A Growth Business: Prisons

Imagine what might happen if we had 37 billion dollars to pump into the educational system of America.

Might we consider giving kids with brains an opportunity to get an education whether or not their family's could afford it? Might we consider upgrading the institutions of education? Would we legislate to obtain the best educators money could buy? Would we rewrite the curricula to put the emphasis on science and civics and history instead of general education courses that get you a degree but prepare you for nothing? Would we rebuild infrastructure to rescue our dying educational establishment? Would we toss away the senseless “No Child Left Behind Program” that never worked from day one and replace it with a diversity of programs that teach our children; not subject them to mindless testing ad infinitum. Would we get them the best equipment and technology available? One could only hope so given our government’s penchant for shifting budget dollars out of education and into armaments. .

Impossible to wish for; yet that is the amount of money that represents today's annual investment in the prison system. That’s right, the prison system. It's a 37 billion dollar industry that is branching out and expanding to fill a pressing need for more prisons instead of more rehabilitation. If that sounds like an unintentional mistake, it’s not.

If that 37 billion had been transferred to education for young people who had no opportunity; no one looking out for their welfare, would it have changed things?
Would there be a need to spend 37 billion dollars to incarcerate those who never had a chance; who were prevented from moving on a track that offered positive feedback and kind words of encouragement?.

We shall never know the answer to that question; but it's a good guess that money spent on education would be better spent than on prisons. From what we do know, imprisonment leads to recidivism not the desire to join the mainstream and become a productive citizen….and we should keep that in mind when we design institutions that take away man’s last hopes for dignity and self-esteem.

And although 37 billion dollars sounds like a fortune many times over it pales in comparison to just the money we are spending fighting a losing war on Iraq.

According to those who keep such records, the War has already topped 400 billion dollars and has lasted longer than World War II.

It seems that somewhere along the line, America has taken a detour from its pursuit of honesty, integrity, freedom, peace and prosperity.

Can the good citizens among us bring it back? Ah, that’s the question for a century where increasingly each man has become an island.

Les Aaron
The Armchair Curmudgeon
www.lesaaron.blogspot.com