Source:Associated Press-U.S.Attorney General Eric Holder.

“With the U.S. facing massive prison overflow, Attorney General Eric Holder called Monday for major changes to the criminal justice system that would scale back harsh sentences for certain drug related crimes.”

From the Associated Press

Prisons are for real criminals, people who represent real threats to society because they’ve harmed people intentionally. Either because they like hurting people, or to support themselves. Not for people who’ve made mistakes in life but otherwise do not represent serious threats to society. Who could otherwise take care of themselves and perhaps just need the skills to do that. Rather than wasting their lives in prison accomplishing nothing and having their bills paid for by tax payers.

There are people who commit crimes and do need to be sanctioned for that. But a lot of these offenders do not need prison time and society would be much better off if these nonviolent offenders were in halfway houses or jail. Where they can be contributing to society and even paying for their cost of living until they are ready to return to society.

And for the offenders that do need to be in prison like violent offenders, prisons shouldn’t be warehouses either, but a place for inmates to do their time and have opportunities to prepare themselves to be successful on the outside.