More money towards education, less to criminal justice system

Caitlin O’Neill and David Moss of the American Civil Liberties Union of California delivered an extremely powerful and interactive presentation during Days of Diversity on March 21.

Moss discussed his experience with substance abuse in his younger years, and how through his past addiction he was incarcerated a total of 14 times. Connecting his story of substance abuse with California’s criminal justice system, Moss made a clear assertion that California funnels money into jails when it could be funding other programs like education and social services.

“California is just out of money,” described O’Neill. “That’s why your schools continue to face budget cuts.”

The presenters discussed how $10.7 billion is budgeted to the California criminal justice system each year, while schools continue to suffer. Moss claimed that substance abuse was a key player as to why so much money is spent for the criminal justice system.

“Drugs and alcohol were a way for me to run away from myself, and to make sure the ugly memories of my past didn’t rear their heads,” Moss said. “And California kept locking me up when all I needed was treatment.”

Moss and O’Neill took a stand, theorizing that if more money was put into schools instead of criminal justice, young people would be given opportunities to build themselves a future and have less of a chance in going to prison. They suggested reforming the California criminal justice system by cutting their funds that would then be available to schools and the future generations of kids.

“We’re not powerless,” Moss said. “We have choices, and it’s time for us to think in a different way, to think outside the box.”