THE COST OF PRISON
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2014) website, approximately 50 billion dollars are going towards state prison systems every year. Although that amount may seem relatively high, it is incomparable to the other amounts. Education is important to fund, as is healthcare for the elderly, but only 5% of total tax dollars is actually going towards state prison systems. And of that 5%, the money must be dispersed between the salaries of the administrators and employees at prisons, bills must be paid, renovation costs are a priority, and then the cost to keep the prisoners is obviously on the list of money dispersed.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2014) website, approximately 50 billion dollars are going towards state prison systems every year. Although that amount may seem relatively high, it is incomparable to the other amounts. Education is important to fund, as is healthcare for the elderly, but only 5% of total tax dollars is actually going towards state prison systems. And of that 5%, the money must be dispersed between the salaries of the administrators and employees at prisons, bills must be paid, renovation costs are a priority, and then the cost to keep the prisoners is obviously on the list of money dispersed.