CRIME DROPS: But Prison Costs Remain High Despite 15 Percent Reduction
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Many schools are literally falling down around students' ears while prisoners are housed in relatively more stable buildings, eat as well as soldiers, have adequate health care, counseling, recreation opportunities, etc.
Most rational observers agree that education in Michigan has been supported far less than corrections for at least the past 25 years.
Many schools are literally falling down around students' ears while prisoners are housed in relatively more stable buildings, eat as well as soldiers, have adequate health care, counseling, recreation opportunities, etc.
Everybody knows that, as the advertising catch word goes.
"Crime in Michigan is falling. The rates of both violent crime and property crime are at long-term lows. Taxpayers should be enjoying a peace dividend from the falling crime rate." --James M. Hohman, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Nov. 27, 2014."
Hohman's report continues:
"Yet this has not translated into state budget savings. The $2 billion Department of Corrections budget has barely budged despite the fact that the prison population has fallen 15.6 percent from 2006 to 2015 -- which ought to mean lower costs."
These startling statements should outrage sensible Michiganians. And also convince all of us that this horse -- the Prison/Industrial Complex some call it -- has been driving Michigan's political and economic cart far too long.
The Mackinac Center's Michael D. LaFaive wrote in 2011:
"Michigan spends a fortune on corrections both in absolute and relative terms. At a recent conference co-sponsored by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, the organization reported that in 2008 Michigan ranked 6th among the 50 states in spending on corrections (as a percentage of income).
"Michigan ranks 6th among 46 states (four were excluded) in salary alone for corrections personnel, and that corrections pay has grown faster than both inflation and the state civil service average for salary increases, according to the CRC."
More than 2 million people are in state and federal prisons and local jails, many in facilities funded by states. For almost all states, corrections have become a rapidly growing expense.
State spending on prisons shot up to $74 billion in 2007 from $63 billion in 1997, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Local government spending on jails rose to $116 billion from $99 billion during that same time.
One of the main reasons for the high cost is that the United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world, according to the International Center for Prison Studies at King's College London.
The American rate stood at 743 people incarcerated per 100,000 of the population, ahead of both Russia's rate of 585 and China's rate of 120. In contrast, the rate in England and Wales was 150, 117 in Canada, 96 in France, and 88 in Germany.
Reason why costs have not dropped despite the slow crime rise in Michigan? Mackinac's Mr. Hohman states:
"But potential savings have been consumed by pension underfunding and rising health care costs."
Wrote Ted Roelofs for Bridge Magazine: "In 1980, corrections spending consumed just 3 percent of the state budget. That soared to more than 21 percent by 2013. Prison population stood near 15,000 in 1980. It was more than triple that 25 years later. On average, prisoners today cost the state $35,000 a year. And they are growing more expensive as they age."
The State of Michigan thrived as a result of outstanding education that was built on the foundation of the provision in the Northwest Ordnance of 1787 setting aside a section of land in every township for schools.
The founders knew, and provided for, what we have lost sight of in the 21st century -- without proper support for education of youth no society can progress.
The "lock 'em up and throw away the key" crowd have been driving the nag far too long toward the jail house. Now the facts of history show that the Corrections nag needs to be put out to pasture and the school house shored up for the future of Michigan.
"We've locked up people for a long time," says State Rep. Joe Haveman, R-Holland. "I don't believe we've created safer communities."
Let's look back at what the Michigan Constitution says:
"Article VII: Encouragement of Education
"Sec. 1. Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
"Sec. 2. The legislature shall maintain and support a system of free public elementary and secondary as defined by law. Every school district shall provide for the education of its pupils without discrimination as to religion, creed, race, color or national origin."
Imagine that!
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