Fascinating. And I think a great idea. Cost is irrelevant only to those who don’t pay.
From the New York Times:
But critics — prosecutors especially — dismiss the idea as unseemly. They say that the cost of punishment is an irrelevant consideration when deciding a criminal’s fate and that there is a risk of overlooking the larger social costs of crime.
“Justice isn’t subject to a mathematical formula,” said Robert P. McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County.
That’s laughable coming from a prosecutor who cuts plea bargains all day.
This is so awesome. Now if we can only make the public more aware of how many of their tax dollars are going toward incarceration costs.