Should nonviolent criminals be allowed rehabilitation instead of prison?
In a growing number of states, if you’re caught breaking and entering or possessing illegal drugs, you may not be sent to prison. You might just be told to go to your room. Faced with a rapidly growing prison population and budget shortfalls, several states are expanding community control programs for nonviolent offenders, hoping to lower costs, reduce recidivism, and free up prison beds for violent criminals. These programs vary widely in size and structure. But in general, community control programs divert some nonviolent offenders from prison and place them under house arrest and strict supervision for short sentences (18-30 months). Offenders may leave only for approved activities such as going to work, and they are subject to frequent visits from caseworkers, random drug and alcohol tests, and sometimes even electronic monitoring. They are often required to do community service, make restitution to victims, and pay part of the supervision fees. Minnesota and Oregon both have exten
