releasing inmates?!?!

Nebb · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:e0875060-84ec-4628-869f-9b6bf8d0fb4c">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]Forgive me, but as someone who has seen plenty of the criminal justice system, I just have to say numerous things piss me off about it. First, we incarcerate more people in the U.S. than any other nation, and we continue to have one of the highest violent crime rates per capita in the world. Something is messed up here, and no I do not think it is just about not incarcerating the felons for long enough sentences and/or paroling them out too soon. I think a huge part of the problem is that prisons are full of people who have committed drug-related crimes, and people who are in on mandatory minimums or three strike laws that may or may not make any damn sense at all in a given case. Taking discretion away from sentencing judges satisfied a populist angry fervor to lock 'em all up n' throw away the key, but it was hellacrappy law. Meanwhile, first time offender (meaning first time CONVICTED) rapists and other violent criminals are still getting sometimes shockingly light sentences. I have personally seen, in a single week a man sentenced to many, many years for growing/selling pot and another one sentenced to seven years for rape. So, yes I am sure that California prisons are frighteningly overcrowded-often with the wrong people. I am also sure that in releasing some of these prisoners a goodly number of those released will be the ones who ought to stay, and vice versa. Because the American criminal justice system is seriously broken, and in need of repair that goes far beyond the simple lust to throw 'em all in prison that has dominated public discourse on the topic since the 1980's.
Posted by Lenore2010[/QUOTE]
So what is your suggestion to fix it?

rubyjem00 · December 2010

I think that this is just evidence that we criminalize too many acts. Stop criminalizing some acts (like possession of small amounts of drugs) and stop sending so many people to prison. I realize that an overhaul of the justice system is not that easy but I honestly think that, along with allowing a judge's discrection in sentencing, would be a good start.

Lenore2010 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:77813037-22f0-4220-a829-0b9981e455d8">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: releasing inmates?!?! : So what is your suggestion to fix it?
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I personally would like to start by ending mandatory minimums and three-strike laws, decriminalizing the sale of marijuana (an unbelievable number of people are in prison, long term for selling pot and a whole big-buck criminal environment has grown up around it with high bucks being earned by dealers due to high risk). Next, I think we need to have stiffer sentences on rape and violent crimes BUT we also need to look at some serious prison reform - that dirty, dirty word that the public associates with "coddling" criminals. The trouble is-the prisons we have now just "graduate" bigger, meaner criminals.</div><div>
</div><div>This topic is better suited to a book, not a post. It is normally not even the sort of thing I would get into here, but the California topic just set me off.

</div>

allisong23 · December 2010

Until CA gets some money in its coffers and starts building new prisons, I am afraid this is what is going to happen. It isn't helped by the stupid Proposition they passed in the 70s or 80s which makes it close to impossible to raise property taxes.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:24ba0ffb-270d-436b-bfbd-1f2d988b39e4">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]If 1 inmate dies a week, I should think that is cruel and unusual punishment. Just because they are in jail, doesnt mean their substandard and deserve neglect. We have no idea what any of those people have done.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]

This, exactly. Aside from the fact that you shouldn't be in prison for pot violations (and now they made it so you can't get arrested for that), ALL criminals are still human beings and shouldn't be in over crowded cells or denied access to medical care.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:3aaf70b7-5299-4f0c-9a03-3fa829271067">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: releasing inmates?!?! : I kind of hope it's only 4,000. Because 40,000 seems like way too much.
Posted by LessThanZero[/QUOTE]

It's 40,000. There are 140,000 people in prisons built for 80,000 people. It's a large state. We also have almost 700 people on death row.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:eaba423c-2b69-4424-a973-79d5e3e61913">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]California, the state that sent out IOU's instead of income tax refund checks because the state is broke. Everyone would like to have an unlimited supply of money to have everything they want, unfortunately no one wants to contribute to that unlimited supply which leaves a small amount of money where 50% is probably mis-spent by politicians and the other 50% goes to useful things, and of that small amount that goes to useful things, prison construction is not so high on the list so this is the result.
Posted by vegasgroom[/QUOTE]

Actually, about 2/3 of the budget is tied up in useless voter initiatives. Also, we have basically the lowest property tax rates in the country and they can't be raised because of Proposition 13. Which was also the proposition that originally limited the legislature to passing a budget with a 2/3 majority. It's a nightmare.

vegasgroom · December 2010

FL has a similar problem but not because of low taxes but rather a law that was passed a while back to 'save our homes' which basically preserves low taxes for those who are locked into low tax rates. The law does not allow prop tax to increase faster than inflation regardless of property value. The idea was to prevent people from being forced out of their homes when the home they bought on the water or in undeveloped areas in the 70's for $25k is now worth $2.5 mil since most could not afford to pay the property tax on a $2.5 mil home. The downside is that FL being a big retiree state, combined with life expectencies jumping by huge amounts the past few decades, has left a big deficit on expected income, and we don't have a personal income tax here. I think personal income tax is going to have to happen at some point, or the state is going to have to cut more services, because the prop tax thing will probably never get repealed.

NuggetBrain · December 2010

People are seriously over thinking this. There is a fairly obvious solution - since everybody knows that most people in prison are black people because we're all just criminals waiting to happen, they should just put us all on boats and ship us back to Africa, and the prisons will be down to like, 12 percent occupancy. I call Tanzania.

allisong23 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:b6d5223f-279c-4270-8d25-9d3085d8ec79">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]People are seriously over thinking this. There is a fairly obvious solution - since everybody knows that most people in prison are black people because we're all just criminals waiting to happen, they should just put us all on boats and ship us back to Africa, and the prisons will be down to like, 12 percent occupancy. I call Tanzania.
Posted by NuggetBrain[/QUOTE]

The racial disparity in prison population is a whole 'nother rmatter that needs to be addressed, and the sentencing disparity between people of color and whites that goes along with it.

J&K10910 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:8b1170ce-3c51-40d9-90a3-62855db269ea">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: releasing inmates?!?! : The racial disparity in prison population is a whole 'nother rmatter that needs to be addressed, and the sentencing disparity between people of color and whites that goes along with it.
Posted by allisong23[/QUOTE]

I did a big project on this in grad school.

NuggetBrain · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:8b1170ce-3c51-40d9-90a3-62855db269ea">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: releasing inmates?!?! : The racial disparity in prison population is a whole 'nother rmatter that needs to be addressed, and the sentencing disparity between people of color and whites that goes along with it.
Posted by allisong23[/QUOTE]

Sarcasm, party of me. <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" />

allisong23 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_releasing-inmates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:866a0b23-8975-4110-bfb2-4e9737f1cbe2Post:41a4dc4d-1e13-4d4e-bc0b-2cabcf6be699">Re: releasing inmates?!?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: releasing inmates?!?! : Sarcasm, party of me.
Posted by NuggetBrain[/QUOTE]

Oh I knew that. :) It just had to be said, though. Don't get me started on the proportion of blacks on Death Row.

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