TDCs Aversion to Innovation

A common theme of the prison system seems to be its fierce aversion to innovation. A case in point is the fact that Texas just installed phones that prisoners can use to make collect calls to persons on their visitation lists. The favorability of the cost/benefit ratio seems obvious in that some portion of the substantial revenues will go to victims, prisoners will be able to stay in closer contact with their loved ones, illicit cell phone usage will decrease, and every other state has already instituted phone systems.

Yet the Texas Department of Corrections dragged its feet on the issue for what I’d imagine to be an inexcusable amount of time, and as TDC itself is nothing more than a mass of committees mired together in a textbook beauracracy, I’d bet no one can be held accountable for this issue that’s not even known to exist.

Take the parole system as another example. In here, one sees some really bad choices as to who stays in prison, and who is paroled. I’ve heretofore outlined a parole free market system wherein “shares” of potential parolees would trade and determine who gets parole; but that was a long time ago, when I was a touch idealistic, and I see now that that could be a bit outlandish.

But as is, when parole becomes a more popular option (probably due to the cyclical, fiscal crunch of overcrowding prisons), monsters are inevitably released early, and headline-grabbing mayhem ensues. Then, the theory of parole itself is questioned, and the blame for said mayhem is extrapolated on all near-future potential parolees. What essentially happens is that more victims are the result of underserved parolees getting out, and the blame for those crimes gets extrapolated onto most, if not all, potential parolees—a morass of injustice.

But what of the parole officer who let the inmate that committed more crimes out? Does anyone ever know? Are parole officer track records made public? Mistakes will occur, as no one is omniscient, but what if granting parole to the undeserving, or not granting parole to the deserving, becomes a commonality to one parole officer relative to his peers? Would that not be actionable intelligence as regards to his possessing such a job?

I think merit-based employment and pay should be instituted in this vocation immediately, along with complete transparence as regards to track records. This isn’t Mickey Ds, where hourly pay is admissible. Lives are at stake. Not to mention justice itself.