It is said, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We send more of our citizens off to jail than any other nation. Perhaps the idea that follows wouldn't change that -- what I will suggest would still be considered incarceration -- but it would be a lesser form of incarceration. And, it should decrease the cost of incarceration.
Ankle monitors. No, it is not like we are not already doing this. Some places are probably doing it a fair amount. I would make a tweak or two. One, instead of prisons, sent them to halfway houses, where each prisoner has his own one-room apartment, and a wall through the yard separates them, and they are not allowed to visit each other. Now, the ankle monitor of today is not the ankle brace of yesterday. These days, instead of ankle shackles chaining them to their home, the brace around the ankle is chained to nothing. But, as you know, it does have a GPS system. So, they cannot go out of route, can't go to the liquor store, can't go anywhere they are not allowed without the GPS catching them.
Ankle monitors. No, it is not like we are not already doing this. Some places are probably doing it a fair amount. I would make a tweak or two. One, instead of prisons, sent them to halfway houses, where each prisoner has his own one-room apartment, and a wall through the yard separates them, and they are not allowed to visit each other. Now, the ankle monitor of today is not the ankle brace of yesterday. These days, instead of ankle shackles chaining them to their home, the brace around the ankle is chained to nothing. But, as you know, it does have a GPS system. So, they cannot go out of route, can't go to the liquor store, can't go anywhere they are not allowed without the GPS catching them.
So, why stick so many of them in jail?
Oh, removing them from friends and acquaintances is an effective punishment, and should be used at time. It might seem this translates into jail. But, how about halfway houses instead? We could place them in halfway houses -- housing away from their homes, where they are away from their acquaintances.
I said one or two tweaks, and here is the other: Place video monitors at the door, to check who visits them.
I said one or two tweaks, and here is the other: Place video monitors at the door, to check who visits them.
All this without the expense of live guards. The video cameras could have sensors, and when the sensors detected visitors at the doorstep, the person monitoring the home-arrest housing units would be notified, and a police officer dispatched when appropriate.
Judges and case workers would review the person's home setting, determining if the prisoner would be best served by placing them in the halfway houses or letting them serve their time in their homes. If they are to be left in their homes, they would have to agree to have the videos around, watching their comings and goings. If the family is not considered to be a bad influence, in some situations, it might be wise to leave them to care for their families.
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