In our world, we see that money is constantly an issue. It doesn't matter how we move it or where we place it. Money will always be a problem in many communities. I've begun to take an interest in the ideas of criminology within our society, and I really don't like what I see. There are so many people throughout St. Louis, Missouri, who have no idea what's going on around them. The newsroom and media may show one thing, but the real issues are hidden from the light.
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This year my criminology class was required to read a book called "Understanding Mass Incarceration" by James Kilgore. In this book, it states that in order to incarcerate one person the cost could be as high as $60,000 a year. This ridiculous dollar sign is for one human being to sit in a cage. I understand that it costs a lot of money to incarcerate prisoners. What I don't understand is why it is acceptable to spend this kind of money on prisoners and they still don't receive the basic necessities that they need. I think that it is completely appalling to see that each prisoner basically has the right to a Harvard Education based upon these fees. We pour so much money into our prison system that we have landed into debt in many other areas. Money hasn't stopped pouring into our prisons since the "War on Drugs" started through President Nixon in 1971. Where do we draw the line? How much is too much?
In St. Louis City, we have had several instances where police officers have killed civilians. Some claim that it was to protect themselves, and some stories go unexplained and covered up in the media. Regardless of whether the officer or the suspect was the one at fault, people died and we are left behind wondering what really happened. I will not disclose my opinion on the matter of life and death in this city. However, I will say that I find it very interesting that all of the sudden, one of the most frowned upon police departments has decided to purchase new vehicles to cruise in around our streets. To me, it almost feels like they've received an award. It mocks me and the people in my city. The Chevrolet Tahoe and the Chevrolet Impalas were nice vehicles that seemed to get the job done. Anytime these cars are seen on the streets of our city, they look nice, clean, and practically new. If this is so, then why was there a need to buy newer cars? Why are we wasting so much money on our police departments? I know they are supposed to protect and defend, but lately, I don't feel like they are defending anything but themselves and their pride. Now we have officers patrolling the streets in Dodge Chargers. The average price according to these vehicles lies around $28,000. This is almost half the price of incarcerating one person a year. I find all of the costs to be extremely problematic.
It is no longer the 1970's. We need to begin to move money around in order to help in other areas of our lives besides Nixon's "war on drugs". Think about what we could do with the millions of dollars we feed our justice system. We could begin to rebuild our neighborhoods and really help our communities. We owe it to ourselves to feel good about the places in which we live. The St. Louis Police department doesn't make me feel safe. It makes me feel threatened.
