[Sliliashdes]

I think I see a catch in your plan DaShi.

[evarekataVame]

Faced with yawning budget gaps and high unemployment, California, Michigan, New York and several other states are attacking both problems with a surprising strategy: helping ex-convicts find jobs to keep them from ending up back in prison. Uh. This is a "surprising" strategy?

[Saduyre9de]

Uh. This is a "surprising" strategy?

You'd be surprised. Things like programs in prisons to teach inmates technical skills or get distance learning degrees have been cut in almost all states.

It's mind boggling to me how you can have a guy go to prison for several years for a robbery (and he's obviously poor since people with money and jobs don't rob people), have him stew in jail with a bunch of other criminals for a few years, learning no skills or anything, then just release him with no real structure or a half-assed half-way house, and people act surprised when the guy turns back to crime.

Prison education has always been the first thing removed from state budgets.

[sbgctsa]

It really should be common sense that societal reintegration saves everyone money.

[lorryuncori]

Methadone and bupanephrine clinics have the same problem.

[Toninvell]

Hire some of them, gribbler. They were only in prison due to high unemployment rates that already exist, not because of any personality disorder.

[JasminBerkova]

"Studies have consistently demonstrated the efficacy of methadone and bupanephrine clinics in reducing recidivism rates and reducing the substance abuse rate in the long-term but when it comes to budget cuts, it's easy to have a short-sighted view and think that drug users are the last people who should be receiving benefits."

[ladleliDypenue]

Oh, haha.