Coffee Anyone?

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As the economy struggles to get better, so it goes with most people too. But you still read about many people that are struggling to make ends meet and some people aren’t seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Most of these people are just a number that is reported once a week with other similar people grouped together as the “unemployment numbers”. It seems though that when our neighbors and friends draw their last unemployment check, they don’t even qualify to exist as a percentage, a number or even a statistic any longer. These struggling people simply fall off to the side and are largely ignored for who they are, what they have to offer and their past accomplishments. These people simply no longer exist….they have vanished. 

So I began thinking of the plight that these “vanished” people are going through. In most of their cases, it would seem that they would be better off in jail. And why not? Inmates receive three square meals a day, medical and dental care, a free education, a clean bed that will be in a warm room this winter, new clothes when needed and some type of job to keep up their self esteem. 

Inmates have it made. I can’t really see the difference between being behind bars and being left behind in society. However, at least the inmates can have their morning coffee….they are not buying it…coffee is provided free of charge with cream and sugar if desired…each and every morning. Think about the “vanished” that can’t afford coffee. “Vanished” parents forgo the luxury of coffee so that their children might get a bowl of cereal. However, the Florida Department of Corrections spent $141,380 for inmate coffee for fiscal year 2009-2010 (according to the response of my question by the Fl Dept of Corrections on September 14, 2010). These monies spent do not include the cream or sugar. These monies do not account for the County prisoners located in the 68 Florida County Jails. 

Based on information from http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/Quickfacts.pdf, there are about 100,000 State Prison inmates that cost the State of Florida about $52.00 a day per diem. The state is also responsible for about 115,000 active offenders under community supervision. According to these records, 32.7% of Florida inmates return to the penal system within 3 years. I wonder how many would return if their diet was similar to the “vanished” or even some of our elderly? I think that at least one meal a day consisting of bread and water for inmates is very fair, unless you are an ACLU lawyer.

The State of Florida is not at fault for the current Penal System situation. The fault lies with very Liberal Court decisions and mandates; basically it is our fault. We have strayed far to left and away from giving proper consequences to people that fear no consequences. Criminals join the union of inmates when they are sentenced to jail. Inmates can file grievances and can even sue the system. Sounds like inmates even have more rights than the “vanished”. Remember the Sheriff from Maricopa County, Arizona that housed inmates in tents? The tents were a great idea even though it used many more man hours to supervise.

So the “vanished” are out there. They are out of sight and therefore out of mind. But we can at least be proud that at our inmates have a number and that they count as a statistic. However, more importantly, inmates can enjoy a fresh cup of coffee each morning…on us.

Gods speed