KBIA Local
(2010-02-04)
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
(KBIA) -
Missouri Chief Justice William Ray Price Junior says too many non-violent criminals are going to prison. During his State of the Judiciary address to the General Assembly today. He said the "tough on crime" laws have led to big expense but little reduction in crime. Price says more than 41 percent of non-violent offenders who do time are back in prison within two years."The problem is that we're following a broken strategy of cramming inmates into prisons and not providing the type of training and drug treatment that is necessary to break their cycle of crime. Any normal business would have abandoned this practice years ago, and it is costing us our shirts."
Price says the appropriations to the state Department of Corrections has tripled in the last 15 years, to 670 million dollars today. The chief justice urged lawmakers to expand special drug and drunken driving courts that focus on treatment. © Copyright 2012, KBIA