Time for some ‘out of the box’ thinking

In regard to the estimated tax increase of roughly $13 per year (“Tax hike goes on ballot,” The Herald, July 9) – I don’t think any citizen of Snohomish county would object to the dollar amount (although that could go to buy my son new shoes for school each fall).

What seems perplexing is that we keep investing our money in the current judicial system that clearly doesn’t work, as evidenced by our continually and perpetually swelling jail and prison population. Something is wrong when we lump illicit drug users with drug sellers, murderers and thieves. This seems just as inefficient and dangerous when runaways and truants are locked up with children committing far more serious crimes.

As a compromise, let’s say the tax passes. Let’s take 50 percent of that revenue and put it into community-based programs that reach out to and provide assistance to families before a crisis occurs – before people are so overwhelmed that they can see no other alternatives other than to self-destruct or commit crimes. The remaining revenue would be applied to fund the existing but broken system – albeit not effectively – but as best can be afforded. By doing this, the future incarcerated population should lessen and therefore pose less of a burden on the existing lock-up facilities.

Continuing to feed a system that is ineffective and wasteful makes neither economic sense nor fulfills any humanitarian purpose. Prisons and jails have been around in most societies for a long time, so I don’t think we’ll ever see a day without them, however, that doesn’t mean we must continue to support and build them without attempting to find a more meaningful solution to the problem.

Incidentally, kudos to the county for saving $1.7 million via inmate labor. People waiting for their trial could also work and receive credit, money or vouchers for their work. Sometimes having three hots and a cot is a lot better than what might be available otherwise.

Everett