Maryland incarcerates more than 20,000 people, 58 percent of them are nonviolent offenders, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion a year, according to the state's newly formed Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council.
This week, the council finalized recommendations that could reduce Maryland's prison population by roughly 4,000 people over the next decade, which the council believes could save taxpayers about $250 million. The savings could then be used to put more drug use offenders into drug-treatment programs.
"We would see lower recidivism rates," said Mike Gimbel, a drug addiction specialist who used to be Baltimore County's drug czar.
Gimbel said he gave the council ideas on how closed-down mental hospitals across the state could be turned into long-term drug treatment centers.
"Plus, it’s a third of the cost of what we pay to incarcerate them, so we get better results at a cheaper price, and we get a better human being," Gimbel said.
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5 comments:
This is just a ploy to release black voters for Hillary.
Just fire up old sparky
This is just to reduce the time that black drug users are having to do, it targets the crack only. Cocaine is the white mans drug, and it does nothing for them to get them out faster.
Reinstate the death penalty with strict guidelines for 2 appeals and short time frames
Inmates with no criminal record of violence prior to incarceration, doing time for marijuana possession or minor dealing, should be released, done deal. No "treatment" should be a condition of release. Pot smokers are not in need of treatment for "addiction". It's a whole different story with crack, heroin, meth or pills.
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