Idaho incarcerates more people per 100,000 than the United States as a whole, and the United States far outstrips other developed countries. In your opinion, what is causing Idaho’s high incarceration rates, and what needs to be done about it?
Idaho has a problem with the overuse of the justice system. Since about 1987, when a new tough-on-crime policy emerged in Idaho, every issue ended up in the courtroom. We believe the best solutions are community-based solutions. We can do better. Communities can address many problems related to crime—domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, theft, etc.—through stronger communities where people are invested in each other. Once we get back to leaning on each other instead of leaning on the police and courts, we can restore balance to the system. A balanced system has many positive consequences. Families are more likely to stay together, we’d spend less money on the criminal justice system, and we’d end up with fewer people being victimized in the long run.
You are president of BarNone, Inc., an Idaho nonprofit that connects formerly incarcerated people with community resources. How does BarNone welcome returning citizens back into their communities?
BarNone begins by working with returning citizens before release, incl