The following is the mission statement of the Philadelphia Prison System: "To provide a secure correctional environment that adequately detains persons accused or convicted of illegal acts; to provide programs, services and supervision in a safe, lawful, clean and humane environment, and to prepare incarcerated persons for re-entry into society."
Unfathomably, the last part of that policy makes no distinction between American citizens and illegal aliens. Both are released back into our society, courtesy of the incompetent United States government.
It's good to be an illegal immigrant in America!
Try following this "logic": an illegal alien gets convicted of a crime, serves his sentence, and is then handed over to the Immigration service. More often than not, instead of being deported, the ILLEGAL alien (the key word being "illegal") is actually released back on the American streets. Why? Because many countries don't want their own convicts repatriated, so they deny or delay the process of deportation. Since the Supreme Court generally limits the detention of these aliens to 180 days, they go free.
Several small points come to mind:
1. Why are any countries dictating to us what we can and can't do with their citizens who are in this country illegally?
2. Since undocumented criminal aliens are rearrested an average of eight times (and we're not talking about stealing a candy bar; most offenses are robbery, assault, murder, drugs and sexual crimes), has it dawned on our political leaders that their inaction places every American in grave danger?
3. Perhaps most ironic, by instituting such a policy, our government is, in fact, committing a crime every time it releases an illegal alien. Aiding and abetting illegals is unquestionably against the law, and by definition, setting them free inside America qualifies as both.
A 2006 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Report estimated that most of the 302,000 deportable criminals admitted into state and local facilities in 2007 would be released rather than removed at the end of their sentence. Given the there are estimated to be between 300,000 and 450,000 illegal aliens in federal, state and local jails already, and that the taxpayer cost to house these people is staggering, those with minor offenses should have the charges dropped and immediately deported to their country of origin. But how do we do this if the other countries are not cooperative? By refusing to roll over to the whims of other nations. It's time to play hardball.
Playing Hardball: Deportation Legislation
Sen. Arlen Specter has taken the lead on this issue by introducing a bill which would deny foreign aid and suspend visa issuances to countries which delay or refuse to repatriate. This common sense legislation should be passed swiftly by both houses and signed into law for the immediate benefits it will produce.
In addition to making the streets safer by deporting illegals (who broke the law to get here in the first place), the bill would make a significant dent in our prison overcrowding problem (the Philadelphia prison system houses 8,700 inmates, even though it was only designed for 6,200). Too many criminals are having their sentences reduced or suspended altogether because there is simply not enough capacity within our correctional facilities, placing our law-abiding citizens in jeopardy yet again. It also sends the message that crime does pay since the odds of serving a full sentence are remote.
There will also be a huge savings to taxpayers. Since the daily cost to house prisoners is very expensive (the Philadelphia Prison System cost is $91/day), it doesn't take a math genius to figure out how much will be saved by jettisoning the illegal alien deadweight. The numbers speak for themselves.
It is time America starts taking care of itself first, placing its citizens ahead of illegal invaders. Our economic future, our physical security, and continued respect for the rule of law depend on it. For theses reasons, prompt passage of the Specter legislation is a necessity.
