Prison Reform

[ronin sparthos]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americ...244533902.html

US Attorney General Eric Holder has called for major changes to the country's criminal justice system, announcing measures aimed at easing prison overcrowding.

The measures will scale back the use of harsh prison sentences for certain drug-related crimes, divert people convicted of low-level offences to drug treatment and community service programmes and expand a prison programme to allow for release of some elderly, non-violent offenders.

In a speech at the American Bar Association in San Francisco on Monday, Holder said he is mandating a change to Justice Department policy so that low-level, non-violent drug offenders with no ties to large-scale organisations, gangs or cartels will not be charged with offences that impose mandatory minimum sentences.

Mandatory minimum prison sentences - a product of the government's war on drugs in the 1980s - limit the discretion of judges to impose shorter prison terms.

Under the altered policy, the attorney general said defendants will instead be charged with offences for which accompanying sentences "are better suited to their individual conduct, rather than excessive prison terms more appropriate for violent criminals or drug kingpins".

'Vicious cycle'

Federal prisons are operating at nearly 40 percent above capacity and hold more than 219,000 inmates - with almost half of them serving time for drug-related crimes and many of them with substance use disorders. In addition, 9 million to 10 million prisoners go through local jails each year.

We need to ensure that incarceration is used to punish, deter and rehabilitate - not merely to convict, warehouse and forget.

Eric Holder, Attorney general

Holder praised state and local law enforcement officials for already instituting some of the types of changes Holder says must be made at the federal level.

Aggressive enforcement of federal criminal laws is necessary, but "we cannot simply prosecute or incarcerate our way to becoming a safer nation," Holder said.

"Today, a vicious cycle of poverty, criminality and incarceration traps too many Americans and weakens too many communities. However, many aspects of our criminal justice system may actually exacerbate this problem, rather than alleviate it," he said.

"We need to ensure that incarceration is used to punish, deter and rehabilitate - not merely to convict, warehouse and forget."

The attorney general said 17 states have directed money away from prison construction and toward programs and services such as treatment and supervision that are designed to reduce the problem of repeat offenders.

In Kentucky, legislation has reserved prison beds for the most serious offenders and refocused resources on community supervision. The state, Holder said, is projected to reduce its prison population by more than 3,000 over the next 10 years, saving more than $400m.

He also cited investments in drug treatment in Texas for non-violent offenders and changes to parole policies which he said brought about a reduction in the prison population of more than 5,000 inmates last year. He said similar efforts helped Arkansas reduce its prison population by more than 1,400.

Baby steps, baby steps.

[archibaldcrane]

Depending on implementation, this could be a significant change in policy, especially in regards to drug crimes. Maybe they can knock marijuana off schedule 1 while they're at it.

[Buffy]

Yah, getting rid of mandatory minimums is probably the right way to go. We have these enormously talented and trained judges and then take the ability to show judgement out of their hands with mandatory minimums. Dumb.

[Blubbartron]

Yah, getting rid of mandatory minimums is probably the right way to go. We have these enormously talented and trained judges and then take the ability to show judgement out of their hands with mandatory minimums. Dumb.

I think you give them too much credit. In a lot of states, judges are appointed, which means the ones with the most powerful friends have jobs. In a lot of other states, judges are elected, which means the ones with the most money/powerful friends have jobs. Talent and training rarely come into play.

[BerenTebogo]

I think you give them too much credit. In a lot of states, judges are appointed, which means the ones with the most powerful friends have jobs. In a lot of other states, judges are elected, which means the ones with the most money/powerful friends have jobs. Talent and training rarely come into play.

AFAIK you need a law degree to be a judge don't you?

I mean, I'm not gonna go look it up, but one would think so...

[BaneTheBrawler]

AFAIK you need a law degree to be a judge don't you?

I mean, I'm not gonna go look it up, but one would think so...

One would think...

Hooray tennessee

Family went to court because they couldn't decide on what to use as a last name, the judge forced a change of the kid's first name because they area christian community and it might upset some people.

grocery store news thread

[Cantih]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge#United_States

Most, but not all U.S. judges have professional credentials as lawyers. Non-lawyer judges in the United States are often elected, and are typically either justices of the peace or part-time judges in rural limited jurisdiction courts. A non-lawyer judge typically has the same rights and responsibilities as a lawyer who is a judge holding the same office and is addressed in the same manner.

But as Blub states, you need either connections to get appointed, or the resources to get on a ballot.

Think of it like STR, Att, and Haste in determining your DPS. The simple observation is if you want to do more damage you add more STR, but once you know more about what gear offers, you know Att is generally the optimal choice.
But then you run into a capped haste DRK, and you see where the power really scales, haste in large amounts.

Basically, the law degree is needed, but it is the bitch stat in the power equation, even though you would assume those best knowledgeable in law would be the ones to get the spot.

[SephYuyX]

Need to cut down on costs?

-Sentanced to death? No more waiting 10+ years, and just use a bullet to the head.
-Cut back on food, medical, benefits, etc. Why treat criminals better than homeless, eh demoncrats?
-Stop treating prison as rehabilitation center.
-You can have three types of sentacing: Death, up to 5 years, life. Death would be immediate (see first step), up to 5 years would be held in a traditional prision (minus other steps), anything other than death or ~5yrs you should get sent to a large island surrounded by external security features (ships with big guns, scout ships, etc), given nothing (maybe a small blunt object, or a pointy thing), and dropped off to just be forgot about to defend for yourself. If you die, oh well, if you live, youll be king!



Problem solved. Youre welcome.

[BaneTheBrawler]

Death would be immediate (see first step).

appeals

[archibaldcrane]

appeals

Don't dignify his idiocy.

[Melena]

Need to cut down on costs?

-Sentanced to death? No more waiting 10+ years, and just use a bullet to the head.
-Cut back on food, medical, benefits, etc. Why treat criminals better than homeless, eh demoncrats?
-Stop treating prison as rehabilitation center.
-You can have three types of sentacing: Death, up to 5 years, life. Death would be immediate (see first step), up to 5 years would be held in a traditional prision (minus other steps), anything other than death or ~5yrs you should get sent to a large island surrounded by external security features (ships with big guns, scout ships, etc), given nothing (maybe a small blunt object, or a pointy thing), and dropped off to just be forgot about to defend for yourself. If you die, oh well, if you live, youll be king!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fv_ImqCpu0

Problem solved. Youre welcome.

Holy crap, so this is what it's like to see someone go full retard.

[Ksandra]

from seeing some of seph's other posts, he just comes in here to troll. Just ignore.

[Buffy]

I think you give them too much credit. In a lot of states, judges are appointed, which means the ones with the most powerful friends have jobs. In a lot of other states, judges are elected, which means the ones with the most money/powerful friends have jobs. Talent and training rarely come into play.

I was aware that there are certain types of judges that are appointed - although I would be surprised if any didn't have a law degree. However, are any of these appointed, non-degree'd judges the ones that are presiding over federal felony cases like this? Not impossible of course, but seems unlikely.

[SephYuyX]

from seeing some of seph's other posts, he just comes in here to troll. Just ignore.

How DARE you, maam, how dare you.

[Lucavi]

Good to see that something could be done within the next few years.

[archibaldcrane]

Seriously though, if taking marijuana off schedule 1 isn't part of these changes, I roll my eyes super hard at these "reforms".

Spoiler: show

and i haven't smoked weed in years

[Suvhater]

Its mainly addressing the discrepancy between mandatory minimums for crack and powder cocaine. There is no intention to decriminalize marijuana on a federal level as far as I can tell.

Does anyonehere know if there are mandatory minimums for interstate transportation of marijuana or for importation of marijuana?

[Melena]

Pretty sure there is as I believe that would just fall under drug trafficking.

[Suvhater]

http://www.famm.org/Repository/Files...s%208.6.12.pdf

A little research has uncovered that you need to be in possession of a metric fuckton of weed to trigger the harsh 5-10 year sentences. The whole idea of mandatory minimum sentences should be scrapped. I doubt even half of the people sentenced under these guidelines are sent away for weed. I still think its mostly going to effect convictions for harder drugs.

[Azull]

Its all for show really and wont result in much change.

Most offenders of minor violations, especially if they are not repeat offenders, get suspended or deferred sentences. This basically means they are put on probation and only go to jail if they screw up during their probation.