ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON, PARTICULARLY FOR DRUG OFFENSES, SHOULD BE EXAMINED

The number of inmates in American prisons has reached an all-time high of
more than 2 million.

At a time when the federal government and state governments are facing
budget crises, leaders should take a look at the wisdom of locking up all
these people. We should look at alternatives, particularly for those
incarcerated on drug offenses.

The prison population has grown through changes in laws that restrict
parole, through two- and three-strike laws that put repeat offenders in
jail for longer terms and through the ongoing war on drugs.

Those trends have led the nation to imprison a total of 2.1 million people.
That's one out of every 142 U.S. residents. The ratio is even higher in the
South.

Supporters of this trend can point out that crime has been decreasing as
the number of prisoners has been increasing. But prison is an expensive
solution that might be better reserved for violent criminals.

South Carolina is having a hard time paying for its prisons. The state
Corrections Department recently announced plans to lay off 87 educators and
61 administrators because of recent budget cuts. Even then, the state
Budget and Control Board agreed to let the department run a deficit of
$27.7 million.

There are less expensive alternatives, particularly for low-level drug
offenders. Spartanburg County officials have experimented with a special
drug court to handle drug users, channeling them into treatment and
monitoring their progress. They are tested periodically as they spend years
in the program.

This is the kind of program that has more potential to help drug users
become constructive citizens than prison does. And it costs less than
locking someone away for years. It's also much less disruptive to families.

Prisons have a place in society. Violent criminals belong there, isolated
from the rest of society, which needs to be protected from them. And long
sentences for repeat offenders are required to put weight and meaning
behind the law.

But there are alternatives for nonviolent and drug offenders that could be
more effective and less expensive for the state and nation. Leaders should
explore those alternatives.