Rural and white working class communities have not been immune to the sting of the burgeoning U.S, criminal justice system.
With more than 65 million rural citizens in the United States, one trend cutting across this population is a dramatic increase in drug abuse and a sky-rocking rate of incarceration among rural citizens. With over 2.2 million (That's 1 in 100 adults) people incarcerated in the United States and 14 million (parole, supervision, etc) cycling through the system the Incarceration Nation represents a significant population in itself, but in rural America, it represents an emerging constituency, that is pretty upset and ready for change.
The criminal justice vote shouldn't be underestimated or it's crossover appeal. In 2006 in Virginia, the criminal justice base mobilized to vote for Jim Webb, or against Sen. George Allen. Allen had abolished parole and built a prison system so harsh it was condemned by Human Rights Watch. Webb won the election by less than 7,200 votes. In Virginia, like Nevada, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, and West Virginia, voters in this "criminal justice niche" represent a population that crosses political divides.
In rural America we see that crime and punishment have touched almost every family. Some of the underlying factors in the growing incarceration rates.
Nonmedical use of prescription medications is on the rise across the U.S., particularly in rural areas.
-Only 10.7 percent of hospitals in rural areas offer substance abuse treatment services compared to 26.5 percent of metropolitan hospitals. Many county jails are now acting as treatment centers while overflowing.
-Federal funding goes mostly to urban substance abuse services rather than rural despite the fact that alcohol dependence is higher in rural areas, and drug use is not significantly different for urban and rural settings.
An incarcerated loved one is a family affair in rural America. We see a growing movement in small towns and rural outposts to find local solutions to a national epidemic.
Obama and McCain have said little about their views on crime and criminal justice. Obama does not support mandatory minimum sentencing and McCain does, for example. (see the Sentencing Project's Presidential Candidate's platforms on Criminal Justice for more details).
With at least thirteen states solidly in the swing column where there is no clear lead between Obama and McCain. With such a close race it might come down to the winning candidate having the courage and conviction to break new ground on a civil rights issues. The Incarceration Nationa could be a small, but deciding factor.