What are they thinking?

[tombogan03884]

I already agreed that the whole "War on some drugs" is pointless, expensive , and counter productive, so half your argument is BS right there, 3 strike laws get stupid people out of the way, if they can't keep count of their petty crimes f*ck'em.
Judges are appointed by politicians and the last Presidential election proves that to many people like you are to ignorant and lazy to make electing good ones possible.
How's that "Hope and Change" treating you ?

[crusader rabbit]

...3 strike laws get stupid people out of the way, if they can't keep count of their petty crimes f*ck'em.

Tom, I've got to come in on the side of the Quaker on this (did I say that???)

Fifty percent the people have an IQ below 100 (though at times it looks as if that percentage is much higher) and that makes 'em below average.  If we put all the idiots away for commiting stupid crimes, a huge proportion of the population would be serving life sentences and the rest of us would be signing over our paychecks to support them. 

Look, say some 18-year-old punk does a strongarm robbery, gets caught and serves 6 years of a ten-year sentence.  He gets out, finds he's unemployable because he's still stupid and now he has a record.  He hits another 7-11, gets twenty bucks and a carton of smokes.  He gets caught again and serves another dime.  This time, while in prison, he decides to get his GED, goes on and takes a couple of college courses, picks up some trade skills and decides to turn his life around.  But when he gets out, he's still unemployable because now he's a two-time loser.  With no money and getting hungry, he decides to steal a package of ground meat and a dozen eggs by hiding them in his pants.  The value of the crime is under $10. 

You'd give him life???

It'd be cheaper to feed him on the outside than put him back in prison.

[tombogan03884]

It isn't that hard to count to 3, If the chump can't manage that he will never be employable any way.
I read a statistic one time that the average thief commits something like 25 crimes for every time he (or she ) is caught.
It's like Mason told Dixon, "We got to draw the damn line somewhere"

[Ichiban]

Three strikes and you're out is fine as a guideline.  Making it an immutable rule is stupid.  Just another example of the "zero tolerance" crap that gives bureaucrats something to hide behind so they don't have to make decisions that they might be held accountable for.  Just more power to "the system."

There really should be some sort of review board that looks at the judges decisions and grades them on the correctness of the decision.  Just like the NFL/MLB/NBA officiating staff gets reviewed and rated.  Screw ups still happen but there is a meritocracy - ref the playoff and/or Superbowl and make big bucks for the good ones; get sent down to college level at lower pay or booted altogether for the bad ones.

[MikeBjerum]

This over crowding situation has led to a memo being sent to all law enforcement in California:

RE:  Warning Shots

Attention all front line officers:

In the past we have warned against warning shots toward the ground due to the fact that they could "bounce," and we have advocated that all shots be aimed slightly above the average perp height of 5'10".  Today, in response to the prison over crowding issues, we are requesting that every officer lower their warning shot point of aim by 8.5 inches 

[Sponsor]

[r_w]

In a perfect world, The punishment would fit the crime and once it was served, the EX-con would be restored to full citizenship--Gets to own guns, gets to vote, no red flag on a employment background check, and they have a chance for a clean start. 

None of this second-class citizen cr@p--sorry, third class--illegal aliens have an easier time getting jobs. 


We all agree the system (ALL THREE BRANCHES) is corrupt.  How do we reboot the constitution??

[TAB]

I think 3 strikes and your out is a good idea, its just so many things are felonys its a joke.

[tombogan03884]

TAB,Ichiban, and RW have valid points.
RW is talking about how it USED to be, when Frank James, and John Wesley Hardin were released from prison, their guns were returned to them, ( there is a Constitutional clause that no one convicted of a felony can hold public office )otherwise there were no limitations on them.
Ichiban is correct that this is another example of "zero tolerance/zero initiative" however with the number of "activist judges" appointed by agenda driven politicians simply stipulating enhanced sentences for habitual offenders does not seem to get the job done.
Commenting on TABs post, there are 2 types of crime, they have Latin names I can never remember but in short there are things that are crimes because they are "evil", rape, robbery, murder, etc..
There are other things that are crimes because they violate arbitrary  rules, Speeding, selling "illegal" drugs, money laundering, these should not be classed as felonies because they are not "bad", they are just "against the rules".

[Badgersmilk]

We're all fools for allowing our prison system to exist without it being forced labor.  I realize the problems with prisoners competing for jobs and labor contracts at "slave labor rates".  But storm, and other natural disaster cleanup?  Send them to Haiti to work!  Helping local neighborhoods like churches do when we go on mission trips.  You get the idea.  Crap people either don't want to do, or isn't getting done for financial reasons.  Escape?  Misbehavior?  Put an implant in these delinquents that on command releases lethal poison.  They already "have no rights" according to law.  Don't like the treatment?  DON'T COMMIT A CRIME!!!

Gas station attendant was telling me the other day that when it gets to hot, cold, rainy, whatever.  Homeless people will walk into his store, pick up a bottle of pop, some candy, walk outside, sit down on the curb and enjoy their treat till the cops get there to take them to a nice comfy jail cell for the night.  "There's nothing ANYONE can do about it."  

BS!!!!  

[tombogan03884]

into the 60's in Boston, when cold weather was approaching all the bums and wino's would pitch a rock through a store window and get locked up till Spring.