Push to Scale Back Sentencing Laws Gains Momentum

Push to Scale Back Sentencing Laws Gains Momentum

Here's same DAMN cool news. Apparently a measure (with a recent push by everyone's friend Obama) to scale back the harsh sentencing laws that have plagued our country for the last two to three decades has gained bi-partisan support! GASP! The Dems and Repubs agree on something for once! AND it is for a good cause. Quick, someone go check on hell and see if there are any snowball fights going on.

WASHINGTON — For several years, a handful of lawmakers in Congress have tried to scale back tough sentencing laws that have bloated federal prisons and the cost of running them. But broad-based political will to change those laws remained elusive.

Now, with a push from President Obama, and perhaps even more significantly a nod from Speaker John A. Boehner, Congress seems poised to revise four decades of federal policy that greatly expanded the number of Americans — to roughly 750 per 100,000 — now incarcerated, by far the highest of any Western nation.

Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee who has long resisted changes to federal sentencing laws, said he expected to have a bipartisan bill ready before the August recess.

“It will be a bill that can have broad conservative support,” said Mr. Grassley, who as recently as this year praised the virtues of mandatory minimums on the Senate floor.

Even in a Congress riven by partisanship, the priorities of libertarian-leaning Republicans and left-leaning Democrats have come together, led by the example of several states that have adopted similar policies to reduce their prison costs.

Seriously, am I in a Bizzaro world or something? Politicians coming together to REDUCE the encroaching police state? Awesome!

As senators work to meld several proposals into one bill, one important change would be to expand the so-called safety-valve provisions that give judges discretion to sentence low-level drug offenders to less time in prison than the required mandatory minimum term if they meet certain requirements.

Another would allow lower-risk prisoners to participate in recidivism programs to earn up to a 25 percent reduction of their sentence. Lawmakers would also like to create more alternatives for low-level drug offenders. Nearly half of all current federal prisoners are serving sentences for drug crimes.

Yes and yes. I like. I like.

Of the 2.2 million men and women behind bars, only about 207,600 are in the federal system, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. But because the federal system has grown at the fastest rate of any in the country, many on the left and the right say they believe it exemplifies the excesses of America’s punitive turn.

“If we can show leadership at the federal level,” Mr. Durbin said, “I think it will encourage other states to open this issue up for debate. The notion that we can create a bipartisan force for this really has value.”

Agreed!

The dynamic is similar to the fight this year over changes to the Patriot Act when younger, more libertarian members — again supported by Mr. Boehner and Mr. Obama — worked with Democrats to change the law and eventually even won over a reluctant Mr. Grassley.

See! The nation CAN come back from the brink. It's just taking small steps to get there.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Good news for once!

You broke the damn divide...

Thanks again, Obama.



I struggle to think of 4 crimes that should be followed by imprisonment...

I wonder how the Prison Industrial Complex will react to this...

Expect to see some frantically putrid lobbying done.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

Yea, that's what's scary too. The prison industrial complex has a LOT of lobbying power too.

Good maybe they will kick out those Lobbyist MADD as well since they funnel so much money into the system to enact harsher sentencing on non violent crimes .....

DUI is bad, but you shouldnt get 10 yrs to life for what COULD happen, especially if you werent involved in an accident what so ever......

Now if there was an accident , etc or someone was injured throw the book at em........

I watched my uncles life almost destroyed, because hes now a FELON, he had 2 DUIs when he was in his 20s, hes in his 50s now and got a 3rd(they actually have NO cabs in the town he was visiting, weird hmm).

In none of the charges was he in a car wreck what so ever, or even pulled over for being all over the road......

He did 5 yrs in prison for that.......

yeah yeah Flame on, but I see this on the same level as the other non violent crimes

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

I struggle to think of 4 crimes that should be followed by imprisonment...

1) (Attempted) Murder
2) Rape
3) Theft
.. 4) Destruction of the environment?


But this is good news. We'll see how slowly or quickly this rolls along.

originally posted by: WeowWix

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

I struggle to think of 4 crimes that should be followed by imprisonment...

1) (Attempted) Murder
2) Rape
3) Theft
.. 4) Destruction of the environment?


But this is good news. We'll see how slowly or quickly this rolls along.

I'll give you rape and unjustified murder, destruction of the environment is a good one...


Theft can be dealt with in all manner of ways...
Sharing a cell with a group of Neo Nazi (eg) gang rapists for a few years isn't one of them, in my opinion.

Community service, electro-therapy, rehab (a lot of thieves have a narcotics addiction that will ultimately exacerbate in a prison) or as Sharia dictates, a charitable community pulling together to make sure the thief has a job and a pay check so they don't have to steal again, any further strikes then remove their hand from the wrist...
It's still more humane than the cell sharing.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

originally posted by: WeowWix

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

I struggle to think of 4 crimes that should be followed by imprisonment...

1) (Attempted) Murder
2) Rape
3) Theft
.. 4) Destruction of the environment?


But this is good news. We'll see how slowly or quickly this rolls along.

I'll give you rape and unjustified murder, destruction of the environment is a good one...


Theft can be dealt with in all manner of ways...
Sharing a cell with a group of Neo Nazi (eg) gang rapists for a few years isn't one of them, in my opinion.

Community service, electro-therapy, or as Sharia dictates, a charitable community pulling together to make sure the thief has a job and a pay check so they don't have to steal again, any further strikes then remove their hand from the wrist...
It's still more humane than the cell sharing.

No Sharia thanks

The prison system is becoming more of a business, with many prisons being operated by private companies rather than state or federal. So there is no wonder the amount of people serving ridiculous sentences has increased. There needs to be a more of a system that holds the person accountable not by locking them away, but rather putting them to work, everyday they work, so the problems are actually corrected. many are sitting in prison for not paying a certain bill, taxes , child support, how is that going to change the situation, Or the minor offences of marijauna, etc.... very expensive to have an inmate serving for minor offences, that caused no real harm to anyone. I understand that some will never change, nor want too. And their will always be a need for prisons, for the dangerous people to society, but for the non dangerous, that are stuck in the system.

a reply to: Glassbender777

yeah Debtors prison.......

Thats like when My uncle got out, He almost went back to jail, because they revoked his license, and so he couldnt drive, also a felon so harder to get work........but then want him to pay HUGE fines on top of it.....

Well if you take his means of transportation, and make it where he cant get to work, how the hell do you expect him to pay your fines?

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

I'm advocating the method for this one crime...

Not the entirety across the board.


I can understand the reservation once the S word appears, but I'm mainly talking about just this specific crime and the manner in which it is dealt with.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

This is the kind of stuff Obama should have been doing from day 1. The hope and change...this is what that should have looked like.

a reply to: Glassbender777

Some of those dangerous people would be better suited to a sanitarium than a prison...

But that costs money, it doesn't make money.


Basic human rights come second to money wherever we lay out hats.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

I struggle to think of 4 crimes that should be followed by imprisonment...

Easy

Murder/manslaughter

Rape

Child abuse/having child pornography

Assault

Robbery/theft involving large amounts or violence/threat of violence

Fraud/ selling of dangerous products.

Reckless driving

Treason

Corruption/abuse of power

Vandalism

Human trafficking


Thats more than four. Prison has a place.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Krazysh0t

This is the kind of stuff Obama should have been doing from day 1. The hope and change...this is what that should have looked like.

Something tells me the hope and change was intentionally delayed so he could get the bad stuff out of the way.

If he closes Guantanamo before his time is up, he's pretty much hit a winning home run in a game where people questioned his effectiveness.


We shall see.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

I'm advocating the method for this one crime...

Not the entirety across the board.


I can understand the reservation once the S word appears, but I'm mainly talking about just this specific crime and the manner in which it is dealt with.

my issue isnt about the S word........my issue is the extreme of cutting peoples body parts off for non violent crimes......

Not sure why you think thats any better then the extremes we have now.......

Changing one for the other ist exactly progress IMHO

Cheers mate

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Krazysh0t

This is the kind of stuff Obama should have been doing from day 1. The hope and change...this is what that should have looked like.

Something tells me the hope and change was intentionally delayed so he could get the bad stuff out of the way.

If he closes Guantanamo before his time is up, he's pretty much hit a winning home run in a game where people questioned his effectiveness.


We shall see.

I dont consider closing Guantanamo as a home run........There are far more pressing matters in the US that should be taken care of , rather then a political sticking point.......

a reply to: crazyewok

I see you've taken my hyperbole to the extreme...


I can agree with most of them, vandalism not so much, unless it's priceless artifacts in a museum with great historical value...

Smashing a bus stop hardly warrants a prison cell.



Other methods have their place as well...

I'm for conscription for the most part, barring mental health issues.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

I hesitated to put a smiley face next to "wrist"...

I see the lost in textual context has affected us again my brother...


Gonna take my own advice from now on.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

UK military would not want conscription. We are the best for a reason, we have high standards.

As for vandalism? No for a first offense. But there are pikeys round my way who have been slapped repeatedly with fines, community work and ABOS to no effect. They are costing us money with destruction of private and public property.


I also thik we should adopt a two tier prison system.


A softer Scandinavian style prison system focused on rehabilitation for more minor offenses like theft related, minor violence, reckless driving. Basically those with penalty's of of less than 5 years.

And a hard punishment focused prison for the serious criminals like murderers, rapists, pedos, traitors, corrupt politicians. Those who penalty are 10 year or more.

And maybe for those criminals in between they do half a sentence in the punishment tier then half the sentence in the rehab tier.


That way you stop the hard criminals mixing with the ones that do still have a chance in life.