Yes, the justice system is bloated. But these 2 areas are still tragically underfunded.

Cutting budgets won't solve prisons' sexual violence problem

Inmates at the California Institution for Men state prison, 2011.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

At long last, almost everyone seems to agree that the criminal justice system needs to be cut.

With spending over $260 billion3.5 times higher than the 1980 total for corrections, and 4.5 times higher for police — the system just seems like a big bloated mess. Heightened awareness after the deaths of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown and other black men allegedly killed by police officers have put the front line on notice — but prisons and courts have come under scrutiny too. With their first glance at the system, politicians of all stripes have highlighted and underlined the same item on their agendas: Cut criminal justice spending.

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