Sen. Jim Webb Wins Wings of Justice for Taking on U.S. Prison Industry

WINGS OF JUSTICE

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)

The fact that our nation tops the charts when it comes to jailing people is not surprising to most Americans, but the actual figures themselves are almost unbelievable.

• One of every four reported prisoners worldwide is locked up in this country.
• Our incarceration rate is five times as high as the world average.
• We have four times as many mentally ill people in prison as we do in mental health institutions.

In an article for last weekend's Parade Magazine, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) notes these facts (and others) with the gravity they command:

With so many of our citizens in prison compared with the rest of the world, there are only two possibilities: Either we are home to the most evil people on earth or we are doing something different -- and vastly counterproductive. Obviously, the answer is the latter.

Webb comes to the conclusion that we need "a major nationwide recalculation of who goes to prison and for how long and of how we address the long-term consequences of incarceration."

Many would agree with that sentiment. What seperates Webb is that he's actually doing something about it. Webb introduced bipartisan legislation last week that proposes the creation of a National Criminal Justice Commission to figure out just how to accomplish his goal.

We were impressed with Webb's choice to stand up to the massive prison industry, and so was Glenn Greenwald. In an article titled "Jim Webb's courage v. the 'pragmatism' excuse for politicians," Greenwald praises the senator's choice to take on the American incarceration system:

"What's most notable about Webb's decision to champion this cause is how honest his advocacy is. He isn't just attempting to chip away at the safe edges of America's oppressive prison state. His critique of what we're doing is fundamental, not incremental," Greenwald writes.

"For a senator like Webb to spend his time trumpeting the evils of excessive prison rates, racial disparities in sentencing, the unjust effects of the Drug War and disgustingly harsh conditions inside prisons is precisely the opposite of what every single political consultant would recommend that he do. There's just no plausible explanation for Webb's actions other than the fact that he's engaged in the noblest and rarest of conduct: advocating a position and pursuing an outcome because he actually believes in it and believes that, with reasoned argument, he can convince his fellow citizens to see the validity of his cause. And he is doing this despite the fact that it potentially poses substantial risks to his political self-interest and offers almost no prospect for political reward."
^{*Emphasis ours}

Greenwald also notes that taking on the prison industry is especially tough thanks to its strong lobbying arm, which is sure to give Webb trouble come re-election time. Considering Webb's status as a first-term Democratic senator from a traditionally red state, his legislation is brave indeed.

The issue also involves uncomfortable conversations about contentious topics such as addiction and racial inequality, adding to our admiration for Webb's willingness to take the issue on.

Granted, this proposed commission won't wipe out our country's obsession with incarceration. But, as Webb points out in his floor speech accompanying the introduction of the bill, introducing piecemeal legislation won't solve this multi-faceted problem. Webb adds that we need a group divorced from partisanship to make recommendations as to how to reform the system wholesale, and BuzzFlash couldn't agree more.

WINGS OF JUSTICE

Nominated by BuzzFlash staff. To see a full list of past Wings of Justice honorees, click here.

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