Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
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Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#2First of all, I basically agree with this.
Here’s something I don’t know: Sometimes I wonder whether some people in prison for non-violent drug offenses did a plea bargain down from a violent offense.
And if that were the case, should this affect our opinion on any of this?
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#3Absolutely. There's no reason to lock anybody up whose only crime is that they got high.
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#4First of all, I basically agree with this. Here’s something I don’t know: Sometimes I wonder whether some people in prison for non-violent drug offenses did a plea bargain down from a violent offense. And if that were the case, should this affect our opinion on any of this?
What would you consider a "violent drug offense"? Or, am I misreading your question?
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#5A study (if it's a real study) can't tell you what should be done, it should give you new knowledge about the state of affairs.
(while I agree that drug offense should be decriminalized).
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#6First of all, I basically agree with this. Here’s something I don’t know: Sometimes I wonder whether some people in prison for non-violent drug offenses did a plea bargain down from a violent offense. And if that were the case, should this affect our opinion on any of this?
Wouldn't that be held in the legal records? In which case, a judgement can be made?
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#7The #1 issue in the USA beyond simple conviction and incarceration is rehabilitation. At the federal level, where I have personal experience, it seems like it's entirely retribution instead of rehabilitation.
I was in a federal prison camp and it is primarily an exercise in leisure. The entire day was composed of well.. nothing. If you like reading, fresh air, and exercise you're in luck. If you like alcohol, drugs, and facetime you're in luck. There is very little programming activity to do. If you have the funds to support yourself you can get anything you want from the outside. You can have any book sent in or buy an illicit cell phone. There are so few guards to watch you and very little motivation to crack down on rampant offenses.
The First Step Act is supposed to make programming uniform across all institutions and reward programming with sentence reductions. That's a fantastic idea and I hope that it works out well. There are very few levels to pull to incentivize people, but that should provide motivation.
The problem after that is the stigma that follows you around forever. I count myself blessed to have opportunities when I came home. It was unpleasant to work as a laborer in block masonry, but it lead me back to the shipyard. That has lead me to a better opportunity in the shipyard. This was only afforded to me because I went to a university with name recognition in a field with job prospects. That combined with my previous maritime experience is the only reason I'm not still day laboring will praying for a better opportunity. If you have limited work experience and were accustomed to a high(er) level of living before incarceration it will be difficult to adjust to life after prison.
There are so many thorny issues with the judicial system in the USA that reach into so many aspects of life.
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#8First of all, I basically agree with this. Here’s something I don’t know: Sometimes I wonder whether some people in prison for non-violent drug offenses did a plea bargain down from a violent offense. And if that were the case, should this affect our opinion on any of this?
What would you consider a "violent drug offense"? Or, am I misreading your question?
It's easy to see how pistol whipping someone over a bad drug deal could be plead down to a non-violent possession/dealing offense because proving assault and battery is hard when the prosecution only has testimony and circumstantial evidence the prosecution's star witness is an addict with a mile long record. Possession is very easy to prove. A&B, DV, etc, etc are much harder to prosecute (and by "much" I mean "some work" vs "practically no work") so possession is a good offense to anchor a plea bargain for those other things to.
Personally I say release them all and just wait for the bad ones to filter back into the system but I can see why some people are hesitant.
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#9First of all, I basically agree with this. Here’s something I don’t know: Sometimes I wonder whether some people in prison for non-violent drug offenses did a plea bargain down from a violent offense. And if that were the case, should this affect our opinion on any of this?
At this point, I really don't care if some people who plead down to non-violent charges get released along with the immense number of actual non-violent offenders.
Re: Study: All non-violent criminals jailed on minor drug offence should be released
#10Just legalise all drugs and let the free market decide. We could create innovative new substances which are safer and less socially damaging, compared to the plants and fermented liquids we happen to have stumbled upon millenia ago.