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OK...so around 70% of criminals released from prison are back behind bars within 2 years, and they think letting them out early will solve anything...riiiight...

What does this sound like?

Year round central AC and heat. 3 meals a day. Free roof over your head.

All the books you want to read.

Free legal assistance.

Free medical and dental.

Don’t have to work at all unless you want to.

Cable TV 24/7.

Hard drug problems as bad as on the outside.

Gang problems as bad as on the outside.

Sound like a deterrent?

Any of these people ever think about making prison resemble something like prison again? Didn’t Sheriff Joe see a serious reduction in crime when he set up his tent jail? Nobody wanted back in there, so they either moved somewhere else or tried to stay out of trouble.

These idiots are ignoring the real problems. Mandatory minimums may sound good on the surface, but a lot of the overpopulation problem in prisons can be traced back to people with 1st offenses for minor scrapes with the law, like some guy with 4 prescription pills doing 5 to 10 years, when before mandatory minimums the judge had the discretion to start with a lighter sentence given the less serious nature of the offense and the lack of criminal record in many cases. Even a first time burglary could be a lower sentence, and maybe justified, for a first offender. It worked for a long time...Many people got 6 months to a year in the big house and decided they didn’t want any more. Now with so called human rights leniency policies, they can get 5 years, be on the street in 2, and know it’s no big deal.

On the other hand, some states like Texas now have a repeat offender clause, once you’ve been in a few times and still getting busted, off you go for 20 to life.

Then you have early release efforts like this, which does not help a thing. Since we already see a 70% return rate, if you make it known you’re pushing further early releases, people are less likely to be afraid of jail time. I’ve seen guys say “I can do 2 years standing on my head.” They know prison is no longer a punishment. I’m not sure I listed all the perks above, but that doesn’t sound much like a deterrent to me.

Then you have gang issues. people go to prison and know they can just join up with the gang on their side, and have a measure of safety in numbers.

In some cases corrupt prison guards also help, by either looking the other way or helping inmates get contraband inside the bars. Drugs, alcohol, even weapons.

And who has been pushing all this nonsense? Liberals. Human rights, they say. OK so did the guy observe his victim’s rights when he broke into an innocent person’s house and stole everything he could carry off? Did he worry about his victims rights when he raped her and beat her to a pulp or killed her? They never mention that...

Early release has already proven to be a mistake. Shut off the TV. Set the thermostat on 80 in summer, 50 in winter. No work, you do every single day of your time. Work and get 3 for 2. No other early release except for standard parole, in place for many years. Stop mandatory minimums. In addition to putting many 1st time or minor offenders in for a long time, prosecutors also use it to get votes. Look how many criminals I put away, vote for me...but never do a thing to actually fix the overlying problems. And many of the people they put in jail should have been there for much shorter periods. I read an article a while back about the guy I mentioned above, 10 years for 4 prescription pills, 1st offense. Why wouldn’t that qualify for 6 months? Especially since he was not a typical “drug dealer”, just selling a pill or two to friends. Nothing like the heroin dealer selling it for a living on the ghetto streets for the past 3 years, already busted a half dozen times. (think Freddie Gray, rap sheet as long as your arm, already busted for selling heroin in the exact same spot.) Quite a difference.

Yeah I know some of this sounds a little liberal...no, it’s logical. If a 1st timer steals $25 in a mugging without a gun, why should he do the same 10 years as the guy who pulls a gun at a convenience store and walks away with $300, (Cash and merchandise) or steals a car and uses it to make his getaway after 14 burglaries? Mandatory minimums means the same two, the 1st offender on a lesser offense and the career criminal, are no longer treated as different situations in many cases. The judge should have some leeway to use common sense. But the system as a whole also should not make it less a deterrent by making life in prison as easy as possible either. Parole boards should be tougher, early release should be stopped, accountability in prison management should be a priority...The people who elect judges should also realize all the liberal judges need to go. Good luck with that though...

I can only think of 2 instances I would agree with mandatory minimums. Rape and murder. 20 years period for even 1st time, no parole. Stupid enough to make it to 3 times? (any serious felony) Throw away the key or a needle in the arm. Oh yeah, death row. Sit there for 15 to 20 years running through appeal after appeal...cut it down to 2 appeals and see ya...I don’t like 2 appeals, but I have to give it a chance...maximum 2 years on death row and you’re outta here.

Illegal immigrants are a serious problem too, Trump should try to make arrangements with Mexican officials to send convicted illegals to a Mexican prison, sentencing done by our judge. Or tell Mexico they can help pay for the upkeep of their citizens while behind bars here in the US. That can be done the same way as getting them to pay for the wall, I’ve described my method several times. Same thing would work here. Cut off their foreign aid and tourist money, they’ll listen...