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62 Comments
- halleyscomet, on 02/24/2009, -1/+62Hopefully most of the ones being released are just potheads who were sent up the river for having an ounce or two of week. The snack food industry could do with the economic boost.
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -1/+38I would have no problem with this for Pot related offenders, it was retarded criminal law that got them in there in the first place.
Leave the rapists and murderers where they belong - mishaneah, on 02/25/2009, -2/+36Thank god. I've had enough of this chaining non-violent people up to protect local economies that build prisons like they were casinos.
- inactive, on 02/24/2009, -0/+32it is the economy stupid!!
economy is going wrong...
1) companies lay off employees...
2) jails lay off inmates...
it is all business!! - IamNomad, on 02/25/2009, -1/+26hahah half of LA lock up are people in for possession and or dealing of Pot.. release them. Budget problem solved.
- egocogito, on 02/25/2009, -0/+222.5 billion dollar budget for the L.A. sheriffs department? That's crazy. It is like 1/5 of the entire state revenue of Maryland and equal to the entire federal budget of some smaller countries.
- ShrimpCrackers, on 02/25/2009, -1/+21Maybe they should free all the people with clean records but went to jail in possession of Marijuana. That would help things, since they don't really belong there in the first place.
- Berkana, on 02/25/2009, -4/+21Second amendment, anyone?
If the police aren't going to be there to defend you and to stop crime, they have no business criminalizing you for defending yourself. - thizzlebot, on 02/25/2009, -1/+16This is *****, they should loosen up the laws on marijuanna because too many people are behind bars( arrested by the cops that get drunk right after)
- 13373h4X0r, on 02/25/2009, -0/+13There are many funny benefits to the economic downturn!
If the L.A. sheriff releases 4000 inmates, those inmates would, no doubt, be those convicted of the least violent crimes (compared to the crimes committed by the other inmates). Maybe this will make the police and the courts exercise more restraint when considering locking up people who are just smoking weed, or who refuse to move in a large protest, or who missed payments of some sort (e.g., tax payments(*), parking violation payments, etc). I don't even think that most of those things should be criminal, anyhow!
(*...Hey, isn't Wesley Snipes serving time now for being late paying taxes -- which he then paid in full, with penalties? Jail time for him doesn't serve a purpose. He can pay more taxes out of jail than in jail, and the penalties alone should be punishment enough.)
Theft -- especially when the threat of violence is used -- is definitely way more serious than drug use, protest participation, and missed payments (intentional, accidental, or unavoidable). But I've heard of petty theft cases, like starving homeless people stealing food from grocery stores or supermarkets, without weapons or threat of violence involved, resulting in jail time. I think that's wrong, too. It would be cheaper for society to just give that poor person an annual allowance instead of jail time, especially in cases in which the person clearly stole food for the purpose of survival (and not for greed or enjoyment).
Anyhow, part of this economic downturn has me thrilled.
Housing and rental prices are falling to levels that people with normal jobs can afford. A lot of the people responsible for inflating the housing prices to astronomical levels have been burned severely. The market for SUVs has dried up, and more effort is being put in to developing electric vehicles. Wind power is gaining popularity. The outrageous recklessness of banks has been exposed. The actions of people in Congress -- particularly in regard to spending and bill "riders" -- is under more of a microscope than ever before. The masses are now more concerned about their economic future than the threat of terrorism, so we won't have any more massive, ridiculous programs like the "Department of Homeland Security", etc, being passed in Congress for a while. Gas prices are way down, too.
And non-viable companies are finally restructuring... (I think the best move the government could have made is to hand GM directly to the head of the UAW. LOL! That would force the union to create a viable car company or acknowledge that their demands make it impossible to have a viable car company!)
Anyhow, I know the poor state of the economy is hurting a lot of people, and I wish that we could have avoided this downturn, but I can't help but be glad for some of the sanity that is being forced upon the masses. A lot of the gratuitous badness that has gone on, like putting non-violent and non-threatening people in jail, is becoming economically difficult for the system...and I think this will make the system a little more sane and just for all. - FreedomsFire, on 02/25/2009, -1/+11Once again California leads the nation! The fact is the US incarcerates a greater percentage of it's population than any country on earth. At any given time, we have 2-3 million people in our jails and prisons. It stands to reason that sooner or later this was going to get prohibitively expensive. A serious reconsideration of our jailing policy is in order, on economic as well as moral grounds. But this is only one facet of the bigger picture.
Despotism is expensive. The US government spends billions if not trillions monitoring every move you make, every dollar you make and spend, and incarcerating anyone who's lifestyle or activities jeopardize protected corporate profit. On top of that, we spend billions more maintaining hundreds of military bases in over 130 countries advancing the same corporate interests under the guise of "protecting America". It's a racket.
But we can no longer afford any of this. The money required to maintain a welfare state, a police/surveillance state, and a global empire simply isn't there. Over the past 20 years, we have resorted more and more to printing and borrowing what the people can not afford to pay in taxes. This is an underlying cause of the current economic meltdown that neither party is willing to talk about. Each have their sacred cows, their trusted and treasured lobbyists. Both parties are arrogant enough to think the system will go on forever without consequence.
But economics has a sovereignty all of it's own. Just as in our personal lives, a sweet angle only lasts for so long. The gravy train eventually pulls out as the money dries up. This is where we are now. Increasingly, all levels of government are going to start doing the right thing because they simply cannot afford the game any longer. In that respect, the economic crisis has a silver lining. - mrjit, on 02/25/2009, -0/+9I'm firing up Scottrade and doing a Fritolay stock purchase as soon as things are open.
- IamNomad, on 02/25/2009, -0/+6its actually upper 35-42%. remember im including dealers in with this percentage.
- CaptCarrot, on 02/24/2009, -3/+9Well, it's not as if any of them are *terrorists* going free... /sarc
- spyd3rweb, on 02/25/2009, -4/+10The police aren't tasked with defending you anyways.
- GovernmentsGun, on 02/25/2009, -0/+6Because government is non-profit and cares about you. I mean, it isn't supposed to cut services to meet a budget, right? It doesn't have to run like a business, right?
Right...
And besides, there are too many people in government making a profit for it to really be... non-profit. - Adwt0125, on 02/25/2009, -1/+6Free the drug related crimes! You don't need to have a poor budget to see that as a no brainer.
- MelvinSchlubman, on 02/25/2009, -2/+7Maybe you're dugg down for overlooking unintended consequences. There's emotional appeal in treating savages like savages, but you'll either have to keep them their until death or brace for savages squared when they're released - not to mention the concomitant public backlash.
I'll refrain from digging and observe. - Aristotling, on 02/25/2009, -1/+5And yet the government can print and throw billions at the failing US auto industry.
- roddack, on 02/25/2009, -0/+4hope it isn't those violent pot offenders
/s - mileswj, on 02/25/2009, -2/+6Lets keep Guantanamo open and send them there!
- faskill, on 02/25/2009, -0/+4lol... layoff inmates
- MelvinSchlubman, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3I RTA. Did you?
- darkened, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3Dealers shouldn't be in jail either unless they're convicted of violent crime along with selling drugs.
- GlobalGizmo, on 02/25/2009, -1/+4When things like this start to happen due to budget issues...you know the economy is is really struggling. The way things are going right now, I'm afraid to know other drastic steps are going to need to be made by businesses.
- drewniverse, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3Hey, that's a smart move if they do that. Next thing they should do instead of this ideological warfare the republicans love to play, why don't we have a little legislation here to fix our fiscal crisis. I mean, who cares if you don't like marijuana. There's tons of (legal) drugs out there that have killed a lot of people. I highly doubt it was the potheads that killed our economy, more like gluttonous greedy banks and CEO's. Legalize it and tax it, it's time.
Times like this make me glad to have the 2nd amendment. If they release murderers, pedophiles, gang leaders etc etc then I will be armed 100% when I go outside. The Sheriffs department will then be deemed a threat to our safety and it will be time to elect new officials. - Rahyl, on 02/25/2009, -1/+4Pay very close attention to who gets released as a result of what's going on here. If they decide that convicted murderers, sex offenders, and other violent criminals are to be released, you should consider this sheriff's department to be a direct threat to your safety. Vote accordingly in the next elections. If they prioritize non-violent drug offenders, someone in that department 'gets it.' Vote accordingly in the next local elections.
- gugengamer, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3There's a big difference between running a prison with tents and soldiers who protect each other. Many safety issues, their much more dangerous for prisoners AND the guards.
- buddywlkr3, on 02/25/2009, -0/+2The real question here is why the jails in LA are faced with this type of a budget crisis in the first place? Are we to believe that of all the cuts that LA can make in its budget, it has to cut the prison and police budget and bring about this type of ridiculous situation? For example, (1) the LA County education department has over $500,000 in personal consulting contracts for such things as media training for the staff, ethics training, etc. (2) County employees in the administrative offices are pulling down high salaries. More than 6,000 workers in the city get salaries of $100,000 or more. (3) The cost of illegal aliens in the county is over $3 billion for welfare, food stamps and free medical care -- yet the city is a sanctuary city, inviting aliens to settle there. In addition, In Los Angeles, 95% of some 1,500 outstanding warrants for homicides are for illegal aliens. About 67% of the 17,000 outstanding fugitive felony warrants are for illegal aliens. Yet, the county can afford to continue its absurd sanctuary policies and support the illegal alien population, but has to release more criminals from the jails because of a budget "crisis".
- fedak, on 02/25/2009, -0/+2I was dugg down because people blindly digg down anything that doesn't support the Digg groupthink on pot, Ron Paul, Linux, etc.
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -0/+2yea maybe if they wouldn't arrest non violent drug offenders
- smileya5, on 02/25/2009, -0/+2This is fantastic, if only budget problems were solved this way more often.
- Barackalypse, on 02/25/2009, -8/+9Maybe its time they start housing them in barbed wire enclosed tent camps like they do in Arizona. If the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan can sleep in tents, I'm sure inmates in sunny California can manage too:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/27/tough.sheriff/ - Yage2006, on 02/25/2009, -2/+3How bout release all the people in there on drug charges who should not be in there anyway.
Save the jail for real criminals. - faskill, on 02/25/2009, -3/+4In catholic churches and foreign countries?
- joe122370, on 02/25/2009, -2/+3aaaagh most of them are illegals anyway
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1FREE THE STONERS! w00t!
- AdolfHax0r, on 02/25/2009, -3/+4Joe Arpaio SUCKS at his job. Read about it here:
http://www.arpaio.com/arpaio-truth/
See also:
http://books.google.com/books?id=QUGZS46kMWsC& ... - dOOBiEx213, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1That explains the pollution in L.A..
- nadnamenil, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1The mexican gangs have taken a que from alqeada and are running around chopping the heads of public officials that resist, soon police in America will meet the same fate. The crime rate is extremely high in LA asshat because the Libs and the Repubs like there labor cheap. So they allow criminals to cross the border almost unchecked. That's why they need so much dam money to run the department. The mexican drug cartels have taken over Mexico and socal is next California will be overrun. WELCOME TO MEXIFORNIA! And by the way Republicans and Democrats are full of ***** they could care less about you so stop picking sides.
- machine117, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1I don't understand why you were dugg down. You're absolutely right.
- Residents, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1Choose non-violent offenders serving mandatory minimum sentences and go up from there.
- darkened, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1Less Sheriffs, Less inmates, I see this as a positive effect.
- siszam, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1No, the illegals get to walk free. In some cities the police can't ask if you're illegal or legal.
- Demand911Truth, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1I'm all for cutting back on prisons. They are completely ineffective at rehabilitating a human being.
On the other hand, why not fund these prisons instead of all the top-secret, currently empty FEMA camps? - nadnamenil, on 02/25/2009, -1/+2The crime rate is extremely high in LA asshat because the Libs and the Repubs like there labor cheap. So they allow criminals to cross the border almost unchecked.
- yourbrokenoven, on 02/25/2009, -0/+1Louisiana does not have counties, they're called parishes.
- tl12345, on 02/25/2009, -0/+0What about just limiting to one meal a day. One shower a month. Constant lock down. Not like these 4000 inmates are gonna find jobs, esp in this economy. They'll just end up sapping the welfare system. And those guards who are gonna get laid off...probably end up resorting to crime to pay the bills and end up in the same prison. Just one vicious cycle.
Oh and another thing, you don't need to be a VIOLENT offender to be pushing meth and crack on kids. - yarcod, on 02/25/2009, -0/+0You forgot the /s
People are going to take you seriously. - yarcod, on 02/25/2009, -0/+0Legalize it. That simple.
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