Free Republic

PHOENIX — The first study of its kind found that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or gender non-conforming are nearly four times as likely to be victims of violent crime than those outside such communities.

First the Obama administration managed to reduce prison sentences as a way of ending racial discrimination and now comes an aggressive plan to meet the “criminogenic needs” of felons by providing them with a series of perks the moment they’re incarcerated. This includes an education, employment and life skills training, substance abuse and mental health plans, building family relationships behind bars and a number of other programs to maximize their likelihood of success upon release. It’s called the Roadmap to Reentry and it’s part of a Department of Justice (DOJ) initiative to reduce recidivism among ex-cons. Work started around five...

Marijuana is being smuggled out of Colorado in record amounts, according to a new report by a multi-agency drug task force, citing a 400 percent increase in pot seizures since 2005 from the state that has become something of an American Amsterdam.

DIXON (CBS13) – It was one disabled woman versus 13 intruders, and she won. The Dixon homeowner, whose identity is being kept hidden, knows what the criminals were after, but wouldn’t let them have it. She went to answer an early morning knock on the door, but not before grabbing a can of bear spray. It was her only defense against 13 intruders. She was staring down the barrel of a shotgun, facing seemingly impossible odds. Most wouldn’t dare fight back, but this disabled grandmother did.

Are El Paso residents in denial about the daily war and slaughter going on just across the river? And, just why is Obama ignoring the war just across the river from the United States? It is past time to seal off our borders. Juarez Mexico morgues literally ran out of room for the bodies last week, and violence is creeping across our border. The Juarez and the Sinaloa cartels are behind the slaughter. In one of the deadliest three days on record, fifty three people were killed in possible narco related murders. Fourteen people, including a police officer were killed...

A Houston man found asleep with a corpse inside a closet of a vacant home has been charged with misdemeanor drug offenses, authorities said Monday. Cody Jean Plant, 21, was discovered Sunday after the owner of the house reported hearing voices and seeing signs of forced entry at the home in Cypress, about 25 miles northwest of Houston, according to a Harris County Precinct 4 Constable official. Authorities did not immediately release the dead man's identity. "There were two guys in the closet. They appeared to be sleeping, one was snoring and the other was deceased," said Assistant Chief Deputy...

WASHINGTON — President Obama weighed in Wednesday on the escalating drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that he was looking at possibly deploying National Guard troops to contain the violence but ruled out any immediate military move. "We're going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense," Obama said during an interview with journalists for regional papers, including a McClatchy reporter. "I don't have a particular tipping point in mind," he said. "I think it's unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens."

A jury sentenced a Lakeview man to 10 years in prison for growing nearly 7,500 marijuana plants. Andrew Stever, 40, was sentenced on Monday after a three-day trial in the Federal District Court in Medford.Ten years is the mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of growing 1,000 or more pot plants. In July 2007, officers from several local, state and federal agencies found 7,459 plants growing on Stever's Lakeview property, which bordered Forest Service land. Two men fled the scene, leaving behind personal property and three firearms, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Portland. Physical evidence and testimony linked...

Over 40 Murders Reported this Week CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - New details on a deadly discovery across the border from El Paso. This morning police in Ciudad Juarez say at least 12 masked gun men opened fire inside an upscale seafood restaurant and killed at least eight people. The attack comes a day after seven men were found executed in a school soccer field in an upper class neighborhood in Juarez. In all, 40 murders were reported over the holiday week along the border near El Paso. Police say the men were armed with AK-47 and fired off more than...

SACRAMENTO – Eight years ago, 61 percent of California voters passed a novel initiative requiring treatment instead of jail or prison for tens of thousands of drug offenders. Supporters of that initiative are back with a follow-up measure that would require even greater leniency. Billionaire investor and liberal activist George Soros is helping fund Proposition 5 on the Nov. 4 ballot. The measure would prohibit sending paroled drug offenders back to prison for parole violations unless they commit a new felony, have a violent or serious record or are considered high risk by prison officials. The initiative would shorten parole...

MADRID (Reuters) - Organized crime is running out of control in Mexico, Mexican President Felipe Calderon told the Spanish newspaper El Pais in an interview published on Sunday. "Organized crime is getting out of control and is causing serious worries in some regions of the country, like Michoacan," Calderon said. "Murder rates were exceeding those of Colombia at one point." On Friday Mexico extradited four drug kingpins to the United States, striking a blow against warring cartels that killed 2,000 people last year and have turned large areas into lawless badlands. President Calderon took office in December and has sent...