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  • From: "Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] So many things wrong with this situation
  • Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:47:02 -0800

Generally, I think our criminals are both more stupid AND more arrogant. I think, not to belabor the point, that part of the problem is the p.s. system. Kids learn more about avoidance of personal responsibility in school than most criminals learn about criminal behavior in prison.

I base that opinion on having done a lot of volunteer work with an ex-offender organization. My "clients" were in Q, Folsom, Soledad and Black Mountain. Combine that with working in public schools and, well, I'm fresh out of pity.

Well, since I managed to survive living in the projects and going to school in the ghetto, I don't think it is the government's responsibility.

These kids know more about the law than most lawyers. They know their rights and they push it as far as they can. There is no individual responsibility and everything is someone else's fault.

I agree that some laws should be done away with pronto. Your list is part of it as is consentual sex between kids requiring that the boy be registered as a sex offender.

Judges shouldn't have a free pass. Maybe if judges AND lawyers were held to a standard with consequences and punished accordingly there would be more equity in the law!

I think teaching personal responsibility is step one. No more excuses. I refused to take any client that whined oh poor me!

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene GeRue" <genegerue AT ruralize.com>

I am not at all sure that execution is a worse fate than being
sentenced to spend the rest of one's life in jail. I personally would
prefer execution. Which would you prefer?

The *supposed* war on drugs is not simply something that is
happening in the
U.S.

I care about the comparison with other countries only as a measuring
point, not as a comparison of punishments.

#1 - I don't think being unhappy is or should be an excuse for
committing a
crime.

Of course not. My probe is for reasons for our horrendous
incarceration rate, a laundry list about which to think. So, among the
reasons, I wonder if our citizens are more unhappy than the citizens
of other, seemingly civilized countries.

#2 - Could you clarify this one.

We have many laws against victimless "crimes," those acts that do not
violate the rights of others, such as smoking marijuana, public
drunkenness, prostitution, sodomy, attempted suicide.

#3 - I don't think this one applies. I think we simply have far too
many
stupid criminals!

So do you feel that our criminals are more stupid than the criminals
of other countries? On what do you base such a conclusion?

#4 - As to harsher laws? I think that would be all in how you define
harsher and whose laws you are comparing to. Do you really think
juvie is
harsher than caning?

Depends on the juvie sentence and how many strokes and how hard the
cane.

#5 - I odn't agree with that one at all. Our laws are rarely
followed as to
length of sentence and are far below those of other countries.

#6 - That isn't an excuse for committing a crime.

Not cavalier attitude by the citizen, but by the government, ignoring
obvious and long-standing social inequities. How else shall we
understand the high percentage of black men in jail?

#7 - I agree that EMPLOYED *first-time offenders* should be treated
with a
different set of rules (weekends, community service, fines and stiff
probation/parole) but only if they aren't repeat offenders.

#8 - Compared to who?

The other countries that have lower incarceration rates.

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