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165 Comments
- glbbrown, on 03/30/2009, -6/+121Link to Article on Salon, because I hate a third party website reporting a story.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/28/ ... - Batfishy, on 03/29/2009, -10/+123Privatized prisons, an increase since the drug war started, letting some prisoners out early because of overcrowding. Nothing they have done in the last thirty years has made any sense. Except to the people who found a way to make money off the others who don't have a voice. It's a shame they ever thought privatizing prisons could work fairly.
"a nation of jailers" whose "prison system has grown into a leviathan unmatched in human history." Great. - lynchjos, on 03/29/2009, -6/+74Hysteria is right. There are definitely some folks who must be locked away for everyone's safety, including their own, but prisons in general breed hatred, anger, and pain while being surrounded by almost no roll models. Then, when these folks get out, we expect them to function in society? How, exactly? They're denied just about any average paying job due to their "record." Few prisons offer true pathways to rehabilitation, mostly they're just horrific, costly storage facilities for people who ***** up - some require that treatment, most do not, and emerge more damaged than before they entered.
- novenator, on 03/29/2009, -13/+77FTA - "After decades of mindless "tough-on-crime" hysteria, an increasingly irrational "drug war," and a sprawling, privatized prison state..." Spot on. 1 in 31 Americans is now behind bars on on parole. When will the right be satisfied, when 1 in 2 are?
Jim Webb is a rising star in the Democratic party. Keep an eye on him. - latrosicarius, on 03/30/2009, -2/+60Let people do what they want in their own homes, as long as they're not hurting anyone else.
Putting someone in jail should only be necessary if they are a danger to others. - mbtria, on 03/30/2009, -0/+38Privatized prisons are an abomination that can not be tolerated in modern society. The profit incentive along with the ability to influence governmental bodies via lobbyists and other corruption is grossly improper. Did we not learn from the workhouses of the 19th Century? This is not just immoral and criminal, but worse it is a mistake.
But it is not just the privatization of prisons that drive the ever increasing prison populations. Imprisonment rates continue to rise in States that do not use private prisons. Some of this can be accounted for by the political power of prison guard unions and other pressure groups who have an economic interest. But the greatest driver of prison populations is the pathological belief on the part of the public that crime is in an ever increasingly rapid spiral upwards. This is the result of fear mongering and distortion brought about by the media, vote seeking politicians, enforcement agencies and others with their own interests to pursue.
Outside of a few like Webb, the only political solutions are more bad law, minimum (actually maximum sentences), greater punishments and control of the criminal justice system given to prosecutors. Politicians no longer speak of just punishment, they only propose doubling sentences. Trivial offenses often gain incredible sentences. There are still people in jail for life for the possession of a joint, or kiting a bad check under $100, stealing a portable black and white TV, stealing a (one) slice of pizza.
Until the rabble rousing, fear generating behaviors of the press, TV, radio and politicians is brought to some semblance of the truth, there is little likelihood of meaningful reform. - BurgGuy, on 03/30/2009, -0/+35Our justice system is backwards. While nonviolent drug users are jailed for long terms, people like Lovelle Mixon are given 5 years for violent assult with a handgun. He gets out, murders again and again.
I say lock up the violent people who would do us harm, that is a good thing. Release those people convicted of "victimless crimes." - h8f8kes, on 03/30/2009, -0/+27I actually lean to the right on fiscal issues and totally agree with Mr Webb. Please do not make this a liberal/conservative or party issue - it marginalizes us all.
- inactive, on 03/30/2009, -1/+26It won't be long before fellow Congressmen start to try and marginalize this guy. He's exposing too many truths about Washington.
- FrankWP, on 03/30/2009, -2/+24Follow the money. There are big $$$$$$ being made somewhere, else it would be a more just system. For example the corrupt judges getting kickbacks for sending kids to 'private' prisons......
$$$$$$$$$$$$$FOLLOW the MONEY$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ - jeffbw, on 03/29/2009, -4/+25Maybe 2016.
- deathandtaverns, on 03/30/2009, -3/+20So which congressmen do I have to write letters to to help this guy out?
- inactive, on 03/30/2009, -2/+18The way to end this is to outlaw lobbyist to the government AND to the congress and make it that no politician can go from government to work for a company that lobbied to him.
- TruBlu2, on 03/30/2009, -1/+17There are huge companies making TONS of money off of incarcerating people. They lobby your government for stricter laws and penalties in order to increase the populations of these private prisons (uncle sam gives them so many dollars per inmate).
They make money by taking your freedom. Support Jim Webb. - h8f8kes, on 03/30/2009, -1/+16I read Mr. Webb's article in Parade magazine yesterday in the local paper. I urge my fellow citizens to contact their representatives to support this noble effort to correct injustice:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_ ...
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml - novenator, on 03/29/2009, -2/+16agreed, he would make an excellent candidate to follow Obama
- hydrodev, on 03/30/2009, -1/+14http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6gPZO8XRw&eur ...
Horrible, just horrible. - morningmatters, on 03/30/2009, -0/+12Webb touched on one of these things which politicians don't dare to talk about because they can be easily labeled by their (usually conservative) opponents as "easy on crime". Recently I read about how a PA judge was bribed by private jail contractors to send thousands of kids to jail for something as simple as graffiti. Although everyone knew something is wrong, the judge got away with this for years because no politician dared to stand up.
In our media you hear politicians talking about "liberating" other countries' justice systems all the time, but if our media had more courage it should shed ALOT more light on our own system. As Webb writes, some 1/4 of all our adult population are either in jail or on probation, I sure don't think we as a nation are THIS evil in general.
- kroses, on 03/29/2009, -5/+17The government should hide its head in SHAME the way it's treated prisoners. Webb has tried to make a difference, and for that he should be lauded!!! The way to end this HORROR, is to end the criminilazation of drug use. But, of course, that would punish the politicians, rather than the poor. Give Webb his due. He's a good guy, and I would vote for him over Obama any day!!!
- Plopfish, on 03/30/2009, -1/+13"Danbury wasn't a prison, it was a crime school. I went in with a Bachelor of marijuana, came out with a Doctorate of cocaine. " - George; "Blow" (2001)
- Clerg, on 03/30/2009, -1/+12Land of the Free my Ass......The numbers say it all, 5% of the world's population, 25% of the world's prison population. The sad thing is that a lot of these people are thrown in prison just so some ***** lawyer can make his numbers as a prosecutor look good and run for higher office under the "Tough on Crime" banner. So the justice system has fallen by the wayside to personal ambition much like everything else in the country has.
By the way this article was on the front page of "Parade" yesterday in the Sunday paper, so it got a lot of exposure. Let's not let this go at shaking our heads and wondering how we got to this place in America. Write your representatives to urge their support.
God Bless Jim Webb - enrq, on 03/30/2009, -2/+12this is something we can all agree on, blue/red/whatever
except maybe neocons (J/K!!!) - damonic, on 03/30/2009, -1/+11The problem is that the prisons are not run by the government. They are run by private companies. It is not in their financial interest to let prisoners out. They get paid by the government for every incarcerated person - why would they let them out?
Prisons, just like wars, are very lucrative for some people. - JumpingJack79, on 03/30/2009, -0/+10And not just that. Think also about the wasteful spending. Each prisoner costs almost $50.000 a year. Having 500.000 people imprisoned just for drug use costs $25 BILLION A YEAR! Does nobody care about THAT?! Let alone that these people, when they get out, have a much harder time getting a job and being a productive member of society.
People who think it's right to send people to jail for drug use should ask themselves for each one: "Would I be willing to pay $50.000 a year to have this person locked up? Is the damage they're causing to others (most likely none) greater than this amount?" - GroundIsSound, on 03/30/2009, -1/+10I heard Jim Web on NPR this morning, very impressive. The US has 5% of the world's population but 25% of the world's prisoners. WTF?
- Clerg, on 03/30/2009, -0/+9Sounds like someone has watched too many episodes of CSI. If you had actually read the article you would have learned that the major reason for the increase in the prison population is the 1,200% increase in incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses since 1980. I seriously doubt "forensic tools" had anything to do with this increase.
Oh and by the way, the "America, Love it or Leave it" argument was done about 1970. I am not advocating that violent criminals are allowed to run free and neither is Senator Webb. Now go back to watching CSI and let the adults have a discussion. - JoeParanoid, on 03/30/2009, -0/+8As someone who has worked on inmate lawsuits, I can tell you people are irrational when it comes to the subject of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in our criminal justice system (especially the innocent -- and there are a lot of those). I can't tell you the amount of hate I get on this subject. Jim Webb's courage is undeniable: he's risking a lot on this important, but reviled subject.
I also recommend Christian Parenti's Lockdown America for anyone interested in our prison complex. - stephensonle, on 03/30/2009, -0/+8We have the highest incarceration rate in the world for two reasons you don't mention:
1. We have a racist, flawed judicial system that sends many innocent individuals to jail; and
2. We are so stricken with fear that we imprison individuals who commit petty drug crimes and other nonviolent offenses and pose little danger to society.
Prisons are meant for truly dangerous offenders. Instead, they've become human warehouses that actually turn people worse. There are plenty of alternatives to prison that ensure justice is served for American citizens-- community corrections programs, probation, house arrest, countless others.
Bottom line, we can change the nature of prisons and still protect everyone. We just need to find a way to make offenders more accountable to their communities instead of locking them out of sight. - slide23, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7*slow claps*
- Batfishy, on 03/29/2009, -4/+11The more I learn about Webb the more I like him.
- oldgal, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7Direct link to the complete Salon article: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/28/ ...
- inactive, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7Really? The Soviet Gulag had TV? Exercise time? Health care? Educational services? Religious services?
It's no walk in the park for sure (and yes I have been behind bars). But to compare to the Gulag is extremely ignorant. - bentaisan, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7I am for any serious look at revamping this trade in the amplification of human misery.
- thespiff, on 03/30/2009, -6/+13FRONTPAGE THE ORIGINAL SALON ARTICLE NOT THE DAMN HUFFPO SUMMARY YOU *****!
I'm sorry, I'm not usually a caps-typer, but I'm really starting to lose patience with the way things work around here. - Batfishy, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7Wouldn't it be nice if all lobbying were televised?
- rac1234, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7From the Salon article:
"African-Americans are about 12% of our population; contrary to a lot of thought and rhetoric, their drug use rate in terms of frequent drug use rate is about the same as all other elements of our society, about 14%. But they end up being 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of those sentenced to prison by the numbers that have been provided by us." - shadus, on 03/30/2009, -0/+7Absolutely. The problem is the busy-body minority that thinks we should force dissenters into their belief system.
- kgerm, on 03/31/2009, -0/+6well if he overdosed, jumping out the window would be rather hard.
just sayin, - stephensonle, on 03/30/2009, -0/+6This is an astonishingly brave approach to a problem most people don't care about (at least in terms of the prison problem). What's great about Senator Webb's proposed legislation is that it puts forth reforms for the criminal justice system as well; for example, eliminating jail sentences for people who are convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, parole violations, etc. Webb will face a lot of opposition, but reforming the American prison system is something that will truly make our communities safer.
Some links--
Webb's speech about the legislation:
http://webb.senate.gov/email/incardocs/FS_CrimJust ...
NPR interview with Webb:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story ...
Article by Atul Gawande in the New Yorker this week about the inhumane conditions in solitary confinement:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/0903 ...
Down with prisons! - McToken, on 03/30/2009, -0/+5Couldn't agree more....This whole system of jailing everybody for everything is corrupt and benefits the few private companies/individuals while bankrupting the taxpayers.... Its time to take a stand America!!!
(I would but I'm only Canadian, Eh) - Tiak, on 03/31/2009, -0/+5Undugg because submitter linked to the pointless HuffPost article rather than the Glenn Greenwald one.
- XtheXlanternX, on 03/30/2009, -0/+5We have a great justice system for business to operate under but we have a lot of outdated laws. Prisons are there to protect from society from those we need protected from. Our justice system is not working when we imprison people for possession of drugs, use of drugs, etc, as long as they are nonviolent and not harming others. There are a lot of people spending time in prison who have no reason to be there. We send people to prison to sit around and do nothing all day when they could be out contributing to society. One of my best friends went to prison for four years for cocaine. He didn't give it to kids or get in a car wreck and kill someone, he simply did drugs regularly with an important local business man. When the politicians went after the business man, my friend got the book thrown at him and spent four years of his life sitting on his ass doing NOTHING (the prison he was at was very barebones, there were no jobs, no classes, nothing. he is a marathon runner and he got in the best shape of his life and the rest of the time sat around and watched tv with a bunch of murderers and rapists). He is college educated, has always had a stable job (which rehired him upon exit from prison at the same pay and benefits), and has a very nice family. How is this helping society to put good people behind bars? There must be punishment for breaking the law, but there are other ways to punish people than throwing them in a cell and hiding the key for a few years.
- inactive, on 03/30/2009, -1/+6Well, except that people in the Soviet gulags were purely political prisoners who were tortured, used as slave labor, and often killed.
BUT OTHER THAN THOSE MINOR POINTS, yeah, we are like, almost totally the same as the USSR.
/s - purewisdom, on 03/30/2009, -0/+5The best part about drug reform is how it could effectively reduce our taxes by us not having to waste money to keep harmless drug offenders in jail.
Not that anyone actually WANTS to reduce our taxes... - BDOUG, on 03/30/2009, -1/+6If you were the only one at your place of work doing your job while everyone around you mocked you for doing it (as is the case in Washington, DC) you would indeed then be courageous. But you're not, you're just another too-clever-by-half dickwad.
- xixphz, on 03/30/2009, -1/+5Dont feed the troll
- snotrokit, on 03/30/2009, -5/+9That is what Huffpo does, just prints ***** from links.
- catalysis, on 03/31/2009, -0/+4The problem is propaganda can be used to make anything seem dangerous.
- NZN444, on 03/30/2009, -0/+4good stuff. great approach. This guy is playing the tune of a real public servant. Applause.
- ChuckDees, on 03/31/2009, -0/+4Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash
Judges allegedly took $2.6 million in payoffs to put juveniles in lockups.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654/
Where ever there is money to be made. People will break the rules. -
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