ndmckinney|net

There is presently a debate in Maryland over whether to allow speed detection cameras in Howard County. I, for one, applaud the effort to install these cameras, and hope to see them installed statewide.

Worse, the use of only intermittent traffic police only encourages risky behavior, since many drivers tend to think they can “beat the system”. Even if a driver is caught, the penalty is usually not sufficient to deter subsequent behavior.

The unblinking eye of the speed camera changes that equation. The camera will be in the same place at the same time. If there are enough cameras, then the incentive to speed disappears and behaviors change.

According to the Washington Post (see linked article, above), a Federal Highway Administration study showed that the use of red-light cameras caused a substantial decrease in drivers ignoring intersections (though, as the Post notes, incidents of rear-end collisions increased dramatically).

Issues of privacy, raised by many [speeders] argue that the . However, from a legal perspective, I don’t see where privacy becomes an issue. The cameras sole function is to catch individuals who are in violation of posted speed limits; there is no difference between a camera (mechanical device) observing the behavior and a uniformed officer (biological device) doing the same.

Today’s Washington Post is reporting that Maryland has secretly closed Jessup State Prison after 121 years of service. The prison was closed in secret for fear of violence in the final days.

Sure, the prison was dangerous (and outdated, violent, and so on). And sure, a more modern prison would be better for everyone. But Jessup, like Sing Sing, Joliet, and Alcatraz, was built to be a prison. Dismal conditions are a reminder of the power of the state.

In other news, the State of Maryland, in an effort to decrease its budget deficit, plans on opening up a 400 unit luxury condominium in historic Jessup, Maryland. “Hurry,” says Governor O’Malley, “only a few units remain.”