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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services West Medford neighbors welcome program to feed homeless, but want bathrooms added Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Boyfriend gets 20 years for abuse of toddler Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Boyfriend gets 20 years for abuse of toddler Pursuit of stolen car in Medford ends with crash, power outage Emergency services, March 19 Medford police add details on Tuesday fatal shooting Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Education Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Proposed Medford textbook raises constitutional concern North Medford High School principal to retire in June Southern Oregon University's building boom adds up to $130 million South Medford, Ashland, St. Mary's students building video game Environment Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Odd visitors found off Oregon Coast Forum explores data gathered in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Herptilian haven Proposed new rules for Oregon critter catchers would require the killing of nuisance animals State News Are they decorations or desecration? The Dalles Standoff: Suicide by smoke inhalation Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon For the love of Lucas and Happy Oregon faces timeline on limiting hatchery salmon in river Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices David Braden Frohnmayer Ray Houck Death Notices Geneva Rosel Canty Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Despite critics aplenty, UCLA surprises SMU on rare 3-pointer Beavers ready for NCAA home date Familiar feeling greets Ducks, Cowboys Cavemen edge Comets in opener Early exit for Colorado State at NIT Varsity 541 College Sports Despite critics aplenty, UCLA surprises SMU on rare 3-pointer Beavers ready for NCAA home date Familiar feeling greets Ducks, Cowboys Early exit for Colorado State at NIT BSU loses heartbreaker Pro Sports Cavs pick up 14th straight at home Federer, Nadal, Murray reach quarters Wade, Heat rally to beat Blazers Knicks get surprise win over Spurs Serena in, Sharapova out at Indian Wells Community Sports Business Latest Stories Blog: Three Cheers for Today! Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Oregon winemaking emerges as mighty agricultural force Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Antionette Kerr: Some items shouldn’t fly with TSA Our View: White House public records move is less than sunny Letters to the Editor, March 19 Dana Milbank: GOP budget is one big gimmick Editorials Our View: White House public records move is less than sunny Our View: Where the wild things shouldn't be Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Other Views: State must rein in medical marijuana Our View: Daylight saving bill another waste of time Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 16 Letters to the Editor, March 15 Columns Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Dana Milbank: GOP budget is one big gimmick George Will: Kasich waits in the wings Kathleen Parker: Hillary and the Media: Act 2016 Michael Gerson: Tom Cotton letter to Iran: The roughest of drafts Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Religion briefs A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Food Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts More fast food perils Pork perfection: Consider pork steaks instead of ham for the Easter dinner table Home and Garden Hello, honey: Invite bees for a lush garden Understand home inspection Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Garden Cameos: Now is the perfect time to spot wildflowers Paul Rogers: It’s time to assess the damage to yards Health A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Theater Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Music Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Emergency Services ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon ... Emergency Services ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon ... Matthew T. Mangino: Leniency or smart punishment strategy By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now MailTribune.com By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now Posted Mar. 13, 2015 @ 7:58 am By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now Posted Mar. 13, 2015 @ 7:58 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> As prisons continue to grow and states struggle to pay the costs, the disastrous consequences of the prison industrial complex have come into focus. In 1998, Eric Schlosser, in an Atlantic Monthly article, defined the prison industrial complex as “a set of bureaucratic, political, and economic interests that encourage increased spending on imprisonment, regardless of the actual need.” The prison industrial complex has fueled the increasing number of Americans in state and federal prisons over the past three decades. Although the rate of growth has slowed, the problem is clearly evident in 17 states where the prison population is now higher than the capacity of the facilities designed to hold them, reported The Washington Post. The number of persons in local jails declined in 2013 according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The news was not all good: The state prison population grew by more than 4,000. The future looks bleak as well. According to the Justice Policy Institute, one in every 15 Americans born in 2001 is expected to serve at least a year in prison during their lifetime. The news is equally bleak on the federal level. The Bureau of Prisons is more than 30 percent over capacity, and the cost of federal prisons has increased by more than 1,100 percent. A bipartisan group of senators has introduced the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015 to modernize federal drug sentencing policies by giving federal judges more discretion in sentencing those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementation of the act would save taxpayers approximately $3 billion in corrections costs over 10 years. In response, U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, lamented what he called the leniency industrial complex. He suggested the Smarter Sentencing Act is a weak attempt to defend the indefensible. Supporters of the Act “gloss over the fact that even if an offender was not violent in a particular case, he may have committed a prior violent offense that would make him in fact violent … many drug-related crimes occur through force or the threat of force or are conducted by people in a criminal enterprise that relies on violence.” On the state level, efforts are ongoing to address prison overcrowding. In 2010, the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance launched the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, with funding appropriated by Congress. The JRI State Assessment Report, released by the Urban Institute in January 2014, showed that 17 JRI states are making steady progress toward reducing correctional spending and reinvesting in recidivism-reduction strategies. Although projected savings vary, the report estimates that savings could amount to as much as $4.7 billion over a 10-year period. A group studying overcrowding in Alabama’s prisons has found that arrests are declining and sentences are getting shorter. But Alabama’s prisons remain at nearly double their designed capacity. The Council of State Governments told The Montgomery Advertiser that the average length of an inmate’s prison term before parole release has increased from 30 months in 2009 to 43 months in 2014. The number of eligible inmates being released has also fallen from about 42 percent in 2009 to 36 percent in 2013. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo took the bold step of taking on the prison industrial complex during his January state of the state address. “An incarceration program is not an employment program,” Cuomo said. “Don’t put other people in prison in order to give some people jobs.” While Sen. Grassley raises the specter of the leniency industrial complex, he ignores the pervasive abuse brought on by the prison industrial complex. Whole families and entire communities are devastated when the coercive influence of government is used for the gain of a select few. Matthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George. His book “The Executioner’s Toll, 2010” was released by McFarland Publishing. You can reach him at mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewTMangino. By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now MailTribune.com By Matthew T. 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