CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's correctional system gets a once over this week as officials gather for a three-day summit to discuss ways to curb inmate costs.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Director Norb Federspiel says the conference gives state and local officials a chance to discuss ways to address overcrowding in West Virginia's prison system.
The system is designed to hold about 6,000 inmates and the state has already surpassed that mark. About 1,000 inmates confined in regional jails are awaiting bed space in a state prison.
Federspiel says he hopes initiatives developed during the conference could be implemented as early as next year.
Members of the Legislature, judiciary and local government are expected to attend the conference that begins Wednesday at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke.
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Marijuana "offenses", whether for sales, possession, or cultivation should be placed at the absolute lowest priority for police, and eradication efforts should cease altogether. A plan for eventual legalization and regulation should be put into action.
WV should move in the direction of progressive states and localities, and stop treating drug addiction as a crime, and instead treat it for what it is - a disease.
Kanawha County used to have a Work Farm, for non-violent people and today non-violent people can pull their time under house arrest, and assigned to pick up litter along the highways , creeks and rivers.
Paying $30,000 per year to house a non-violent person is a waste of money and only provides jobs for guards, etc.