I’ll keep it simple: Instead of sending non-dangerous drug offenders to prison, get them outside in the fresh air working. It will greatly benefit them and the country, and it can lessen the often cited workforce gap cited as a reason for hiring undocumented workers. It can be incentivized in whatever way is most effective, even if that is just the threat of greater punishment, and can be a national program supported by the federal government but optional for individual states.
This will free up resources and facilities that are overrun with non-violent offenders. The program can be expanded to other categories of crime, as well.
Chip them and give them a list of this that need to be accomplished. If it not compleat the go to jail. Make sure food and shelter is provided like they are in jail little more freedom.
I’ve seen this in use in southern California. They lift rental guidelines making it easier to find cheaper rent in a town that was 30 miles outside of a city. The roads were dangerous with blind curves and cliffs. (That was a natural selection to thinning them out)
Make sure they get on subsidies, and wait 4 days after the day the money is sent, then do a sweep of the trailer parks and apartments complexes. You can snag at least 8 to 12 drug users while they are high. Give them 3 days in the clink to have the drugs out of their system and then the Courthouse landscaping is tended to.
I think this is a very sensible idea and ultimately will have the effect of lessening the whole ‘prison culture’ that has been pushed and realized at this point.