Overcriminalization significantly undermines human flourishing and social well-being by harming the family, social networks, and social citizenship. Additionally, it prevents capable men and women from utilizing their creative capacities in the marketplace. This creates vast issues involving relations with family while incarcerated and reintegration into society after release. On the economic side, draconian cash bail systems undermine justice through basing someone's ability to attain pre-trial release upon their wealth, not their actual threat to society.
“Now to Arizona, where prison inmates are being charged for medical procedures that should be paid for by the state. And many don't know about the charges until debt collectors come calling. As Jimmy Jenkins of member station KJZZ reports, the unpaid bills are damaging credit and making it more difficult for former inmates to start over after they've been released.“
NPR
May 27, 2019
Read More“Inmates are among the least-educated people in America. That's despite research that shows education is one of the most effective ways to keep people from coming back to prison. Now, there's renewed interest in giving adults behind bars better access to higher education. A new bipartisan bill in Congress would allow incarcerated people to use federal Pell Grants — designed for low-income students — to pay for higher education, including college classes and workforce training.“
NPR
April 20, 2019
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