The hidden costs of incarceration

Prisons have some very obvious costs, including making their residents unhappy because they aren’t a very nice place, and being very expensive to operate no matter how you go about it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s run directly by the government or operated by independent contractors instead. It costs money to have security for those convicted of crimes, to feed them and take care of their health.

Additionally, however, there is a serious strain on the relationships of prisoners. Prisoners become disconnected from those they know on the outside, and that makes their reintegration incredibly difficult. Although this may sound like a a touchy/feely concern, it is actually anything but that. This is shown particularly well by the increasing number of single mothers who are now incarcerated.

This phenomenon is largely the result of mandatory minimum sentences for those who commit even relatively minor drug offenses for the first time. Most women are not violent offenders, so keeping them off the streets is more apparently about making a stand against drug use than it is about keeping the public safe. Additionally, women are more likely to be end users or small timers than high level dealers, so they are more likely to be subject to apparently disproportional sentences, and also less likely to have information that may lead to a favorable plea deal.

Whatever the reason for the 800% increase in the female prison population over the last few decades, its human and financial costs are undeniable. Over 10% of the children of single mothers in prison are in foster care. This is also not a particularly pleasant place to be. Children in foster care means they are under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services (or analogous state agency). So even in the best case scenario, the kids are separated from their mother while the government pays for their food and health care. In the worst case scenario, the children require intensive individual care, and a case worker to move them around to different placements.

Although this isn’t a statement on the validity of drug laws (drugs do a lot of harm) it is a plea for discretion and reasonableness. There is no reason for non-violent first-time offenders guilty of minor offenses to be sentenced to prison. It’s too costly for everyone from both an emotional and financial perspective.