Dear Governor Kaine,

As tax paying citizens of the Commonwealth we were appalled that the top-billed item of your recent budget amendments was a new prison at the cost of $100 million.

Haven’t we learned from the past that new prisons are the last thing we need? Haven’t we learned that the ‘War on Crime’ is failing miserably?

One of the things that seem very puzzling is the fact that we have recently closed down several prisons, sold them for practically nothing, and then started building others. This makes no sense. What are we doing??? The media has stated that a new prison would boost the economy. So would a treatment facility or half way house. It is shameful (but obviously true), that it is all about money and has little to do with real people.

What we need in Virginia and across the country is NOT more and more and more incarceration, especially for nonviolent offenders. What we need are effective ways to transform individuals into productive members of our society - contributing members of our communities that are able to support themselves and their families.

We can punish most criminal offenders without incarcerating them and thereby punishing everyone else around them, including their children, their families, and their fellow citizens who, of course, bear the cost of their incarceration, their lack of contribution to the economy, and often their family’s need for public assistance. In most cases, isn’t it more fitting a punishment to make an individual stay home, work hard, support his or her family, and give back through extensive community service? At least that doesn’t punish the rest of us with increasing tax bills and $100 million budget items.

Haven’t we figured out that we can be ‘tough on crime’ and ‘smart on crime’ at the same time?

We urge you to discard this notion of building new prisons.

We claim to be a land of second chances. Let’s put our money where out mouth is and try something that just might work- mental health and substance abuse treatment centers, “step down” houses that integrate offenders into society in a supportive way, better ratios between offenders and probation and parole officers so that offenders don’t get too far off the narrow path, job and career training, and better ways to encourage family support. This is what is called “discharge planning”. Every hospital has it (or is supposed to have it).

We encourage you to spend that money on more effective, cost-saving alternatives, such as a diversionary pretrial therapeutic community in Southwest Virginia which the drug courts could use to lighten the burden on the prison system, help stop the drug addiction pattern in our country, keep families united, and effectively reduce future crimes.

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