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| No New Prisons |
No New Prisons
The goal of this campaign is to block the expansion of the Washington State prison system.
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No New Prisons Position Paper
Position Paper Date – January 21, 2006
Goal Abstract
The No New Prisons Campaign goals are to:
• block plans to expand the Washington State prison system beyond the current construction projects, and
• expose the cause and impacts of the prison industrial complex, and
• expose the cause and impacts of institutional racism in the criminal justice system, and
• promote the implementation of effective alternatives to incarceration, and
• promote the implementation of effective correctional programming, and
• promote the implementation of effective transition support services that result in reduced recidivism.
Background
PUBLIC POLICY ON CRIME
The “tough on crime” mentality originating in the 1980’s has produced laws and policies that cause the US to have the largest documented prison population in the world, both in absolute and proportional terms. As of November 2006, Washington State had 17,663 of its citizens incarcerated. Of this population, after completing their sentence, 8800 people are released from prison every year. According to the Washington State Institute of Public Policy, in 1975, the per household taxpayer cost for the Washington State criminal justice system was $200. As of the year 2000, the cost per household went up to $1,200, a six-fold increase. While crime rates today are similar to those in 1970, we are paying significantly more for the same level of “public safety.” This public policy of mass incarceration devastates families and communities and it reduces our ability to invest in prevention. As the state budget for criminal justice expands to support punishment versus prevention, parallel cuts in education and other social services are inevitable. The “tough on crime” mentality and incarceration itself feeds the cycle of crime, recidivism and devastated lives.
ENVIRONMENT
Mass incarceration also has severe environmental impact on communities. By law, the building of a prison requires environmental impact assessments of many types. The federal Environmental Protection Association (EPA) gets involved frequently in studies of proposals to locate prisons on wetlands, or near bodies of water, and includes assessing traffic problems, air pollution, water supply and sewage disposal plans. The most common environmental damage caused by prisons is due to improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste materials. To relieve daily stress from confinement, the men and women in our prisons are routinely prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, and these potent chemicals end up in urine and in a prison's sewage lagoon or local wastewater treatment plant.
BUDGET AND SOCIAL SERVICES
As the state budget for criminal justice expands to support punishment versus prevention, parallel cuts in education and other social services are inevitable. The “tough on crime” mentality and incarceration itself feeds the cycle of crime, recidivism and devastated lives.
RACE
African Americans are impacted by these public policies disproportionately. Although only 8% of Washington State’s population is African American, nearly 20% of our prison population is African American.
Present Situation with Statement of the Problem
Current prison system (effective November 2006)
15 Prisons
15 Work releases
17, 663 Prisoners
15,280 Washington prison confinement
638 Work release confinement
956 Rented out of state beds
789 Rented in state beds
42,749 Community Custody cases
25,947 Active supervision
103 Monetary only
15,650 Inactive
1,049 Unclassified
42% Recidivism (return to prison) rate (excluding violators)
$74 / day Statewide cost per prisoner
Current prison system expansion construction
Washington State Penitentiary
$140.8 million Design-Build Project
892 Close Custody and IMU beds
300 new DOC staff
Expected occupancy August 2007
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
$229.8 million Design-Build Project
1,792 Medium/hybrid beds
500 new DOC staff
Expected occupancy December 2008
Additional planned prison system expansion construction
22,000 Estimated prisoners by 2017 (excluding community custody violators) 60% Estimated increase in community custody violators by 2017
Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women
100 Bed expansion
Washington Corrections Center for Women (2007-2009 capital budget)
100 Bed expansion
McNeil Island Corrections Center (2007-2009 capital budget)
300 Minimum bed expansion
Washington Sate Penitentiary (2007-2009 capital budget)
300 Minimum bed expansion
Washington State Corrections Center
198 Bed expansion
Olympic Corrections Center
140 bed expansion
By 2030, 3 NEW prisons
Our Campaign Principles and Focus
Principles
• Tough on Crime creates crime.
• Racial disparities are created at every stage of the criminal justice system.
• Profit motive fuels the policies that result in mass incarceration of our citizens.
• Justice has become equated with revenge.
• Incarcerated people are set up to fail.
• An investment in people, communities and prevention is mandatory.
Focus
• Public education in key geographic areas, and
• Coordinated, effective statewide mobilization processes, and
• Crime prevention; before, during and after incarceration, and
• Strong, active statewide ally relationships, and
• Strategic media work.
Other Related Publications and Resources
• Dyer, Joel, Perpetual Prisoner Machine: How America Profits from Crime. Colorado: Westview Press, 2000
Sources Cited
• Department of Corrections 2007-2017 Ten-Year Capital Plan
• Harold Clarke, DOC Secretary June 28, 2006 slide presentation
About Justice Works!
The Justice Works! mission is undoing racism in the criminal justice system as experienced by African Americans. Our vision is to provide a safe, affirming and unique community whereby African Americans, with the support of their allies, use self-determination to solve problems encountered with or created by the criminal justice system. We work to reduce crime by addressing the underlying causes of crime; desperation and defiance. We support the successful transitioning of incarcerated people returning from prison to the community and we advocate for changes to create a more just criminal justice system.
Created on 01/02/2007 12:41 PM by justice
Updated on 12/11/2007 06:31 PM by justice
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