How does such an attorney and judge feel after such a trial? Do they feel satisfied, fulfilled? Taking away 5 years of someone's life over a little mistake that didn't hurt anyone? I don't get it: why does a free people like the Americans allow for that kind of sinister figures to be their prosecutors and judges?
Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
31–40 of 157 posts
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#32Why in the world is this a felony ? If it's "mere" disenfranchisement you're going for, why not simply… don't count the vote ?
The goal of that would be to extend the total disenfranchisement period
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#33This is a feature, not a bug. The prison system is designed to drag you in and keep you in. Just disgusting.
I think Americans by and large see prison as this dungeon where we store people we don’t like for as long as possible rather than as a place where people who have made mistakes go to get the training and help they need in order to get back on track. That’s the simplest way to explain things like ultra long sentences compared to the rest of the civilized world, mistreating people after they’ve done their time (felon s…
If I murdered someone out of curiosity and in doing so realized it was not fun at all should I be allowed to go free immediately since I will not murder again?
In other words the rehabilitation occurred during and as a result of the criminal act.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yep, that's exactly what a private prison system leads to. You can see the system working as intended here. 5 years is... just ridiculous. There's no words for this kind of injustice.
I find five years a bit surprising, but what do you think the proper penalty would be for a felon committing voter fraud should be? Edit: I'm utterly amazed that this comment has been downvoted to silence. Disenfranchising felons — i.e., those who have committed extremely serious crimes — is while somewhat controversial a long-standing practice. The woman in question committed voter fraud by voting without being lega…
I would prefer 0 days in prison because I don't think voting while a felon should be a crime. But, if we still want to call this situation voter fraud, how about we sentence them to community service? This person is not a danger to society, so I see no reason to put them in prison. More prion just messes up their life further and costs everybody a lot of precious tax dollars.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Private prisons lead to lobbying for harsher convictions to improve the bottom line of those prisons, that is why they often come up.
So do police and prison guards' unions, and they're much larger: https://reason.com/blog/2015/06/02/are-for-profit-prisons-or... .
Prison guard unions and private prisons are effectively the same thing. They are both groups that directly benefit by increasing the prison population.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yep, that's exactly what a private prison system leads to. You can see the system working as intended here. 5 years is... just ridiculous. There's no words for this kind of injustice.
I find five years a bit surprising, but what do you think the proper penalty would be for a felon committing voter fraud should be? Edit: I'm utterly amazed that this comment has been downvoted to silence. Disenfranchising felons — i.e., those who have committed extremely serious crimes — is while somewhat controversial a long-standing practice. The woman in question committed voter fraud by voting without being lega…
You are begging the question.
She voted in a way that was contrary to the law, but it was (likely) a mistake rather than fraud.
In any case, the penalty should be something like losing the right to vote in a single future election, especially lacking any evidence of an organized scheme to corrupt an election.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#37This is a feature, not a bug. The prison system is designed to drag you in and keep you in. Just disgusting.
I think Americans by and large see prison as this dungeon where we store people we don’t like for as long as possible rather than as a place where people who have made mistakes go to get the training and help they need in order to get back on track. That’s the simplest way to explain things like ultra long sentences compared to the rest of the civilized world, mistreating people after they’ve done their time (felon s…
Calling crimes "mistakes" is a terrible euphemism.
It may be accurate in some cases. But many criminals commit their crimes knowing full well what they are doing, and with no regard for those who are hurt by their actions, and show little or no remorse (unless they think pretending can reduce their sentence).
Now, many are in prison due to unjust laws, selective enforcement, or a flawed prosecution incarcerating the wrong person. But let's not lump those problems together with those who intentionally harm others without remorse.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 5 years seems too long though Are you being sarcastic? 5 years for voting while on probation is "too long"?? How about: 1. Not preventing people who are in prison from voting 2. Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again
> Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again I think you're mistaken about what probation is. Probation is part of your time. You're sentenced for a given period of time, and at some point you may be released to serve the rest of that time in the community, on probation. Their sentence isn't over, and they aren't 'free' while they are on pr…
If you're arguing against having probation you're arguing for longer time spent in prison.
Not necessarily.
edit: It's entirely possible to oppose halfway programs and also advocate for shorter sentencing...
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#39This is a feature, not a bug. The prison system is designed to drag you in and keep you in. Just disgusting.
I think Americans by and large see prison as this dungeon where we store people we don’t like for as long as possible rather than as a place where people who have made mistakes go to get the training and help they need in order to get back on track. That’s the simplest way to explain things like ultra long sentences compared to the rest of the civilized world, mistreating people after they’ve done their time (felon s…
I posted about my situation and difficulty finding a job on another social media website, and a commenter wrote "Those lists exist for a reason. You made your bed now sleep in it." That's literally what the public thinks they're for, as a permanent form of discrimination and condemnation to prevent people like me from having a job or a good life. It's meant to keep us down all our lives.
If that's what the voting public thinks it's for, then for all practical purposes, that's sure as hell what it's actually for.
Re: Texas woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for voting while on probation
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 5 years seems too long though Are you being sarcastic? 5 years for voting while on probation is "too long"?? How about: 1. Not preventing people who are in prison from voting 2. Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again
> Not even having a "probation" time after people have been released from prison; they did their time, they are free again I think you're mistaken about what probation is. Probation is part of your time. You're sentenced for a given period of time, and at some point you may be released to serve the rest of that time in the community, on probation. Their sentence isn't over, and they aren't 'free' while they are on pr…
Many people feel that probation is inherently unethical. X years of probation seems less harsh than X years in prison but often amount to the same thing.
Without the option of probation prison time is not going to increase 1:1 and depending on the ratio total time in prison may actually decrease.