Incarceration

[BigRedBuster]

I looked for an appropriate thread to put this in but there really isn't one.  It really doesn't have anything to do with Trump or the election (which are most of the threads here).  So, I'm starting a new one.

 

First, I want to express that I fully support figuring out how to not incarcerate as much of our population as we do.  It's crazy that we incarcerate this many when nobody else does.  

That said, one part of this that I find interesting is that this all started in the 70s and 80s when violent crime was rampant in America.  Politicians promised to be tough on crime.  Well, they were.....and the result was mass incarceration.  BUT...our violent crime has decreased steadily since then.  

 

So, now we are going to "de-carcerate" our prison population.  This quote from the article linked below sums up my question:

 

Quote

It’s an uncomfortable read, not least because it suggests America will have to make some very tough choices if it wants to seriously cut the incarceration rate: Are we really okay with locking up fewer violent offenders? Does the country really have the ability to sustain a focus on local and state politics to ensure that the real sources of mass incarceration come down? If America does stumble upon a new crime wave or drug crisis, will all the work that’s already been done be pulled back as politicians resurrect “tough on crime” rhetoric (like President Donald Trump has)?

Why you can’t blame mass incarceration on the war on drugs

So, let's say we drastically drop our prison population....but our violent crime goes back up.  What then?  As this article points out, it's a myth that this is caused by the War on Drugs.  The percentage of our prisoners that are in for small drug crimes are a small percentage.  The majority of them are in for violent crime.

 

To sum up the articles if TLDR..... The problem is not the federal courts or the war on drugs.  Most are in for violent crimes.  So, if we really want to not lock up so many people, we will need to accept punishing violent criminals a different way.

 

Thoughts?

[ZRod]

I skimmed through the article, but it's very in-depth and raises a lot of valid points. One thing they didn't discuss is how many of those violent offenders had prior convictions. Our system seems design to punish rather than rehabilitate prisoners, and if you get in once you're odds of being in again for worse/longer are probably much greater. I would imagine you will always have a higher population of violent offenders compared to low level drug charges due to the nature of the sentences.

 

I've slowly been realizing over the last few years that prosecutors have massive amounts of power. How many Netflix documentaries are there where you see a case with weak evidence that sentences someone to life in prison, and the prosecutor hammers the defendant at sentencing to make sure they are sentenced to the maximum? How many stories have we heard about where people are intimidated into a plea deal when they have claimed innocence all along (and are probably innocent)?

[BigRedBuster]

51 minutes ago, ZRod said:

I skimmed through the article, but it's very in-depth and raises a lot of valid points. One thing they didn't discuss is how many of those violent offenders had prior convictions. Our system seems design to punish rather than rehabilitate prisoners, and if you get in once you're odds of being in again for worse/longer are probably much greater. I would imagine you will always have a higher population of violent offenders compared to low level drug charges due to the nature of the sentences.

 

I've slowly been realizing over the last few years that prosecutors have massive amounts of power. How many Netflix documentaries are there where you see a case with weak evidence that sentences someone to life in prison, and the prosecutor hammers the defendant at sentencing to make sure they are sentenced to the maximum? How many stories have we heard about where people are intimidated into a plea deal when they have claimed innocence all along (and are probably innocent)?

There are actually two articles and they are both very good.  

 

One of the biggest points is the issue with prosecutors.  

[ZRod]

Just now, BigRedBuster said:

There are actually two articles and they are both very good.  

 

One of the biggest points is the issue with prosecutors.  

I don't read so good... The Vox one is the one that I skimmed.

[BigRedBuster]

3 minutes ago, ZRod said:

I don't read so good... The Vox one is the one that I skimmed.

LOL...They're both Vox.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry....couldn't resist pointing that out.

[ZRod]

26 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

LOL...They're both Vox.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry....couldn't resist pointing that out.

Clearly I haven't looked at the second one yet ya arse!