Jim Webb to take on prison system

By Libby

It strikes me as good sign to see a politician of Jim Webb's stature take a stab at prison reform. With the US as the #1 jailer, holding 25% of the world's prison population, it's a issue long overdue to be addressed.

This spring, Webb (D-Va.) plans to introduce legislation on a long-standing passion of his: reforming the U.S. prison system. Jails teem with young black men who later struggle to rejoin society, he says. Drug addicts and the mentally ill take up cells that would be better used for violent criminals. And politicians have failed to address this costly problem for fear of being labeled "soft on crime." [...]

Webb aims much of his criticism at enforcement efforts that he says too often target low-level drug offenders and parole violators, rather than those who perpetrate violence, such as gang members. He also blames policies that strip felons of citizenship rights and can hinder their chances of finding a job after release. He says he believes society can be made safer while making the system more humane and cost-effective.

He's receiving a fairly positive response to his mission, except of course from the drug prohibitionist community which reaps the rich financial rewards of an incarceration-based policy that fills the prisons with drug defendants incarcerated under draconian mandatory sentencing requirements, yet who for the most part pose little danger to society in comparison to rapists and pedophiles that often go free for lack of cell space.

It's long been clear that any policy reform will have to come from Capitol Hill and this would appear to be a good start. You might want to contact Webb and thank him for his forward thinking on the issue and while you're at it, contact your own Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the effort.