Posted on 04/04/2008 8:16:27 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Lawmakers from California to Kentucky are trying to save money with a drastic and potentially dangerous budget-cutting proposal: releasing tens of thousands of convicts from prison, including drug addicts, thieves and even violent criminals.
Officials acknowledge that the idea carries risks, but they say they have no choice because of huge budget gaps brought on by the slumping economy.
<[>"If we don't find a way to better manage the population at the state prison, we will be forced to spend money to expand the state's prison system — money we don't have," said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
Jail isn’t the answer IMO. Parole and test them. If they come up positive put them in no frills half way houses for awhile with supervision to work and back.
To what end do they propose to even pursue these types of criminals in the first place if they can't afford to administer justice when all is said and done? The world is going insane!
See this link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1996289/posts
The political class responds to your request by threatening to release the murderers, rapists, and car thieves unless you agree to a tax hike.
(Did you really think they would let you win?)
That doesn't work either. These addicts don't care. Three hots and a cot. It's a break from life on the streets. Let them serve time for their theft then throw their butts back out on the street and let them live in the gutter if they choose. I don't want to pay to house them for what amounts to a vacation for them.
I just think we lock up too many people. Put them on ankle bracelets. Don’t send every parole violator back to prison for failing a UA. If they want to live like addicted losers, let them do it.
Hmmmm ..?? And .. how many more THOUSANDS will the state spend in investigating their new crimes; re-arresting them and re-trying them in court ..??
PROBABLY A LOT MORE THAN IT COSTS THEM TO KEEP THEM THERE.
If they want to live like addicted losers, let them do it.
I’d be good to go with that if they ate there own . It’s been my experience that this is not the case . Aside from that put up a bond issue , vote on it , and run the business on credit .
It isnt my 1st choice but the public seems to approve of such things often enough .
This is BRAVO SIERRA!
Deport the THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND INCARCERATED FOREIGNERS and move on!
Why is it that the government assumes that WE ccan live on less but that the government can’t?
Nobody seems to want to discuss the obvious problem I guess . The spenders .
Budget problems? Yup! And what always happens?
They give you a choice between a tax increase, and cutting the services that the government is actually supposed to provide - in particular, almost always police, fire, and/or prisons. They won’t threaten to cut socialist government dependency programs, or mass transit schemes, stadiums, city beautification projects, etc.
Releasing violent criminals from prisons goes right along with closing down fire stations in areas with already limited coverage - emblems of vile government.
All non-violent, small time weed heads need to be released! I personally don’t want to pay $30 grand a year of my tax money to house and feed some small time dope head.
Which costs more: keeping someone in prison for a year, or keeping a politician in office for a year?
Absolutely.
The situation varies from state to state, but it is quite unusual for a “small time dope head” to get prison time. In the large blue states it is unheard of. It’s probably more common in the Bible Belt and AZ/NV/UT, but I am not an expert on those areas.
Now, are there big-time drug dealers in prison? Yes.
Are there violent animals who copped a plea to a drug misdemeanor because his victims refused to talk? Absolutely.
But the fundamental problem is that the crime rate in this country is at LEAST 2-3x as high as it was 50 years ago. For the most part this is due to liberal social policies and the breakdown of the traditional family - NOT overly aggressive prosecution of criminals. It wasn’t too long ago that most Americans slept with their doors unlocked.
It’s not your imagination - the situation really is getting worse. And, with tens of millions of anchor babies reaching gangbanger age in the next decade or two, the fun is only beginning.
Last week, working with the courts I had the opportunity to watch our legal system in action. A 17 year old arrested due to a traffic violation with a group of 18 and 19 year olds was stopped. The officer smelled marijuana, and all denied using or having it. The officer searched the car and found a bag 1/2 ounce- none claimed it. All were drug tested, all showed up positive, all were arrested, and charged with having marijuana in their system. ( we now have bladder police)
The 17 year old was placed on probation, and drug tested weekly by the state. On the fourth week, she showed positive for 16 nanograms of marijuana- this was two hits of pot. The judge asked me the therapist what should happen and the PO both of us recommended counseling and house arrest. She was a B student, no priors etc...
The judge decided that he wanted to teach her a lesson. He sent her to jail for 5 days ignoring the therapist and the probation officer recommendation.
18 people stood in the court room about this case- judges, to lawyers, to counselors, to probation officers etc...
What did this cost the taxpayer? She was taken in shackles
betcha a hundred bucks that when this kid gets off probation she smokes a joint again.
This is a huge waste of my money.The war on drugs has failed. It doesn’t work
Give it up.
How quickly we forget prohibiiton
If you want to eliminate the drug problem- educate don’t incarcerate for this crap.
It was a new jail - beds had to be filled-
we spend more on incarceration than on education. thats backwards folks.
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