Watching HBO might make you think the city of Baltimore is a war zone -- a seedy den of crime and corruption. And no doubt, there's a good deal of both. But the truth is that the city's violent crime rate, like the nation's as a whole, has been falling for years, dropping 10 percent since 2006.
And now what is always the most lagging indicator – elected officials – appear to have recognized that positive trend, with the recent 2012 budget proposal unveiled last month by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley dropping funding for a proposed $181 million women's jail in Baltimore that critics noted would primarily have been used to house nonviolent offenders and those who simply couldn't afford to post bail, i.e. people who shouldn't be behind bars in the first place.
As noted in a report from the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) released last month that Matt Kelley reported onhere at Change.org, the proposed facility – the supposed need for which was based on outdated projections of a rise in crime – would have more than doubled Baltimore's capacity to incarcerate women. And as anyone familiar with the prison system in the U.S. can attest, if you build it, politicians and law enforcement will find a way to fill it.
In a message to opponents of the jail, JPI Executive Director and Change.org contributor Tracy Velázquezcited opposition from activists, including Change.org members, as ultimately what helped sink the plans for a new jail – at least for another year. And that delay “gives advocates a chance to push for a comprehensive plan for reducing the number of women in jail and funding more services and support for women.”
Budget shortages have led to politicians cutting programs for the poor and underprivileged across the country; corporate subsidies aren't going to pay for themselves, after all. But at least in this case, I think all activists can agree that Maryland has cut one jobs program -- jail construction -- that the poor could do without.
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