New Hampshire prison official calls to ‘legalize, control, regulate, tax’ marijuana

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/11/new-hampshire-prison-official-calls-to-legalize-control-regulate-tax-marijuana/

New Hampshire prison official calls to ‘legalize, control, regulate, tax’ marijuana
By David Edwards
Monday, November 11, 2013 14:51 EST

The head of one jail in New Hampshire said on Monday that his experience in the prison system had made him sure that it was time to legalize marijuana.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a bill earlier this year to decriminalize small amounts of weed, but Cheshire County Department of Corrections Superintendent Richard Van Winkler told Vermont Public Radio that the law did not go far enough.

“If we decriminalize we allow the illegal drug enterprise to flourish. That money goes to bad guys, that money funds terrorism,” he explained. “If we legalize, control, regulate, tax in the same way that we do for alcohol, we put the illegal drug dealer out of business.”

The 20-year veteran of law enforcement pointed out that it costs about $32,000 to keep each non-violent drug offender incarcerated every year.

[B Calm]

1. K&R

[Warren Stupidity]

2. The party with the courage to seize this issue will win elections.

[DefenseLawyer]

3. Many states have privatized their prisons

So that "cost" of $32,000.00 is transformed into revenue for the prison company. They pay legislators in those states to take a very different view of prison reform.

[MindPilot]

4. There is a huuuge difference in what it costs and what we pay

Roughly $30k per year, per prisoner. But, GEO & CCA will collect from the taxpayer closer to $90k, and the contracts guarantee a 90%+ fulfillment rate.

When the overarching reality is that the arresting officer, the prosecutor, the judge, and everybody in between are essentially obligated by contract to deliver X inmates over Y time, I don't see why every trial isn't a mistrial.

[unhappycamper]

5. + 10000000000000

I completely agree with your assessment.