Good one!

But on a serious note, this post did make me think – I wonder whether a good way of reducing government spending will be to cut jail terms. I get the impression that politicians compete with one another when it comes to being tough on crime, meaning you get longer and longer prison terms.

It’s unlikely longer sentences serve as a deterrent is questionable – if you were previously willing to risk a 10 year stretch, you’re unlikely to think twice just because the sentence has been increased to 15 years! And the longer someone is in jail, having tax dollars spent on them rather than paying taxes, the longer they are a burden to the state.

Even Rwanda has a higher incarceration rate than the US (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate), so something has gone wrong somewhere!

What do you think?

Jeff

Foreswearing a few obvious puns (women’s fashions &/or diet), we noted a couple posts ago the huge drug-violence increases along the Mexican border.
Estimates have Mexican drug revenues as high as 28% of that country’s GDP.
Since the Mexican cartels have conquered the Colombian, they’ve also extended well into U.S. cities.
Can we assume the drug black mkt. will attract/absorb increasing people out of work?
Then, re. the lady robber, expect more otherwise virtous ladies to opt for prostitution, rather than fast-food counter cash?
All un-taxed, remember.
And many more gov’t lotteries, since they’re already taxed, right?
Point is, where are the incentives for actual productive work in the U.S.economy?
Trade-wise, long U.S. assets ever chancier plays?
Novice Turtle here – all experienced comments gratefully accepted.

On the drug issue, something I know a bit about, you ask:

“Can we assume the drug black mkt. will attract/absorb increasing people out of work?”

Here’s a partial answer, or at least an observation (only referring to cannabis here). Mexican product is generally considered of low quality (grown outdoors, highly seeded, sold in compressed brick form)..it’s known as “ditchweed” and is generally sold on the street and in clubs..it’s shit. The GOOD stuff is very much a connoisseur’s market (middle class urban/suburban). This supply is mostly a US domestic product, grown indoors, no seed, very high quality, and often organic. So these are two completely different markets. Not only are the consumers different in these two markets, the growers are different as well. And since there’s little market overlap, the high-end grower has little to fear from the mexican gangs. The domestic scene is VERY active (some of this is medical cannabis, which is part of the high-end market), and most importantly, it’s a cash business. Current US attitudes towards its citizens does nothing BUT encourage alternate markets. I can assure you that the financial collapse has lead new growers into the high-end market.