Prison Thread

[Doc Holliday]

I've had a problem with our criminal system being so monetary based with fines used as a penalty for petty crimes. There's also a problem with the massive population of our prisons and their lack of implying reform to only have released prisoners return.

I think our criminal system needs an overhaul. I believe fines should be removed from all petty crimes and replaced with unskilled community service in a time equal to the fine. A person driving too fast cleans the highway for a day, etc. Prison left to violent crimes. Fines left to financial crimes (theft, fraud, etc) and the drop in funds and staff from prison population drops moved to mental institutes to aid mental criminals.


Discuss.

[Rumpy]

I like your ideas.

[Diff-chan]

I think it would be better, but our prison system has been thoroughly co-opted by moneyed interests.

[A Robot Bit Me]

Here is a cute story:

I have a friend in prison. During one recent month, he was moved to another cell due to overcrowding, which came as a result of the closure of either a wing or an entire building and the accompanying relocation of a bunch of dudes to his building. That same month, the percentage of parole applicants in his building who received parole was in the neighborhood of 100%. He estimated the normal percentage to be about 50-60%. Their answer to overcrowding was to simply let as many people out of jail as they could that month.

We're not even trying anymore. It's getting really bad.

[Yoshi]

So where to drug offenses fall? Is dealing by definition a violent crime in your proposal?

[Doc Holliday]

make that, violent crimes and crimes threatening the public at large. So small quantity (personal) possession of 56 (based on Texas definition of a 2 oz (56g) or less misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge) or less doses of a drug should be legal. Drug possession of large quantities interrupted as for trade, thus financial, therefore they will face a fine. And an actual sale to be both fined for the financial implication and prison time served for the social implication of selling an unregulated product.

TL;DR - drugs: possess is legal. sell is illegal

Prostitution would be the opposite as money is the incentive and factor of abuse. So, selling sex would be legal, but purchasing it would be illegal, facing community service (a john would much rather pay a fine in quiet than pick up litter publicly). Managing prostitution with no violent charges would still face prison time as it would be a threat to the public at large.

So, basically all self-hurt crimes would be stripped of fines and prison time and instead face community service and/or counseling. Prisons left to violent criminals who harm others and non-violent criminals who harm several others.

[Yoshi]

Prostitution (both ends of the deal) should be legalized before drugs, as, once regulated, that would make the act safer for others, which fits better into your model. Drugs can still indirectly kill others, which raises the question of DUI/DWI. My vote on those would be to significantly increase the penalties, especially if you're going to legalize possession.

[Doc Holliday]

Oh yeah, DUI/DWI is a potential violent crime as would be firing guns in the public or making a bomb/fire threat at a public place. They both physically endanger a single person and raise a threat to multiple people in the general public. That's what prison is for, to temporarily remove a disturbance from the public until their behavior is reformed.

And repeat offenders should face prison time, but only after a period of reform has been tried.

My thoughts on drugs and other addictions is that it's a mental problem. And it may not work, but I'd love to see a 50 yr social focus on counseling through individual problems, before drug cures and prison cures which don't cure anything only change the situation. I want to see work on quantitive reform to social problems. Don't hand out disability checks and prescriptions, make an effort to able the disabled before writing them off.

[Diff-chan]

Here is a cute story:

I have a friend in prison. During one recent month, he was moved to another cell due to overcrowding, which came as a result of the closure of either a wing or an entire building and the accompanying relocation of a bunch of dudes to his building. That same month, the percentage of parole applicants in his building who received parole was in the neighborhood of 100%. He estimated the normal percentage to be about 50-60%. Their answer to overcrowding was to simply let as many people out of jail as they could that month.

We're not even trying anymore. It's getting really bad.

Good thing he's not in California. Over there the overcrowding has reached "cruel and unusual punishment" levels (as judged by the SCOTUS, this SCOTUS might I add) and they still don't give a fuck. People in CA want to lock up as many people as possible and don't want to pay for it. It's a complete mess.

[Josh]

My vote on [DUI/DWI] would be to significantly increase the penalties, especially if you're going to legalize possession.

I could not agree more.