Public Safety Signals
A discussion of Public Safety issues and why they matter
Public Safety Priorities
2009 Aug 22 Posted by Joseph Pascarella
Nicholas D. Kristof wrote an Op-Ed piece this week in the New York Times that discussed some very salient priorities in public safety, Health Care and Imprisonment. Essentially, the Op-Ed article discussed the willingness of the US to spend money and resources on prisons and incarcerating citizens, but not health care. The US has the highest rate of incarceration on the globe, a trend that began in the late 1970’s and continues to trend upward. By every measure, imprisoning offenders is very expensive, as is health care.
The recent debate over health care reform and legislation highlights the public’s unwillingness to expend more resources for health care. This represents a significant undercurrent in society about public safety priorities. Apparently, there is a reluctance to address the costs associated with health care, but not prisons and incarceration. Eventually, these two priorities will play out an interesting public policy debate in that resources will eventually need to be reallocated and a choice will have to made, health care reform or the sustenance of the three decades running prison-industrial enterprise.
Take care and stay safe.
Joe Pascarella
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Public Safety Signals provides a venue for those working or interested in the public safety field to join in a conversation about the latest news, trends and important issues related to public safety.
Authors
Dr. Steven Barthelmeus
Program Chair,Public Safety – Criminal Justice/Forensics program, Capella University
Dr. Jeffrey Rush
Asst. Professor of Criminal Justice/Homeland Security, Dept. of Public Management and Criminal Justice, Austin Peay State University
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Mike White Says:
Joe, you contribution to the blog was very interesting. I am new to Capella and looking forward to starting my Phd in Criminal Justice.
I would love to read the article, sounds very interesting. Did the article draw a direct connection between health care and the prison system?
I would agree that there are considerable flaws in the prison system, including the incarceration/warehousing of many people who may not belong. Mandatory sentencing and the “War on Drugs” has filled our prisons to the brink.
I don’t see a direct link that connects health care reform and prisons. I know the largest welfare system in the U.S. is contained within the prison walls. If the story implies that health care to prisoners should be withheld, what is the alternative ?
Call me ultra liberal, but I really believe many many criminals convicted of drug crimes should be treated and not incarcerated. Eliminating that burden on the system would reap benefits to society and cost much less. Also at the risk of being attacked by my conservative friends, many existing drug crimes should not be considered as such, my humble opinion.
Thanks for your interesting comments.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:19 am