No offense but I have to take exception by several of the ideas you are advancing. First of all, the people paying for other people's stay in prison are working tax payers, which is most cases is not the person serving time or their families.

Secondly, very rarely does someone do any significant amount of prison time for stealing food - unless they are a repeat offender - or there was some other element like drugs or weapons also uncovered, or use of violence during the crime.

Thirdly, no one is forcing someone to commit a crime. I resent people that try to make everything that happens to them in life about race when it is really about behavior.

Also, there is no good reason for anyone to steal food. Us working stiffs are robbed blind to support so many social entitlement programs for subsidized housing, food stamps, SNAP, EBT cards, medicaid ("free health care for non-workers), and on and on.

Instead of people railing about being "poor" and "forced" into committing crimes, maybe they should honestly take the time to look in the mirror and re-evaluate their own lives and how their own choices and behavior have contributed to their situation. With freedom comes responsibility. Work hard, be responsible and make wise choices and good things will come your way. Yes, life knocks us all on our asses at time regardless, but patience and persistence in hard work and good choices does eventually pay off.