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bail tax to provide rehabilitative materials

correctional facilities could have huge amounts of reading material plus video games with a .5 tax on bail
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I've visited a county correctional facility on variations of refusing jaywalking or camping citations or missing a court time.

while there I noticed that there was an opportunity to provide much more reading material (at a particular event there was to my perception less than a book per person per area)

a bail tax is regressive: the wretched are drained of money at a time of need; repeat offenders might like the idea though as they've been there; if correctional facility clients could vote they might vote to favor a bail tax

things being what they are a .5 pt tax on bail would earn hundreds of thousands of $ to provide correctional clients with reading material at least some of which could be pre rehabilitative

razors are allowed at the correctional facility thus PDAs with software would be a navigable risk

with possibly rehabilitative reading, music n software the correctional clients would spend less time communicating with each other (the corrections officers call the place "crime school"); thus as weird as it may sound a book or software activity that occupies a third of a correctional clients hours reduces their crime learning a third even if the reading is all pleasure

even a paltry 40k would provide 10k books

It is my perception that administration eats basically all of the taxes that the normal citizens pay; with a purpose specified bail tax where the tax goes only to media items the correctional facilities would be either more rehabilitative or at least less crime amplifying places

as a kind of peculiar democracy, rackets, if they actually occur, could think: why commit crimes when you can talk city councils nto robbing the correctional clients: thousands of counties across the US; sounds nice to city councils; "tough on crime" persons will be pleased that bail is steeper while rehabilitative persons will favor the merciful aspect; on the thought there might be "gangs" at correctional facilities any association pushing such a tax is a way the upper guides of "gangs" can provide benefits to their "peeps" even if the guides pocket most of the funds

remember: 100k annual tax on bail is nothing but provides "peeps" with authentic value; each thousand counties that use this idea represents 100 million dollars most of which cleverly placed assoociates could lift while still creating a more generous feeling environment from the "peeps" perspective

beanangel, Apr 21 2008

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       That last part after the "n" got kind of confusing. All the same, I think we can get behind a slight increase in bail costs in order to improve the rehabilitation efforts.
ye_river_xiv, Apr 21 2008
  

       I'm puzzled: your own visits to jail, if we are to believe you, were for minor offenses that require no rehabilitation, only punishment. So a lack of reading material can readily be seen as part of that punishment. You're bored? Well, jee whizz, answer those damn citations on time!   

       For the more serious offenders who would benefit from rehabilitation in addition to punishment (more accurately, where society would benefit more), these funds should come from our regular jail funds.
DrCurry, Apr 21 2008
  

       Is the goal to tax the bail paid by the innocent or the guilty? If the latter, an explicit fine would be more appropriate. If the former, I'm curious why you think innocents should have to pay anything.
supercat, Apr 21 2008
  

       If the inmates are bored, I'm sure we can find plenty of odd jobs to keep them busy.
Noexit, Apr 22 2008
  
      
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