Once again, Arizona is making headlines and, as usual, it has to do with people breaking the law. The uproar over SB 1070 taught us that as law-abiding citizens, we are supposed to feel sorry for people sneaking into this country illegally. Once again, they are breaking the law and it is hard to feel sorry for people engaging in criminal behavior.
Now, we are supposed to feel sorry for inmates and their adult visitors who come to visit them because the Arizona Department of Corrections is charging visiting adults a one-time $25 “background check” fee.
We are to feel sorry for them because this only adds to the expenses they already bear by having to travel some of the long distances to the remote prison complexes in Arizona. They claim that it is unfair and unconstitutional since a portion of the money collected is going toward prison upkeep, repairs and modifications.
They have even gone as far as filing a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court against the state’s policy.
First, they are visiting people who have been placed in prison, because they broke the law. Why should I feel bad that they have to pay a $25 fee? I didn’t break the law. I am not one who is burdening taxpayers by having to be disciplined for lack of discretion and/or self control.
Donna Leone Hamm, one of the plaintiffs and executive director of Middle Ground Prison Reform Inc., told the Arizona Republic: “We’re just tired of prisoner families being used as cash cows. It’s the responsibility of state government to pay for the maintenance of their buildings.”
Really? Let’s get something straight. We as taxpayers are tired of being used as cash cows to fund other people’s incarcerations. Why should any portion of my family’s income have to go to fund someone else’s criminal activity?
Unfortunately, that is our reality. We have people in this state who show no regard to their fellow Arizonans and commit crimes against them... us. Therefore, we have to build and maintain prison facilities to incarcerate these inconsiderate people. We have to pay for their indiscretion. So, why shouldn’t their families share some of the financial burden?
In fact, when the “background-check” fee was introduced by Gov. Jan Brewer in January, it was originally intended to apply to all visitors every time they visited an inmate. I actually like that idea better.
David C. Fathi, director of the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, has called the fee “mind-boggling.”
What’s “mind boggling” is the fact that the fee has been modified to a one-time fee only. Its “mind boggling” that anyone would oppose the concept of accountability. Our state faced a near $1.6 billion deficit at the beginning of the year. The fees were designed to help reduce that deficit. One of the reasons we have such a high deficit is the fact that we have to provide housing, meals and health care for criminals. Let them and their families pitch in. And, really... $25?
Leone Hamm’s attitude is also a great representation of what is wrong with our nation. Everyone has an entitlement attitude. She feels that she should have the right to visit an inmate on our dime. How about holding them responsible for their actions? How about stop complaining about contributing to our enormous debt that we are obligated to pay in their names?
Are you tired of paying the entire tab for everyone else’s warped sense of reality and what they think society owes them? I am!
• Michael Weinstein is co-host of the “The Mike & Winey Show” heard at KFYI (550 AM) and can be reached at winey@mikeandwiney.com
family member posted at 6:22 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
The family members are not the ones who comitted the crime either. The inmates all have fines that must be paid when released. So the state is so making money...So yes 25.00 is a little much....
Optimaone posted at 6:57 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
I think isn't so bad to charge the visitors, especially the questionable ones. It might weed out the ones with outstanding warrants to join up with their loved ones or friends.
BenWebb480 posted at 7:00 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
"Let's stop feeling sorry for criminals in Arizona"
So, if someone in my family commits a criminal act automatically my parents and siblings are criminals too? That makes perfect sense!! BOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Rich posted at 9:06 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
Suppose SB1070 is found unConstitutional? Will everyone who voted for it, and the Governor go to jail? Will they even pay a $25. penalty? This is really just a reflection of the majestic equality of the law in which neither the rich and powerful, nor the poorest are allowed to steal bread.
Cerulean posted at 11:13 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
Weinstein wrote, in part, “Really? Let’s get something straight. We as taxpayers are tired of being used as cash cows to fund other people’s incarcerations.”
Really? The truth is that the number of inmates in cages have increased more than 100% over the past 20 years due specifically to Republican demands for longer, more severe sentencing guidelines.
Today, during this time of dramatic cuts to Arizona services, the only budget that increased by $10 million is the Dept. of Corrections to build a 5000 bed prison for a private corporation to use. (Sorry, Arizonians who voted to increase taxes for education, you lost.) I thought Private Prisons were supposed to be more efficient than state run prisons. OH I GET IT – only if they can get the prisoners families to pay more and subsidize them.
RationalHuman posted at 11:31 am on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
Speaking of a great representation of what is wrong with our great nation - Michael Weinstein - how about people who want us to go back to Bronze Age morality?
You want to brand anyone related to a law breaker a criminal.
Sorry buddy..."sins of the father" (or any other relative) may have worked for the authors of the Torah, but that kind of primitive barbarism doesn't fly in the 21st century.
Time to wake up.
Arizona Prison Watch posted at 2:01 pm on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
If your paper hadn't been so negligent about investigating the escalating violence, neglect, and despair in the state prisons under Chuck Ryan, you may be singing a different tune - homicide and suicides doubled almost as soon as Brewer appointed him. Many of the prisoners there don't belong there, either - like Shannon Palmer, who got three years for climbing a utility tower to be closer to God, and ended up murdered by his cellie. In fact, for every one mentally ill persons Arizona puts in the state hospital, nearly ten more are put behind bars in our jails and prisons - we are second only to nevada for being the worst in the country in that regard. The $25 fee is just symptomatic of how prisoners and their families have been exploited and abused by Chuck all along - he really doesn't care about his responsibilities to any of us, except for what he can extort from us.
Gary Bullock posted at 3:27 pm on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
It is not a matter of feeling sorry for criminals. As a former corrections officer with six years behind the badge, I can truthfully say being tough on crime is far more than being tough on criminals. We must stop the cause of what drives people to crime. This means giving releasee's the OPPORTUNITIES and TOOLS to succeed in the public without temptation. Stop prison expansions and start programs expansion. Funding for AA, NA, Anger Management, Halfway Houses, Family Reunification Classes, Job Application Resume and Interview Training, Coordinate with Private Sector employers who will actually hire felons, more GED teachers, and post release counseling for inmates deemed institutionalized all must be part of the package. Recidivism is more than inmates returning to prison it is more victims created through the failure of the ADOC and Director Ryan to Reform, Rehabilitate and Retrain.
Why not make the fee a voluntary fee. Currently the wait time for application processes is 60-90 days. If we offered a two week turn around on the application if visitors would pay the fee then it is not mandated and we could charge the fee to minors as well. Visitors would feel empowered to choose to either pay the fee and visit in two weeks or not pay the fee and visit in two months. We would actually create more revenue but some of that revenue would have to go towards expanding the criminal background check department of the DOC to keep up with the added demand. Remember Mr. Weinstien the criminal is not the visitor......
Accuracy posted at 5:06 pm on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
"Let's stop feeling sorry for (illegal alien) criminals in Arizona"
But, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s plan to block deportation cases of 300,000 illegal immigrants is just that . . . also a blatant attempt to grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal aliens in this country.
BlankCheck posted at 7:42 pm on Fri, Sep 9, 2011.
GeeZ Weinstein....Which primordial ooz did you crawl out from underneath?
"...why shouldn’t their families share some of the financial burden?" Get a grip Weinstein!! AND You have the audacity to reference the constitution. I don't even want to go there with that backward thought.
You have no clue .... I know, Let's have the state of AZ hire you to just rip the gold from our incarcerated populations' teeth to pay the tax payers burden. Then throw em' all in ovens & be done with it!!! Oh yea, that was already tried before .... Have a little wine with your cheese and relax. Visitation is a major part of rehabilitation, but then again AZ doesn't support that.
As a matter of fact, AZ would rather keep the population of our prisons stocked with 60% non-violent & non-repetitive criminals and get into the private prison business even deeper. I suggest you do a report on "following the money" deposited into the couffers of this States Correctional debacle. I'll make it easy....just follow the $25.00 visitation fee column on their audited P&L sheet.
Make yourself useful. Whatever, just quit whining about it. Unless you got REAL solutions. This country is full of people like you.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 10:31 am on Sat, Sep 10, 2011.
We mollycoddle prisoners in this country. If you break the law you should be punished, but are prisons really punishment? They eat well, watch TV, play basketball and get to lift weights and all other sorts of entertainment, and that is what we call punishment? I would make prison such a bad place to be that no one in their right mind would want to go back for a refresher course because a lot of these criminals don't see prison today as a good enough deterrent. Arpaio has the right idea. Make it harder and that will take care of much of this recidivism. For the 3 time losers that are career criminals that wont ever be a benefit to society, I say we put them down like the dogs gone bad that they are. Why do my tax dollars have to be spent housing scum like that for 20 or 30 years? Why does it have to take that long to put down a child rapist murderer? Too many liberal, namby pamby people wearing rose colored glasses that cannot see past the noses on their faces in this country. Time to start making criminals pay. I see nothing wrong with a one time background check on anyone coming into a state or federal prison for any reason including just to visit criminals. We the people need to know who is coming into our prisons to converse with incarcerated criminals. $25 is cheap.
asuaguila posted at 8:12 pm on Sat, Sep 10, 2011.
How much money did he pay the EVT for this advertisement for his show?
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:59 pm on Sat, Sep 10, 2011.
To family member: Fines and restitution isn't always paid. You have the choice. If you don't wish to pay $25, don't visit, send a post card.....
gr8dad posted at 6:46 am on Sat, Sep 17, 2011.
EVT...ARE YOU WATCHING WHAT IM DOING IN MY HOME ALSO !!!!!!!!!!!