Posted on 07/22/2019 6:07:40 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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Contrary to the claims in Michelle Alexander’s much-discussed 2010 bestseller The New Jim Crow, drug prohibition is not driving incarceration rates. Yes, about half of federal prisoners are in on drug charges; but federal inmates constitute only 12 percent of all American prisoners—the vast majority are in state facilities. Those incarcerated primarily for drug offenses constitute less than 15 percent of state prisoners. Four times as many state inmates are behind bars for one of five very serious crimes: murder (14.2 percent), rape or sexual assault (12.8 percent), robbery (13.1 percent), aggravated or simple assault (10.5 percent), and burglary (9.4 percent). The terms served for state prisoners incarcerated primarily on drug charges typically aren’t that long, either. One in five state drug offenders serves less than six months in prison, and nearly half (45 percent) of drug offenders serve less than one year.
That a prisoner is categorized as a drug offender, moreover, does not mean that he is nonviolent or otherwise law-abiding. Most criminal cases are disposed of through plea bargains, and, given that charges often get downgraded or dropped as part of plea negotiations, an inmate’s conviction record will usually understate the crimes he committed. The claim that drug offenders are nonviolent and pose zero threat to the public if they’re put back on the street is also undermined by a striking fact: more than three-quarters of released drug offenders are rearrested for a nondrug crime. It’s worth noting that Baltimore police identified 118 homicide suspects in 2017, and 70 percent had been previously arrested on drug charges.
Not only are most prisoners doing time for serious, often violent, offenses; they’ve usually received (and blown) the second chance that so many reformers say they deserve.
(Excerpt) Read more at city-journal.org ...
Jeff Flake was one a morning show talking about this. Just saw him in passing, with sound off.
The WOD still needs to be stopped or at least reformed. Like it or not, pot is now a firmly entrench part of American culture, just like alcohol and tobacco. It needs to be legalized and regulated, and those prisoners who are incarcerated for non violent pot crimes should be released.
A national 3 strikes law is needed. It’s a crime to be unable to count to 3. Another would be stand your ground.
When someone else dopes himself up it's his business and not mine. Unless he messes himself up and the government feels the need to help him by taking from me. Then his business becomes my business.
We simply need to follow the Portuguese model regarding drug law. It has worked incredibly well!
It should be illegal to plea bargain violent crimes or to Hierarchical count them. When a woman is robbed at gun point that is a violent crime, when she is then kidnapped it’s a violent crime, when she is Raped it’s a Violent crime, then when she is Killed it’s a Worse Violent Crime. Every one is violent, yet only the MURDER is counted. The rest Flushed down the toilet and never recorded in the State or Federal Stats.
Juvy crime is worse they can commit all the felonies they want, only a Violent crime like Murder or Rape will get them kicked up to adult court to be tried, then they are housed in a Juvy state prison until they age out at 18 and are transferred to adult facility. Depending on the State “Good Behavior Time” is 1 day served for 1 day off their sentence. A 20 yr plea bargain means 10 yrs or less.
The Perp who was in and out of juvy before he aged out who beat my son to death with a fence post 2 ft section was plea bargained from a M1 to a M2, medium sentence 20 yrs, first parole hearing TEN MONTHS later. They were actually going to let him out. They didn’t count on a Vengeful Mama Bear. 6 parole hearings in all, Made the A-Hole serve 10.5 years which is all I could get. I have no idea where the Sociopath is, but I CCW now.
God, that is horrible. I am so sorry... and glad you were able to at least influence the parole hearings.
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