal and often violent element of society also uses marijuana is no indictment of the majority. The same element also use alcohol.
Most of us are likely to know people who either regularly or occasionally use marijuana or even cocaine - perhaps you are one of them. Regardless of what you may think of these people, those that I have come into contact with over the years are neither criminally inclined or a menace to society. Quite the contrary, I have found many if not most are good people with great talents who would never break any laws except the one in question, a law they feel is wrong to begin with. Willie Nelson, an American icon, is one of the more notable persons who "reputedly" uses marijuana and is revered by many as a great American - even by many of our nation's leaders. Willie, despite his reputation, is embraced by the Christian community as well as the secular. Hypocrisy and whoredom know no theocratic or philosophical boundaries.
I realize that some of the current cheap and easily manufactured drugs now destroying lives have become a real problem but incarceration is an ineffective deterrent as everyone knows. If the same amount of money spent on housing all drug offenders was spent on educating the most serious drug offenders and addressing their immediate problems, many if not most would become productive members of society. Instead we keep creating an industry that creates profits for a few and greater problems for our society. When will self-righteous arrogance and ignorance end and the compassionate, fair and just world envisioned by Jesus, the Buddha and Muhammad arrive?
Gary
Population Bomb Behind Bars
http://www.cato.org/dailys/02-23-00.html
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