This from Bloomberg Politics:
Obama came to office promising to reduce the number of Americans imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, and in 2010 signed a law reducing disparities in sentences for possession of crack and powder cocaine. Some Republicans and police organizations criticized the moves as too lenient, but now a bipartisan coalition that includes Obama’s chief political antagonists, billionaires Charles and David Koch, have joined him to support relaxing federal sentencing guidelines.
More than 2.2 million adults are imprisoned in the U.S., the most in the world, and the incarceration rate is between five and 10 times higher than in Western European countries, according to the National Research Council. Lawmakers in both parties have been raising alarms about the cost of mass incarceration to taxpayers and to minority communities that are disproportionately the source of prisoners.
The thing that worries me is, are these prisoners non-violent in fact? They have been sentenced for non-violent crimes, but that does not guarantee that they are not in fact dangerous, they are, after all, criminals, and in many cases, former drug addicts. What do you think? No need to worry?
ReplyDeleteThere's no guarantee that anyone isn't dangerous, drug infraction or not. Maybe the answer to your question, "No need to worry?" Is no sense in worrying about something that may or may not be the case.
DeleteThis probably won't surprise anyone, but I believe our jail stuffing has much to do with poverty and inequality. It's not that rich white kids do any fewer drugs than the minorities locked up. When caught, however, something entirely different seems to happen to those with good money to defend themselves. here in Las Vegas, a hockey player for the Los Angles Kings was caught with cocaine at a casino pool. He had enough for felony possession. His charges, however, were reduced to misdemeanors and he was let off with a small fine and community service hours.
ReplyDeleteDrugs attract violence, the trafficking of them does anyway. Then again, poverty seems to encourage a lot of unsavory behavior that could lead to violence. Still, we have 2 million people locked up. That is a staggering number and given how unequal the justice system has worked, it is time to rethink our sentencing guidelines IMO
With the backing of the Executive Branch and the Koch brothers, it has a good chance of passing. With just Obama's approval it would be doomed by Congress.
DeleteBuilding prisons has been a growth industry, I tend to think there will be a little more resistance from the rank and file Republican base no matter who pushes this. It will be interesting to see that's for sure.
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