Conviction v. Counseling

After reading this anyone can see how the prison population is overcrowded and unfair in some cases. It is an absolute shame that most citizens in jail have not even been convicted of a crime and are waiting to be tried. Whatever happened to being guilty until proven innocent or the speedy trial citizens are supposed to receive? From looking at these statistics anyone can tell that most of them have risen significantly over a matter of years.

One huge issue in these statistics is that of drug related violations. Thirty-one percent of those convicted are in prison or jail for drug related incidences. Yes, doing drugs and providing a way for others to do drugs is bad but is it prison worthy? I believe that these people who are doing and dealing drugs need COUNSELING not a CONVICTION. I have never been to prison or could even begin to understand how harsh and horrible it is, but I am trying to imagine how these felons could get LIFE CHANGING help while serving a prison sentence. These individuals should be sentenced to long counseling sessions, parole of sorts, and extreme community service that involves encouraging kids to “say no” and discouraging them from other juvenile delinquent behaviors. I know that some organizations such as Big Brother Big Sister do extensive background checks that probably would not allow some of these people to take part in their organization but there are other ways to be a positive force in a child’s life.

Other alarming statistics are those of the average person being convicted and serving time over the course of their life. There should be more organizations for children in every community such as after school programs that encourage productivity and help children socialize in healthy ways rather than others that may lead them to be another one of these many statistics. I would say it would be highly unusual for a person to wake up one day in their early twenties and decided then and there that they wanted to be convict. These patterns are developed earlier in life in most cases and without the help from willing members of society to encourage kids and keep them out of trouble these rates will continue to climb.