Pubdate: Sun,  1 Feb 2004
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2004 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Natasha Wist

PRISONS CARRY A HIGH PRICE TAG

I am grateful that the Mercury News is giving so much attention to the 
plight of our prisoners, both juvenile and adult. But what's new in the 
experts' opinions about incarcerating young people, mostly addicts, in 
prisons that punish, torture and debilitate?

I am a retired school psychologist. Even a beginning course in psychology 
will teach that punishment does not change behavior for long and that abuse 
and violence only breed more abuse and violence.

If we Californians don't care about the ethical and moral implications of 
incarceration, then surely we can appeal to our pocketbooks. If we gave 
every prisoner in our youth and adult prison system $25,000 a year for 
education (which is what it costs minimally to "debilitate" a person in 
prison), I can guarantee we would have a more peaceful and better 
functioning society.

Natasha Wist

Morgan Hill 
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