1 in 100 Americans behind bars

[Micah 16]

For the first time in history, one in every 100 Americans is either in prison or jail. 2,319,258 Americans are behind bars in the start of 2008 which is more than any other nation in the world. $49 billion dollars was spent to keep these people pampered, etc.

In my opinion, it's truly impaling! <<<Whoops! I mean "appalling"  Sorry

For more info, click here.

[Frankie_Grove 32]

That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.

[BurroDiablo 222]

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.

[hym 358]

Originally posted by: El Burro

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.quote>

I guess because I've grown up with them, I don't find armed police to be intimidating.  Heck, I've even seen some carry two guns.

[Frankie_Grove 32]

Originally posted by: El Burro

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.quote>

Well those aren't really intimidating. Police are supposed to be armed, and the death penalty isn't used on everyone who goes in.....

[BurroDiablo 222]

Maybe its just a European thing, not used to people toting guns everyday. If people don't find it intimidating anymore, then I don't think the system should become more intimiating. Most crime stems from lack of education, desperation and poverty... you need to tackle those to make crime drop, not tackle the situation head on.

[Godzillaman 21]

Originally posted by: El Burro Maybe its just a European thing, not used to people toting guns everyday.quote>

It's sort of the same in Canada. You don't see it often here...

[your_adress_here 11]

Originally posted by: Godzillaman

Originally posted by: El Burro Maybe its just a European thing, not used to people toting guns everyday.quote>

It's sort of the same in Canada. You don't see it often here...quote>

There's a cop that comes to our school often to check on things (our school has a bad history of drugs and violent issues with the nearby french high school...), and he's a very nice guy (talked to him a couple times), and I see him quite often in the halls of the school, but whenever I see his gun, it reminds me how he is the law and you don't f*** with him.

[Rymac91 15]

The question I have is, is it the system, the police, or the people that are the major problem in this? And looking at the statistics for the south, I wonder how much race is involved in the inmate population.

[krbe 193]

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove

Originally posted by: El Burro

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.quote>

Well those aren't really intimidating. Police are supposed to be armed, and the death penalty isn't used on everyone who goes in.....quote>

I was unaware of te intimidation aspect of the judicial system, but what do I know... If you start getting a bit more liberal with the death penalty, you can save a lot of money.

Originally posted by: hymI guess because I've grown up with them, I don't find armed police to be intimidating.  Heck, I've even seen some carry two guns.quote>

I find it scary enough when I see more than two police patrols on a Metro ride. I'm glad that's not the norm here.

[Frankie_Grove 32]

Originally posted by: krbe

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove

Originally posted by: El Burro

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.quote>

Well those aren't really intimidating. Police are supposed to be armed, and the death penalty isn't used on everyone who goes in.....quote>

I was unaware of te intimidation aspect of the judicial system, but what do I know... If you start getting a bit more liberal with the death penalty, you can save a lot of money.quote>

Unfortunately Liberal prison programs are usually far too weak to ever be effective. Which is why most criminals tell you if plan on getting in prison (aka pre-paid vacation) do it in a very Liberal area where they still believe people change.

I agree that our prisons are definately a direct result of our Education system.

[krbe 193]

Well, I live in a country with "Liberal" prison programs, and I'm quite happy with the fact that there is less than 1% of the adult population behind bars, and not a need for armed forces to patrol city streets or my university. But getting "liberal" with something, means use more of it--i.e. purging half the prison population would save 25 billion dollars a year, which could be used for tax returns (about 80 dollars pro person). I predict a highlyt popular scheme!

On the more serious side, this is really a problem for society (like education and poverty), not the judicial system directly (harsher sentences don't necessarily means less crime).

[Haljackey 17,398]

Wow, no wonder you are in debt! It must cost a fortune to keep these inmates and for prison upkeep! Sentencing them to death would really cut costs! (just joking, but it would save a ton of $, eh?)

And yes, in Canada, there is no death penalty. There is actually a growing movement to disarm firearms from the police now that they have tasers. Guns should only belong in the military they say.

Best,

-Haljackey

[DuskTrooper 316]

Agreed. We should start using the death sentence for more crimes, particularly child abuse/pedophilia, rape, aggravated assault that leads to mental and physical scarring, etc. Oh, and those who are a massive burden to society that have no chance of being "cured" by rehabilitation.

[Godzillaman 21]

Originally posted by: haljackeyThere is actually a growing movement to disarm firearms from the police now that they have tasers.quote>

But we all know what could be anyone's worst nightmare with one...

[krbe 193]

He who is bodily and mentally not sound and deserving may not perpetuate this misfortune in the bodies of his children. The state has to perform the most gigantic rearing-task here. One day, however, it will appear as a deed greater than the most victorious wars of our present bourgeois era.

[Dodge44 2]

Personally we should stray away from reforming the inmates and just punish them. Most people know what happens in prison. The inmates have tv, games, phones, the can go to school for free, the have one of the best health care systems in the world (it's free). They break the law but it's the taxpayers who pay.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: DuskTrooper Agreed. We should start using the death sentence for more crimes, particularly child abuse/pedophilia, rape, aggravated assault that leads to mental and physical scarring, etc. Oh, and those who are a massive burden to society that have no chance of being "cured" by rehabilitation.quote>

My key objection here is that pedophilia is not a crime. You're born that way, you can't well do much about it. What is a crime is molesting children. We can't fault people for having those desires since they have no control over that. We can only fault them for acting on them when they know it's wrong to. Wanting to commit a crime is not a crime. You need to actually do it before you've done anything illegal.

All that said... the death penalty is a no-no. If it's wrong for me to grab a gun and decide to go and kill someone, I fail to see how the government/a court deciding to kill someone is any different. Murder is murder, no matter who's doing it.

Originally posted by: haljackeyThere is actually a growing movement to disarm firearms from the police now that they have tasers.quote>

Okay, but then what happens when a cop comes up against a crook with a gun? Are they to be expected to tase the bro? I doubt it. They need a gun of their own in that case. In fact, this is why NYPD carries not only guns, but semiautomatic handguns. The last thing they want is to be outgunned by the crooks and thus be unable to do their job properly.

Seriously, police not having guns severely cripples the force. If I'm a criminal, I'm not too likely to shoot at a cop since I know he's got a gun and can shoot back. If he doesn't have a gun, what's to stop me? I overpower him in that case. And we simply can't have that. There are going to be times where a cop will need to use potentially lethal force- which he can't really do with a taser, since A- it's not supposed to kill people (though it does end up doing so sometimes if the person on the receiving end has a weak heart,  pacemaker (which the tase will likely fry), metal surgically implanted somewhere in their body, etc.) and B- It's range is limited, there's no tasing someone more than a few feet away.

Originally posted by: Godzillaman But we all know what could be anyone's worst nightmare with one...quote>

[Simtastico 0]

that is a lot of people being locked up.. In my country we are about ~9 million citizens.. imagine a third of em in prison!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well, I am sure that most of these inmates get 3 square meals a day, a dry, warm place to sleep, clothing supplied, exercise, productive work and opportunities for rehabilitation and education.  Maybe we should all go out an commit a felony or two, because it beats the devil out of finding employment, shelter, etc. in this ever more expensive world.

[rugar12 0]

To my knowledge, the cost involved with the process of executing a prisoner is usually more expensive than keeping them in prison for life. So executing more prisoners will likely lead to higher costs.

America has a problem with putting people in prison and jail; many of them being in there for non-violent drug offenses (not talking about dealers). Most of the people I know who have had a stay in prison disliked their time there. Prison is violent and the living conditions (free meals, rent, etc) don't usually outweigh the benefits of freedom. I believe one of the main problems with prisons is the lack of preparation for criminals who are reentering society. This could be a key reason for the high rate of repeat offenders, but like with most facets of life there are usually multiple contributing factors in play when it comes to such situations.

[Joesocwork 4]

Originally posted by: krbe

I find it scary enough when I see more than two police patrols on a Metro ride. I'm glad that's not the norm here.quote>

 

Actually I feel comforted.  I try to stand close to police when I board.  I also park close to lights.

[fukuda 351]

Originally posted by: DuskTrooper Agreed. We should start using the death sentence for more crimes, particularly child abuse/pedophilia, rape, aggravated assault that leads to mental and physical scarring, etc. Oh, and those who are a massive burden to society that have no chance of being "cured" by rehabilitation.quote>

Nice, another step further away from civilization, oh and a pedophile is not always an abuser, as an heterosexual is not  always a raper.

Originally posted by: Dodge44

Personally we should stray away from reforming the inmates and just punish them. Most people know what happens in prison. The inmates have tv, games, phones, the can go to school for free, the have one of the best health care systems in the world (it's free). They break the law but it's the taxpayers who pay.quote>

Typical stereotype here, oh yes, prison is a marvelous place, if you're a total masochist. Prison is not how sensationalist TV shows and tabloids show.

[BurroDiablo 222]

Originally posted by: krbeI find it scary enough when I see more than two police patrols on a Metro ride. I'm glad that's not the norm here.quote>

Same here... if I see more than One Police officer on the street on any given day I feel like theres going to be a Bank Robbery or something. To be honest, I think they just prefer to sit in their warm offices monitoring CCTV most of the time, but its alot more effective phycologically when theres a visible presence on the streets.

[Dodge44 2]

Originally posted by: fukuda

Originally posted by: DuskTrooper Agreed. We should start using the death sentence for more crimes, particularly child abuse/pedophilia, rape, aggravated assault that leads to mental and physical scarring, etc. Oh, and those who are a massive burden to society that have no chance of being "cured" by rehabilitation.quote>

Nice, another step further away from civilization, oh and a pedophile is not always an abuser, as an heterosexual is not  always a raper.

Originally posted by: Dodge44

Personally we should stray away from reforming the inmates and just punish them. Most people know what happens in prison. The inmates have tv, games, phones, the can go to school for free, the have one of the best health care systems in the world (it's free). They break the law but it's the taxpayers who pay.quote>

Typical stereotype here, oh yes, prison is a marvelous place, if you're a total masochist. Prison is not how sensationalist TV shows and tabloids show.quote>

 

I worked in corrections for 3 years so trust me I should know. Also I don't consider torture gratifying as I was only stating my opinion.

[toxicpiano 125]

Originally posted by: El Burro

Originally posted by: Frankie_Grove That's really not too surprising...Our system obviously isn't intimidating enough.quote>

You have Armed police and the Death penalty in a few States... i'd call that quite intimidating. Personally... I just think people are stupid... lol.quote>

I saw some program a few years back about crime in America. There was one robbery in LA I think and it was a robbery by two men armed with assault rifles. Apparently the police had to go to the gun shop next door to the bank to buy weapons that would be powerful enough to take out the two robbers.

[TheQuiltedLlama 34]

The question of the Death Penalty came up on Question Time the other day, and I remember a member of the audience raising the point that it is actually cheaper too keep a person in prison for life than go through all the legal costs of using the death penalty.

Now, personally, I am horrified that someone would consider only the costs when deciding weather to kill someone or not. But this is a good point, because the legal costs cannot be reduced without increasing the chance that sooner or later the state will kill an innocent person.

Incidentally, this issue is the only one which all of the panel members agreed on.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Originally posted by: Duke87

Okay, but then what happens when a cop comes up against a crook with a gun? Are they to be expected to tase the bro? I doubt it. They need a gun of their own in that case.quote>

I agree.  They need guns.  The whole movement is stupid in my opinion, but remember, guns are illegal in Canada, so no one should have a gun.  Of course, many are smugged in from the U.S.A daily.

 

In fact, this is why NYPD carries not only guns, but semiautomatic handguns. The last thing they want is to be outgunned by the crooks and thus be unable to do their job properly.quote>

Its sad that the NYPD's yearly budget is larger then the United Nations.  The amount spent on the NYPD could be allocated to other things, but in New York, I guess safety comes first!

[City2TheMax 3]

People in Europe are probably more intimidated by guns than those in the US. I am 15 years old and I'm not scared by guns. I see police daily and I don't even bother to look at them anymore. Here in the US many people just aren't intimidated by law enforcement and punishment. The two factors to this I believe are the legality of guns and the many, many ghettos. That's just my opinion, however.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: haljackey

I agree.  They need guns.  The whole movement is stupid in my opinion, but remember, guns are illegal in Canada, so no one should have a gun.  Of course, many are smugged in from the U.S.A daily.quote>

Oh sure, blame it on us.

 

Its sad that the NYPD's yearly budget is larger then the United Nations.  The amount spent on the NYPD could be allocated to other things, but in New York, I guess safety comes first!quote>

I'd say you're interpreting that backwards. It's not a testament to the fact that NYPD is overspending, it's a testament to the fact that the UN is underspending.

After all, there are over 8 million people in New York, along with a lot of critical infrastructure and high profile terror targets that need policing. And you say "safety comes first" like that's a bad thing. Isn't "safety first" a common phrase? Besides, it's not like that money is going to waste. The NYPD likes to maintain a very visual presence. And with good reason. They know that no other city in the world is more in the crosshairs of radical Islamists than this one. Given the high level of threat, a high level of spending on security and policing is to be expected. The NYPD has all kids of stuff. Bomb squads, riot squads, SWAT teams... they even have a tank. Yeah, a tank like you would see the army use. Except it doesn't have any guns, just little holes in the side for cops in it to aim their guns out of. And it says NYPD on it, it isn't camo. Obviously, it spends its time in storage waiting to be needed. But there have been a couple times in the past it's been used. The last time was during the Tompkins Square riot in 1988.

So, sure, the money could be allocated to other things, but should it be? I say no. If the city isn't safe, then it hinders everything else. Maslow's hierarchy, anyone?