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PaperclipPerfector  10d ago (text post)   35687 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 20, 2025

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In my country it costs about $150000 per year to keep someone in prison.

So spend less on that, it’s not hard. There is no reason it has to cost this much. I can guarantee you that 70 years ago, it didn’t cost (inflation adjusted) $150k. I strongly suspect that the main reason it does is because pro-criminal activists demand certain things that jack up the cost, and then use that to argue that prisons are too expensive.

Can you explain?

I explained in next sentence: comparing prison cost to damage of a single theft that resulted in the conviction is clearly wrong and misleading.

I explained in next sentence: comparing prison cost to damage of a single theft that resulted in the conviction is clearly wrong and misleading.

I don't understand why that can't be the starting point. Beyond that, what factors would you include?

There is no reason it has to cost this much. I can guarantee you that 70 years ago, it didn’t cost (inflation adjusted) $150k.

Prison statistics in my country do not go that far back, unfortunately. The oldest statistics are only from 2000, but the cost per prisoner is almost the exact same when you account for inflation. Beyond prison conditions, I would guess other factors like guard salary and construction are almost certainly higher as well (based on things in the rest of the country) I don't know that imprisoning more people would help in those regards.

Beyond that, what factors would you include?

I explained it in the next sentence after wondering if you’re not trying to pull a fast one. Are you sure you aren’t?

Prison statistics in my country do not go that far back, unfortunately. The oldest statistics are only from 2000, but the cost per prisoner is almost the exact same when you account for inflation.

OK, where is it? I’m having a hard time believing that your costs are an order of magnitude higher than everyone else’s.

Beyond prison conditions, I would guess other factors like guard salary and construction are almost certainly higher as well (based on things in the rest of the country).

A typical inmate to officer ration in US prison is somewhere between 5 and 12. Let’s take the lowest figure. You spend $75k on correctional officer salary (actually your country almost certainly spends much less than that), which is $15k per prisoner. You’re left with $135k per prisoner per year. What could possibly cost that much?

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