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