South Carolina is following in the footsteps of other states that are rethinking their criminal justice policies in light of diminishing financial resources to fund their correctional system. College of Charleston Sociology professor Heath Hoffmann shares his thoughts on why prison should be the last, not the first, means of holding non-violent offenders accountable for their crimes. Hoffmann also discusses why prison often fails to deter people from reoffending after release.
The “Crime and Punishment” episode of The Big Picture aired on public television Thursday, March 4th and the same issues were discussed on a radio broadcast Friday, March 5th. Click here to access both episodes.
under: Faculty Spotlight