While there is no question that the city must be protected from dangerous criminals, the majority of our prisoners have been convicted for nonviolent crimes. They serve their sentences — at great taxpayer expense — in a negative and often corrosive environment that sometimes does more harm than good.

There are less costly and more effective ways to deter nonviolent offenses, and the time to carry them out is now. In the current economic crisis, the American taxpayer suffers when there is excessive incarceration.

History will judge America on how it deals with criminal justice issues. Excessive incarceration for nonviolent offenders is not only offensive, but dangerous and very expensive. Centuries from now our society will be evaluated and the question will be asked: Why was there not a better plan?

Lastly, let me clarify my incarceration versus education point. California spends $8,500 per year in the classroom to educate a child and $35,500 (or $220,000 if a youth is detained in the California Department of Juvenile Justice) per year to incarcerate an inmate. This is not sustainable folks!

We cannot educate students if their parents are out getting high.

And how does paying criminals stop them committing crime?

I assume Leslie Croom speaks from experience. Are you a gang counselor, social worker or what?

You didn’t give me a chance to answer.

No.

But I have walked in Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, and Hacienda Village projects. I challenge you to tell me the difference.

The main reason I haven’t walked in Jordan Downs is that the Grape Street gang is targeted by the guy around the corner from me, so the Grape Streeters tend to get prosecuted by him. And yeah, he’s been there.

So the thing you’re pretty sure of is wrong, and your assumption about me is right only by accident, and not in any meaningful way.

You need to check your facts and figures.
The LAUSD, all by itself, has a budget of $12B, so how are we spending more on incarceration than education in the State of California?

Public School System spends $6000 per student. Voucher gives $2500 per student so parent can put student in school parent wishes. Each student leaving Public School System takes $2500 out of Public School System budget, leaving other $3500 in Public School System budget. Public School System cannot afford the per student increase in funding due to the loss of 42% of student’s money while keeping 58% of student’s money when student leaves.

Did I get the new math righgt?

So, you don’t like having all of these miscreants in the lock-up?
Well, let ‘em out. I’m sure that the citizens can take care of the problem of their recidivism if we are given enough warning, and allowed to avail ourselves of the proper hardware.
But then, what would the “criminal justice system” have to do to occupy their time.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Liberal Conventional Wisdom

Leslie – Bush inherited a recession from Bill Clinton then the country was hit by 9/11. Blind hatred for Bush rather than attention to facts doesn’t play well here. Problems with excessive illegal immigration started well before Bush and unfortunately neither major political party has had the guts to do what is necessary to deal with the issue over the years. Public outcry defeated the last major effort in Washington. The American public is just not in favor of easy anmesty, but our leaders in Washington seem tone deaf to their constituents.

As a community organizer, what do you see as the solutions and are you in favor of school vouchers.

LC