Overcrowding Isn't The Problem. It's a Symptom.

People are once again complaining that the prisons in my home state of Colorado are overcrowded. This isn't a new concern. People have been bitching about it for years. The problem, however, does not lie with the size of the prisons. The problem is with judges who lack imagination. I want to see more creative sentencing. White collar criminals can easily be punished with a prison sentence, because they're used to living in an open, free world. Repeat offenders who commit more "heinous" crimes are generally from middle and lower classes. They come from the projects, so putting them in a small concrete room with limited access to educational materials, free exercise, and clean bathrooms is more like sending them home. In some cases, it's even better than home. Caning is the punishment of the future. People would be less inclined to raise hell if there were a tangible threat to have the aformentioned hell beaten out of them. Or, instead of wasting all that time on finding a certified caner, scheduling the live broadcast, picking proper cane materials, making up a good excuse for why the prisoner doesn't need to bring his pants, and providing some sort of topical rub for afterward, we could just cut off a limb of his or her choice. Now THAT would make a great reality show.