Quote:
Originally Posted by mid wicket
I note that in New Jersey the Taxpayer is budgeted to pay $281,835 per year to incarcerate a child. (Page D-265 of the FY19BudgetBook).
That sort of money is a symptom of a failed system and should be starting a real debate about alternatives.
I also note that racial disparities plague the youth justice system, where despite similar misbehavior rates a black child is 30 more likely to be detained or committed than a white child. |
Agree completely. Minorities make up the vast majority of our incarcerated population because we choose as a society to punish them so much more severely. Compare for instance, the disparity in sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine (prevalent in African American communities) vs. powder cocaine (preferred by whites). Tim Allen went to jail for selling cocaine, yet emerged in a few years to become a big star. Had he been busted for dealing crack, he might well still be in jail.