According to Texas CJC, Texas spends $18,538 per year per inmate. The U.S. inmate population exceeds 2.3 million. The Portugal government has, over the last fifteen years, seen a decrease in HIV infections and overdoses while those seeking drug treatment is on the rise (NY Times, 3/14). This treatment comes at a fraction of the cost of incarceration. Would that money spent on inmates (California $60,000+ /prisoner) be better served in educating our youth? Further consider, what is our return on investment? What do we (society) get after 20 years of education vs. imprisonment?
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Is the "War on Drugs" a good investment?
According to Texas CJC, Texas spends $18,538 per year per inmate. The U.S. inmate population exceeds 2.3 million. The Portugal government has, over the last fifteen years, seen a decrease in HIV infections and overdoses while those seeking drug treatment is on the rise (NY Times, 3/14). This treatment comes at a fraction of the cost of incarceration. Would that money spent on inmates (California $60,000+ /prisoner) be better served in educating our youth? Further consider, what is our return on investment? What do we (society) get after 20 years of education vs. imprisonment?
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