No on Proposition 20
SAN DIEGO – When you boil it down, Proposition 20 seeks to keep felons in prison longer by changing the rules of parole, and would create a new class of “wobblers” – that is, crimes that could be treated either as a misdemeanor or a felony – at the behest of retail grocery stores that want to crack down on shoplifting.
In other words, this is a proposition that is intended to benefit both the prison and the retail grocery industries at public expense by creating laws that will result in more people being incarcerated and for longer terms.
So, what’s wrong with that?
Prisons really don’t solve problems; they simply take people out of society so they can’t do harm to the general population. This is appropriate in the case of murderers, rapists, and other violent criminals, but society’s money would be better spent on trying to rehabilitate drug users and people who commit lesser crimes. Rather than build more prisons, let’s put our money into drug treatment centers, criminal diversion programs, and reeducation.
When you send non-violent criminals to prison, what happens? They either are victimized by the violent offenders already there, or they learn to become violent criminals themselves. In our opinion, it’s a far more humane policy to place non-violent offenders in environments where they can correct the errors of their ways, not intensify them.
Yes, shoplifting is a problem, and organized rings of shoplifters is even worse a problem. But let’s not put people who are stealing to buy drugs in prisons with murderers and rapists, and then expect them to come out of prison somehow rehabilitated. Let’s help them kick their addictions, train them for jobs with dignity, and help them become self-respecting, productive members of society.
Money is better spent on these type of programs than those that would require increasing prison facilities and populations.
We urge a “No” vote on Proposition 20.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com