1% of the adult population of the US...

[Mike70]

is incarcerated in prison. this is by far the largest percentage in the world. this gianormous prison pop is costing the states and fed. govts. $49 billion a year.

this is what the idiotic war on drugs has given us.

here is an idea or two.

a general amnesty for drug offenders that were convicted of possession or of trafficing who are not violent offenders.

a complete and total decriminalization of marijuana. no jail time for any possession or trafficing offense involving weed. fines would be the way to go if you stupidly insist on this remaining illegal.

you cannot stop people from wanting to drugs/get drunk, etc. i would've thought that prohibition would've shown people that. locking them up in prisons already bursting at the seems not only makes no sense (at least to me) it is also costing mountains of money that could either be better spent OR not collected through taxes at all.

note very carefully that i am not advocating letting violent folks go nor am i advocating letting go violent drug traffficers. people who commit violent crimes in order to obtaiin drugs or hold on to their share of the trade are violent criminals and should be treated as so. murderers, rapists and whatnot need to be locked up and kept there forever.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7270607.stm

[MinionZombie]

Here in the UK I think we've completely filled our prisons, and rather than taking the last few years to build new ones, the gubment hasn't - which is just, in all honesty, actually stupid.

Now crims are getting their sentences cut or suspended because there's nay room, geez.

What I think they should do in this country however, is put the prisoners to work for us. While they work for themselves - e.g. in the kitchens or in the laundry rooms - they don't work for us the citizens of the country, at least I don't think the do.

We should get some chain-gain type stuff going. Get them cleaning up litter, making license plates or something - get them to do something for us while they're staying at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

[Mutineer]

How many are absurd minor drug charges ?

I don't do drugs, but why is it illegal ?

[SRP76]

Omg, 1%?!

[Khardis]

small drug crimes should be given leniency as for the rest, lets speed up the death penalty process and give rapists, child molesters, murderers and terrorists mandatory death sentences which must be carried out within 5 years maximum with appeals within those 5 years. That should alleviate some congestion.

[SRP76]

How about if people just quit breaking the law?

No, no, that would be too simple.

[AcesandEights]

small drug crimes should be given leniency as for the rest, lets speed up the death penalty process and give rapists, child molesters, murderers and terrorists mandatory death sentences which must be carried out within 5 years maximum with appeals within those 5 years. That should alleviate some congestion.

I agree. I favor a slightly heavier burden of proof for a death penalty, but when you know someone has done something so unspeakable that their returning to society is either impossible or utterly dangerous to society, then they really have left us with little other choice, as far as I'm concerned.

[kortick]

I agree that the death penalty is needed
but it is by far a solution.
here in RI there is no death penalty because
the last two people they executed who happened to be brothers
were innocent. It was found out later, not that it did them any good.

Right now I know a guy who did 9 years for child
molestation and was found innocent through many
different means. All of which made the judge release him
and he is now suing for 2 million dollars.
If he was executed, what then?
Where was his justice?

I am not against the death penalty
but the correctional systems and the
courts are too corrupt and incompetent
to be trusted.

Many police have said the same thing
there are too many people in jail for drugs.
if you are a dealer you belong there
if you are a user you need forced rehabilitation
at your own cost. no free-bees


USA. Estimated totals of top 7 arrest offenses.
14,094,200 Total arrests
_________________________
_1,846,400 Drug abuse violations.
_1,371,900 Driving under the influence.
_1,301,400 Simple assaults.
_1,146,700 Larceny/theft.
___678,200 Disorderly conduct.
___597,800 Liquor laws.
___556,200 Drunkenness.

These crimes are filling our jails and costing us millions.
Surely there are other punishments like home confinement
or forced community service or something to make them pay.
It costs on the average $25,000 a year to keep a person in prison.
That money could go to paying for college for some person who
would benefit this ugly society.

[Kaos]

How about if people just quit breaking the law?

No, no, that would be too simple.
Way too simple... Your implied presumption by your statement is that all laws are just and justified and everyone should simply follow them. The Nazi's had laws too. There are still laws in the US that say you can't have oral sex. Nope. Being a law in and of itself means little other than a means to incarcerate whomever the government wants for any reason and control public opinion. Law does not necessarily equate to justice. Just last year some state government incarcerated a kid for oral sex. When the press took them to task they finally relented. Fu(k the law, if I want a blow job the law and those that follow it blindly can kiss my ass.

Outside of violent crime (including rape and child molestation), non-violent crime that only directly harms the person committing the crime is suspect and probably needs to be revoked.

[EvilNed]

Death penalty is wrong, simply because there's a chance you might kill an innocent person.

[SRP76]

Way too simple... Your implied presumption by your statement is that all laws are just and justified and everyone should simply follow them. The Nazi's had laws too. There are still laws in the US that say you can't have oral sex. Nope. Being a law in and of itself means little other than a means to incarcerate whomever the government wants for any reason and control public opinion. Law does not necessarily equate to justice. Just last year some state government incarcerated a kid for oral sex. When the press took them to task they finally relented. Fu(k the law, if I want a blow job the law and those that follow it blindly can kiss my ass.

Outside of violent crime (including rape and child molestation), non-violent crime that only directly harms the person committing the crime is suspect and probably needs to be revoked.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of incarcerated criminals are there for things other than blowjobs. That "extreme case" scenario doesn't fit.

Just because you don't agree with a law, does NOT give you the right to break it.

[Kaos]

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of incarcerated criminals are there for things other than blowjobs. That "extreme case" scenario doesn't fit.

Just because you don't agree with a law, does NOT give you the right to break it.
...Nor does it mean it is just for those people to be in jail.

Anyone in jail right now for "crimes against themselves" is a political prisoner.

[Chic Freak]

Here in the UK I think we've completely filled our prisons, and rather than taking the last few years to build new ones, the gubment hasn't - which is just, in all honesty, actually stupid.

Now crims are getting their sentences cut or suspended because there's nay room, geez.

Prisons are pretty much always full, but personally I think that redressing certain laws might be a better solution than simply building lots more prisons. What do you think? E.g. before cannabis was taken down to a class C in the UK, about 80% of arrests were cannabis-related. Presumably not all of those people actually ended up in prison, but still, it helps to show that certain laws do more to clog up the system and waste everyone's time than they do to protect society. Plus, if more drugs were legalised they would be a) free of harmful cutting agents and b) taxed.


What I think they should do in this country however, is put the prisoners to work for us. While they work for themselves - e.g. in the kitchens or in the laundry rooms - they don't work for us the citizens of the country, at least I don't think the do.

We should get some chain-gain type stuff going. Get them cleaning up litter, making license plates or something - get them to do something for us while they're staying at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

I sooort of agree, although not 100%.

Apparently thieves, drug traffickers, prostitutes etc who re-offend often do so because they have no experience in having a regular 9-5 type job, and instead have a fixed mindset of 'earning' money sporadically in a few big bursts rather than more gradually, over a stretch of time (if you see what I mean), so getting into the habit of working regularly and earning extra 'credits' that they could 'spend' in prison on say, I don't know, extra food, fags, magazines, whatever, might actually be really helpful to them and the rest of society, both while they're in there and when they leave.

What does everyone else think?

[capncnut]

I was going to say something but Chic Freak's avatar has taken all my words away...

[Chic Freak]

Lol. A photographer photoshopped the words 'Worship Satan' onto my bum. You can't blame a girl for being pleased :lol:

[Arcades057]

Here's a little breakdown of these arrests...

_1,846,400 Drug abuse violations.
I wonder how many of these were simple possession arrests, not sale or trafficking? One of those arrests was my younger brother, caught with 3 ounces of marijuana individually packaged for sale in $5 and $10 bags.

_1,371,900 Driving under the influence.
Did you know the police MUST incarcerate you if they have the suspicion that you are driving under the influence? Even if you pass all of the sobriety tests and blow a clean breathalyser, they have to jail you so, just in case you really are tanked, they don't get sued.

_1,301,400 Simple assaults.
Simple assaults as in two people have an argument, it turns into a fist fight. You remember when you were younger and got into fights with your friends, this is for the older people here. The cops rarely showed up, or if they did they asked you all to shake and make up and that was it? Well guess what? You go to jail for it now. Same as if you raise your hand in a threatening manner (also assault, depending on what you say when you're waving your hand).

_1,146,700 Larceny/theft.
Really nothing to say here. Bitches need to stop stealing.

___678,200 Disorderly conduct.
Questioning a police officer's judgment; asking an officer for your license back after he decides you don't need it; explaining to the responding officer that yes, it is legal in Florida to carry a loaded firearm in the center console of a vehicle, so long as said console is closed and latched in some way; basically any "sassing" of a police officer is disorderly conduct in Occupied America.

___597,800 Liquor laws.
No idea what that is, unless it covers things like open container, which I was charged with in '99 while standing in front of a Fort Lauderdale club. That's right, you can't stand two feet from the door of a place that serves alcohol in Fort Lauderdale. Weird, huh?

___556,200 Drunkenness.
Even if you are in your own home and the police arrive and ask you to go outside you can be charged with public drunkenness. Reason? Because they can. So if the cops go to your house and you've had a bit too much to drink, do NOT leave your house, period, unless you're surrendering to them already. In that case, what's one more charge?

[Mike70]

_1,846,400 Drug abuse violations.

:stunned:

damn!

i wonder what it is costing every single day to keep this many people locked up? to provide for things like: food, housing, electricity, water,gen maint on the prison/jail, paying guards, paying the civilian staff, medical care, etc.

[kortick]

It costs at least $25,000 a year scip
to keep a person in jail.

Some of these people belong there

many do not

and we are paying way too much money
to imprison them.

how about that money going
to help families with medical, or heating,
or god forbid something gets spent on
a family or person who hasnt broken a law?

yes we need jails
but some of the things people are locked away
for are just stupid.

[blind2d]

so... what can we do about it?

[bassman]

so... what can we do about it?

Turn New York into one large prison that houses the entire prison population of the US!

[SoCalLoco]

The prison industrial complex is alive and well in this country. You put enough people through the system, and you effectively remove their right to vote and bear arms for the rest of their lives, even after they finish doing their time. This keeps the old money in power and the lower caste insignificant.

The feds alot so much money to the states for prisons, and the more prisoners you have in lock down means more federal dollars. That's why you see these long-ass, draconian sentences for inmates.

In many ways, the prison industrial complex is worse than the military industrial complex. You deindustrialize an old manufacturing town, and drive out business. When the town's mainstreet starts boarding up its windows and all the mills close down, you move in and hire the people to build a prison. Then you hire the rest who's jobs you just sent to Mexico, and make them guards. That's why you'll never see prisons in places like Beverly Hills or the Hamptons, but by God, you'll see them in Deerwater, ID or any other small town around the country.

It's just like people who work in federal munitions and defense plants. You make a large cross-section of your economy reliant on manufacturing bullets for Uncle Sam, not only is their life reliant on ensuing war but that's how they feed their families. End the war and military buildup, a lot of people are out of work. The same can be said for the prison industrial complex.

Now you're seeing all these colleges offering courses in surveillance and forensics and law enforcement. It's become a vital part of our economy. And this is how the government insures that the people go along with their failed policies. They deindustrialize the nation, and the only jobs created are either state or federal or in law enforcement. You might be against the war or against draconian mandatory sentencing laws for non-violent offenders, but if you're making bullets or working at the local jail and that's the only job you can get... You might just play along afterall.

[kortick]

Turn New York into one large prison that houses the entire prison population of the US!

I take it you haven't been to New York recently
it pretty much is like that now.

Everyone needs a dollar cuz they ran out of
gas and they need money to get home or something....

[bassman]

I take it you haven't been to New York recently
it pretty much is like that now.

Everyone needs a dollar cuz they ran out of
gas and they need money to get home or something....

I've never been to New York. I was actually making a reference to John Carpenter's Escape From New York...

[kortick]

Yes Bass, I know you were refering to Snake Plissken

My bad, i assumed you thought i knew your reference.

[Terran]

Yes Bass, I know you were refering to Snake Plissken

My bad, i assumed you thought i knew your reference.

You just essentially said "That you assumed that he assumed that you knew"....

Wierd...:lol::annoyed::lol:

[kortick]

Oh god Terran

a pesron as unique as you
should be guarded like a treasure

its more like:

"I assumed he was aware that i understood his reference."

is that better? at all? in any way? maybe? please?

But please do use the word assume many times

"i assumed that you assumed bass that i assumed correctly
that you were talking about the assumed film, assumedly".

God what a sad world this would be with out you Terran.