[Mr. Silverback]

We must reevaluate who we lock up, why we lock them up, and how we lock them up. Prisons are for people we are afraid of, not mad at. In other words, prisons are for dangerous offenders who pose a threat to society. We need to challenge “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” laws and mandatory minimum sentencing, responsible for filling 60 percent of our federal prisons with drug offenders, many of whom have no prior criminal record for a violent offense and many of whom are not drug dealers.

I agree with the above, except for the part about three strikes. Three strikes laws based on violent offenses take incorrigible practitioners of violence off the streets. They aren't ruining anybody's lives for them, and letting those thugs do regular time sure isn't going to help their kids any.

There are links to further information at the source document.

If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Mr. Silverback]

BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[SR 50]

If this is true, then the children should be imprisoned at the same time as the adult, save a lot of innocent lives and a lot money later on.

[coloradan]

In some states, three strikes applies to any felony, including nonviolent drug offenses, writing bad checks for the third time, or looking crosseyed at a cop or touching him with your pinkie (which is felony assault on a police officer in some jurisdictions). Possession of one round of .22 rimfire is also a felony if you've got a previous felony conviction, or a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence. Furthermore, possession of a shotgun or rifle that is 1/8" too short is also a felony - a "violent" felony, by definition. (Many nonviolent drug crimes are also "violent felonies" by definition as well.)

[SampleMan]

I completely agree, because until men are sent to prison, they are model fathers. Perhaps we can just set up prison childcare, where the cons can nurture our young?

[wizr]

Drive some of CA's San Jouquin Valley back roads and you will find its other harvest: prisons. They appear to be the new crop for many valley towns.

We do need to reform our justice system. Not to become more lenient, but to make it more difficult on those that commit crimes. Prisons should not be a place to sit out their time, but a hard place to forget, and to teach their children not to go there.

I feel that some think of prison as 3 square meals and a roof over their heads. Better than many on the street, and a way for illegals to be secure in America.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the ping. Good read. I need to chew on this one for a while, though. ;)

[txzman]

"Three strikes laws based on violent offenses take incorrigible practitioners of violence off the streets."

Uh, last two stories I read about had men going to prison for life for stealing food from Walmart and bouncing a check. Not my idea of taking violent crime off the streets.

[HamiltonJay]

What?????? FATHERHOOD MATTERS???? Don't let the feminists hear that.

[bannie]

Before a criminal acts, he/she should consider that he/she is daming his/her child.

One more guilty aspect of the criminal.

[MissEdie]

What is it the Bible says, something about sins of the father being visited on his children?

[CWOJackson]

"Prisons are for people we are afraid of, not mad at."

Actually prisons are a place of punishment for people who break the law...and it's real simple to stay out of prison.

[WLR]

Apply a sunset provision to every law on the books.

If the law is worth keeping it must be individually subject to
debate and reaffirmed every year.

W

[FrankR]

It used to be an social stigma to be in jail, or have a relative in jail, but people speak about it now like we used refer to our relatives in the Army.

It's become acceptable, normal, and in some cases, admirable.

Welcome to bizarro world.