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April 2, 2012

Drugs & Prisons: Time For a New Strategy?

By Arlen Grossman

The numbers are indisputable: We as a nation are doing a terrible job balancing our commitment to schools and prisons. Our money, as shown by California's statistics, are moving toward incarceration and away from education.

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DRUG CONVICTIONS, PER 100,000 ADULTS IN U.S.:  [1) 1980: 15 ; 1996: 148 ; Today: 380+  (#1 in the world).


Drug Arrests Up by Placerville News

PRISONERS PER 100,000 CITIZENS:  [1] 
 Japan-63, German-90, France-96, Mexico-208, Britain-153,  U.S. 1980-150, U.S. 2011- 760  (#1 in the world). 

ARRESTS ON DRUG CHARGES IN THE U.S.:  [1]
1.66 million in 2009  (#1 in the world).

DRUG CRIME IMPRISONMENTS IN THE U.S. (est.):  [2] 1980:  41,000 Today: 500,000+


           

     Education Cuts/ eSchoolNews.com
                       

TOTAL SPENDING IN CALIFORNIA (2010):  [1] 
Prisons-$9.6 billion;    Higher Education-$5.7 billion

PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET:  [3] 
1980: Prisons 3%, Education 10% 
2010: Prisons 11%, Education 7.5%    

PER CAPITA SPENDING IN CALIFORNIA: [1]
$8,667  per college student, $45,006  per prisoner

NEW CONSTRUCTION IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1980:   [1) Prisons: 21, Colleges: 1  

RECIDIVISM RATES IN CALIFORNIA (AFTER 3 YEARS IN PRISON):  [3] 
1981: 32.7 % 2010: 71.3% (highest in the nation) 




Authors Website: http://www.thebigpicturereport.com

Authors Bio:

Arlen is a writer/blogger living in Monterey, CA. His political blog is thebigpicturereport.com. He also wrote a quotation quiz "What's Your QQ?" at the Monterey Herald for 9 years. see quotationquotient.com.


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