Gee, whodathunkit?? Texas' spending on prisons has increased at a faster rate than it's spending on education. (Of course, it's not as if our educational system works all that well....) This ought to make law-and-order Republicans happy, but is it really anything more than an indication of horribly skewed priorities?
Texas also has more African-American men in prison than in colleges or universities. That is a sad commentary on the state of this state, and yet what is even more tragic is that the Republican hierarchy in Texas doesn't seem to see this as a problem. Lock 'em up, and throw away the key- voila!!, no more problem. Is it any wonder that Texas executes more criminals per year than any other state? Could it be that the political leadership, and the electorate that put them in place simply lacks the will and/or vision to take a fresh look at the problem? Of course, it IS easier to execute than rehabilitate....