Addressing Criminal Justice Reform
On Wednesday, Jan. 30, members of the Missouri General Assembly convened for the State of the Judiciary address. In his speech, the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court spoke about the importance of criminal justice reform, among other issues concerning the judicial branch. I agree with many of the chief justice’s points. As the 2019 legislative session continues, I hope the General Assembly is able to strengthen our state court system, making it more humane and more efficient — and therefore less costly to taxpayers.
Although state prisons are necessary to keep dangerous criminals off the streets, they are very expensive to keep and maintain. For every additional person in the prison population, taxpayers have to pick up the bill for food, clothing, security and facility expenses, and many of our prisons are already filled to capacity. That’s why some lawmakers are exploring alternative sentencing options for nonviolent criminal convictions. Some of these options include: treatment courts, community service programs and judge-approved probation.
When it comes to nonviolent crimes, it’s often better to rehabilitate an offender than to simply lock them up. By helping these folks get their lives back on track, we are both saving money on prison costs and extending a second chance to those who want to take it. This is especially important when it comes to crimes related to mental health disorders and drug addiction, where people aren’t always fully in control of their actions. We want to help offenders overcome these obstacles so they can become productive members of society. Through alternative sentencing, we can reduce recidivism rates. Overall, everyone will be better off.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.