>>>>>It makes sense and it's proven that it works.
>>>>>Dutch rates of drug use are lower than U.S. rates in EVERY category and all drugs are legal there. http://www.drugpolicy.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the info - I still wonder about the 2 cultures being so different - but you make some good points. Thanks
>>>>
>>>>Another interesting fact:
>>>>According to the American Corrections Association, the average daily cost per state prison inmate per day in the US is $67.55. State prisons held 253,300 inmates for drug offenses in 2007. That means states spent approximately $17,110,415 per day to imprison drug offenders, or $6,245,301,475 per year.
>>>>
>>>>Source: American Correctional Association, 2006 Directory of Adult and Juvenile Correctional Departments, Institutions, Agencies and Probation and Parole Authorities, 67th Edition (Alexandria, VA: ACA, 2006), p. 16; Sabol, William J., PhD, and West, Heather C., Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2007 (Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, December 2008), NCJ224280, p. 21, Appendix Table 10.
>>>>
>>>>...sure seems like a huge waste. Keep in mind these stats are just for state prisons. Surely the local jails' numbers are way higher than this.
>>>
>>>those numbers are bogus. They can make the average daily cost of keeping someone incarcerated say whatever they want. If you factor in all costs for everything, it could probably be $500.00 per day. Needless to say though, I doubt we are going to agree on this issue.
>>
>>John, how can you debate these numbers? I even provided you with contact information of where these numbers come from!
>>Why don't you contact them and figure out what factors were used to come up with these numbers. These were government agencies (like the US Dept of Justice) that calculated this.
>>I think you're just sore because you know I'm right!
>
>Nah, I know how the numbers are created, that's why I challenge them. They factor in the cost of the buildings, including costs that would be there regardless of whether or not you have 1 or 1000 inmates. It's bogus. The numbers aren't as high as they say. They are using the highest numbers they thnk they can get away with. I'm not saying it doesn't cost to put people in jail, I'm just saying in most cases it is worh it.

If you have 1 person as opposed to 1000 inmates then duh you don't need the building to begin with then do you? And why would these government agencies skew the numbers to begin with?
How much to you think it costs to put 250,000 people in prison anyway? If anything these numbers are very low - they haven't taken into account all the costs of the courts, judges, lawyers, police..etc etc etc. In THESE cases it's simply not worth it as there is no victim to begin with.