Gary Crooks

Incarceration Nation

Voters have rewarded politicians for the war on drugs, three-strikes laws, mandatory-minimum sentences, and crackdowns on drunken driving and domestic violence. But the “lock ’em up” sentiment carries with it a significant downside. It is expensive. Very expensive. In the next year, Spokane County voters will hear plenty about that as the debate over a new jail heats up. The current lockup has about 200 more people than it was originally designed to hold, and the county’s overall population is projected to climb by 230,000 in the next 25 years. Meanwhile, the lease for the World War II-era Geiger corrections facility expires in 2013, and the Airport Board has indicated that it doesn’t want to renew it.

In debating the price and necessity of jails (see the opposite page), it helps to know the national context. With the spending surge on criminal justice since the 1990s, you’d think we’re in the midst of a perpetual crime wave. But that isn’t true. It’s more accurate to say that actual crime has failed to keep pace with the fear of crime. In 2008, the United States took the lead worldwide in the total number and percentage of the population that it puts behind bars, whether it’s a prison or a jail.

The May 5 thread

Taxed enough already?

Arizona immigration law

The May 3 thread

I’ve lived in Tucson, Phoenix and Mesa. I grew up in Las Vegas. So I have a pretty good idea of the impact that illegal immigration has in the Southwest. Though this is a federal issue, it’s the border states that bear the brunt of inaction. It’s their jails and social safety net that are strained. It’s easier to pass judgment from the Inland Northwest, where the issue is largely academic. But I do like to point out to my Arizona friends that if you were to remove illegal immigrants from just about any problem those problems would still persist. Spokane and Kootenai counties need new jails, and it isn’t because of “invasions” from Mexico or Canada. We still need social services.

The April 30 Loose Thread

Petitions and privacy

April 26 thread

I understand the need for the quick quip to summarize a fierce, long-running debate. That’s the quote that’s likely to get picked up for broadcast and repeated over and over, especially in an election year. So a tip of the cap to legislative Republicans who have dubbed the recent package of tax increases on soda, bottled water, candy and cigarettes the “Kwik-E-Mart tax.” Then again, nobody imposes blue-collar taxes like this better than Washington state, but you don’t see too many Republicans looking for a more defensible taxing source (cough! – income – cough!).

Financial reform

State income tax

The April 21 thread

Police, Zehm, Kirkpatrick

The April 19 thread

Government trust and the people

Thursday was a gorgeous day for a political rally, so I attended the tea party rally outside the Spokane Convention Center. The sun shone so brightly that an artist was able to create political signs with nothing more than a magnifying glass and pieces of wood. “Time’s Up” said one, featuring the coiled snake of “Don’t Tread On Me” fame. It’s an apt symbol for so many in attendance who feel they are being stepped on by the government. Big time.

Spokane County GOP and Tea Party

The April 12 Thread

Now that the hyperbolic blowback from the health reform law has receded, let’s mop up the spittle and take a closer look at the consequences for the region. There is a lot to like. Or, if you’re adamantly opposed, there is less to hate.

The April 7 Thread

Civility and politics