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VOICE ONE:
Crime in the United States has decreased in recent years. Oneproblem now is what to do about crowded prisons. I’m PhoebeZimmermann with Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
The criminal justice system is our report this week the VOASpecial English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
A new report says more than two-million people were in prisonsand jails in the United States at the end of June two-thousand-two.That is the most ever. The country already had among the highestrates of imprisonment in the world.
The government report says about four-and-a-half-million otherswere on probation or parole last year. People on probation have notbeen sentenced to jail. Instead, they are under court supervision.People on parole have been freed from prison. They must obeyrestrictions and also report to officials for supervision.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics prepared the report. The reportshows that, as of last year, one in every thirty-two people in thenation had been found guilty of a crime. The United States has anational population of two-hundred-ninety-million people.
VOICE TWO:
The number of prisoners in America has increased by four-hundredpercent since the middle of the nineteen-eighties.
Nationally, the rate of violent crime has decreased to its lowestlevel in the thirty years it has been measured.
During those years, so-called “get tough” laws have providedlonger sentences for some offenses, including drug crimes.
Two-thirds of the prisoners in the United States are in federalor state prisons. Local jails hold the other one-third. People foundguilty of serious crimes usually are sentenced to prisons. Peopleawaiting trial or sentenced for lesser offenses usually are held injails.
There are different kinds of prisons. Prisoners who are notconsidered a danger to others may be sent to a minimum-securityprison without many restrictions. The most dangerous prisoners aresent to maximum-security prisons where life is extremely controlled.
VOICE ONE:
Over the years, the United States has made prison reforms. Today,corrections experts and prison-reform activists propose morechanges. For example, they say more job training may help keepprisoners from returning to jail once they are freed.
There were record numbers of prisoners last year. But the Bureauof Justice Statistics says the growth rate of imprisonment hadalready leveled off by then. It calls the rise of imprisonmentduring the nineteen-eighties and nineties “dramatic.”
VOICE TWO:
Half the states have acted against overcrowding. Big states likeCalifornia and Texas have released thousands of prisoners to savemoney and space.
Critics of the criminal justice system say long prison sentencesare not necessarily making society safer. But the Supreme Courtrecently upheld a “three strikes” law in California.
This law affects people found guilty of three crimes. The laworders that they serve from twenty-five years to life in prison.This is true even if their third crime was considered minor. In thecase that reached the Supreme Court, the third crime was stealinggolf equipment.
One more thing about California: The state just reported afour-percent increase in major crimes last year. Murders in thebiggest population centers, though down from ten years ago, were upeleven percent from the year before.
VOICE ONE:
Some criminal justice officials say the increase in federalprisoners in the United States is of special concern. Intwo-thousand-two, federal prisons held almostone-hundred-sixty-two-thousand people. This is the first time thefederal system has had more prisoners than any of the fifty states.
This happened partly because the Federal Bureau of Prisons tookcontrol of prisoners formerly held by the District of Columbia. But,also, Congress has expanded the federal prison system. Congress hasadded many drug offenses to the list of federal crimes.
VOICE TWO:
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is among those who say thecountry has too many people in jail.
Justice Kennedy also says prison terms are often too long. Hecriticizes policies where state legislatures establish sentencesthat judges cannot change. Such required sentences have increased innumber in recent years. Mister Kennedy says these sentences aresometimes severe and unjust.
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VOICE ONE:
Americans are guaranteed “equal justice before the law,” in thewords of the Constitution. But there is debate about the equality ofthe criminal justice system toward the poor and especially membersof minority groups.
About twelve percent of African American males between the agesof twenty and thirty-four were in prison or jail last year. Bycomparison, four percent of Hispanics, and less than two percent ofwhite males, were behind bars.
Bureau of Justice Statistics official Allen Beck says the ratefor young black males has been going up in recent years. Mister Becksays the bureau’s new report shows the highest rate measured.
In any case, men of all groups are about fifteen times morelikely than women to go to prison. But an increasing number of womenare jailed these days. The number of female prisoners grows at anaverage rate of more than five percent a year. The rate among malesaverages less than four percent.
VOICE TWO:
Drug offenders are a major reason for America’s huge prisonerpopulation. The Sentencing Project is an activist group forcriminal-justice improvements. It says about sixty percent offederal and more than twenty percent of state prisoners are in fordrug crimes.
Recently a number of states have taken steps to change their drugpolicies. They are considering sending drug users to treatmentprograms instead of prison. These programs are aimed at ending theuse of drugs. They also are meant to reduce the number of people inprison.
Arizona and California have approved drug-treatment centers fornon-dangerous drug offenders. Kansas also is considering a new druglaw. It would require non-violent drug offenders to be treated forup to eighteen months. Supporters of the law say it would remove theneed for almost two-hundred prison beds by the end of next year.
VOICE ONE:
New York State has some of the nation’s most severe drug laws. Aperson can be sentenced to at least fifteen years, and up to life,in prison for having or selling drugs
The international organization Human Rights Watch is based in NewYork. It criticizes the state’s drug laws. It says these laws haveled to the unnecessary jailing of non-dangerous drug offenders. Itsays the laws have taken parents away from thousands of children.Governor George Pataki has been considering changes in the state’sdrug laws.
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VOICE TWO:
Reducing sentences for crimes would surely lower America’s rateof imprisonment. So would keeping nonviolent, first-time drugoffenders out of jail. But many officials say reduced sentenceswould lead to an increase in crime. They say the public would be indanger.
Experts argue about how much drug treatment programs cost ascompared with jailing. Some say treatment is far cheaper. Othersdisagree.
Nola Foulston is a local law enforcement official in the Wichita,Kansas, area. She also is an official of the National DistrictAttorneys Association. Mizz Foulston says she believes the yearlyoperation of drug treatment centers could cost a little less thanjail. But she worries about drug offenders living free. MizzFoulston says they have much higher risk of returning to drugs thanif they are behind bars.
VOICE ONE:
Some stories do end happily. Bob is fifty-five years old. He tookcocaine for more than twenty years. During that time he served threejail terms. Each time he left jail he quickly became dependent onthe drug again.
Several years ago, a judge ordered Bob to enter a drug-treatmentcenter. Center workers closely supervised his every move for a year.He received intensive treatment and advising about his life.
Bob has a job now. He also is studying at night at a localcollege. He says, “No more drugs — ever … and I am never going backto jail.”
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VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced byCynthia Kirk. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Phoebe Zimmermann. Join us again next week for anotherreport about life in the United States on our VOA Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.