Bans on Smoking in Prison Shrink a Coveted Market

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | Wednesday, August 27, 2003 | VANESSA O'CONNELL

[cinFLA]

I work in a law office. Calls start at $5.14/minute. You want to verify it, call any lawyer that deals in any aspect of criminal law and ask them, you have a phone book.

Please name the prison.

[thoughtomator]

Ah, but they do. Extortionate communication costs form an unreasonable barrier to the assistance of counsel as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

[cinFLA]

I work in a law office. Calls start at $5.14/minute.

Is that what your office charges the client to speak to a lawyer?

[presidio9]

I also find it outrageous that hotels mark up phone billing rates.

And, for that matter, the fact that a hotdog at the US Open this week costs $4.75. The injustice of it all!!!

Stop selling pot and jail becomes less of a primary concern in your life.

[montag813]

GOOD! Now ban drugs, weightlifting, MTV and rape of white inmates (other than paedophiles). Chemical "castration" should be administered to repeat sodomists. No weights at all...let them do push ups...we are building minor felons into killing machines when they get out.

[cinFLA]

Ah, but they do. Extortionate communication costs form an unreasonable barrier to the assistance of counsel as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment:

What extortionate communication costs?

[thoughtomator]

I can name quite a few of them. Sussex County Jail, Elizabeth Detention Center, Wackenhut, Buffalo, Batavia, and Yuba County Jail are all places from which my office has been called at the indicated prices during the past two weeks.

[presidio9]

Wrong. All jails have visiting rooms. If your lawyer isn't visiting you regularly, get a new lawyer.

[Fraulein]

Ping!

[montag813]

Markups are in the 2000% range.

It costs them $10 per pay phone local call to Manhattan? I doubt this very much.

[presidio9]

Right. A there are a lot of young gang members who see jail as sort of a health retreat.

Seriously.

[thoughtomator]

When you pay $5+/min for a call that normally costs 10-25 cents/min, that qualifies as extortionate communication costs under any reasonable standard.

[SouthParkRepublican]

”OK. Don't charge those that have not been convicted for their room and board. Works for me.”

That’s a pretty screwed up attitude. I’m sure that anyone being held on charges really appreciates the luxurious accommodations and fine dining. These people HAVE NOT BEEN CONVICTED OF ANYTHING at this point. Do you care at all about due process?

[thoughtomator]

The people you're talking to are dedicated WoD freaks, and have already decided the Constitution isn't worth spit. As dedicated opponents of the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Tenth Amendments, what reason would they have to defer to the Sixth?

[cinFLA]

That’s a pretty screwed up attitude. I’m sure that anyone being held on charges really appreciates the luxurious accommodations and fine dining. These people HAVE NOT BEEN CONVICTED OF ANYTHING at this point. Do you care at all about due process?

So you disagree with me and you want to charge those not convicted with room and board while in prison?

[cinFLA]

Not everyone in prison has been convicted of a crime.

Really? What percentage?

[thoughtomator]

What does the percentage matter? What percent of innocent citizens denied their Constitutional rights is acceptable to you?

[presidio9]

The people you're talking to are dedicated WoD freaks

This person is a dedicated habitual drug user. Any means to facilitate his addiction is justifiable to him. Any impediment represents totalitarian civil rights violations. In his happy world everyone just minds his own business, and things run ever-so smoothly.

[SouthParkRepublican]

”So you disagree with me and you want to charge those not convicted with room and board while in prison?”

On the contrary, if a person is being held on charges and has not been convicted of anything they should not have to pay for anything, room, food, communication with family members or legal defense. These people are still considered innocent in the eyes of the law. Do you think anyone held on charges should be denied these things?