HoustonChronicle.com - Texas, remember what the object of prison is: "July 8, 2004, 10:12PM
Texas, remember what the object of prison is
By ANA YANEZ-CORREA and VINCENT SCHIRALDI
According to a report released last month by the U.S. Justice Department, Texas once again holds the dubious distinction of incarcerating the largest prison population in the country. If Texas were a country in and of itself, it would have the highest incarceration rate in the world, followed by the other 49 states, with the Russian Republic a distant third. With another multibillion dollar budget shortfall looming, about half of all Texas prisoners incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, and with Texas prisons on the verge of exceeding capacity again, it's time for policy-makers to retool Texas' harsh prison policies and take a more balanced approach to criminal justice. "
