I just got back from the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield.
We're spending the weekend camping at the Shelby / Mansfield KOA.
The movie Shawshank Redemption was filmed there.
Look at this graph from CNN on how much money we spend per inmate versus per student.
For FY 2012, the average cost to incarcerate an inmate in an Ohio prison was $24,870 per year, or $68.14 per day.
As of July 1, 2012, Ohio's adult prison system consisted of 28 correctional institutions, approximately 12,000 employees, and 49,710 inmates.
Percent of adult males incarcerated by race and ethnicity:
We incarcerate longer than other countries. And the War on Drugs has increased our rates.
We, as a nation, need to have a discussion about this.
But I truly believe all politics is local.
Akron needs to ask:
This begins and ends at the city level.
I believe we can do better.
I highly recommend taking a trip to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. Prisons are a bigger part of our country than any country in the world. You should probably understand what you're paying for.
Plus, they've even got ghost tours.