Alternatives To Incarceration
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In a world filled with economic ups and downs and violent criminals, taxpayers are always asking is there a way to keep non-violent offenders out of prison, but America's future is dangerously at risk as more and more young people are incarcerated every day. The new prison system society is set apart by more violence and the increase in violence has been credited to these youthful offenders.
In recent years, crime in the United States has generally gone down, and yet the prison population continues to grow - a troubling trend that needs to be detained. In 2002, the prison population was at it's all time high- at 2.1 million- a 2.6% leap over 2001.
Beyond the human costs of keeping minor offenders behind bars for long periods, many states are talking about the budget costs. Nationwide, the total bill for running prisons is estimated at $50 billion a year.
This year, the states found it could save $40 million and reduce it's prison population by 500 beds by allowing nonviolent offenders more time off for good behavior. This included inmates making restitution to victims and receiving job training...