Do we have too many laws or too many criminals?

Too many criminals, and we need to build more prisons.

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Regulation Run Amok

"The “sum of good government,” as Thomas Jefferson put it in his first inaugural address, was one “which shall restrain men from injuring one another” and “shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement.” Americans were to live under a presumption of freedom."

"We now live under a presumption of constraint. Put aside all the ways in which city and state governments require us to march to their drummers and consider just the federal government. The number of federal crimes you could commit as of 2007 (the last year they were tallied) was about 4,450, a 50% increase since just 1980."
 
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Land of The Free...

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The world-wide numbers are sobering, but the United States is definitely in the lead with some of the highest numbers of incarcerations in the world, without a trial. The total includes some 480,000 in the United States, 255,000 in India, 195,000 in Brazil, 116,000 in Russia, 107,000 in Mexico, 70,000 in the Philippines, 66,000 in Thailand, 55,000 in Iran, 50,000 in both Indonesia and Pakistan, 48,000 in Turkey, 47,000 in Bangladesh, 44,000 in South Africa, 40,000 in Colombia, 37,000 in both Nigeria and Peru, 35,000 in Venezuela, 32,000 in Morocco and 31,000 in Argentina.
 
I dont have . breakdown of state by state, fired by lawyer, etc, but the fact that we have twice as many as a country 3 times our size tells me a lot.

Of course, the glaring omition in the article is China.
 
While some of these prisoners may indeed be guilty of violent crimes, three out of four are low-level offenders, accused of nonviolent infractions like drug possession or traffic violations. In other words, most of them aren’t a danger to society; they just can’t make bail.
Ridiculous if true
 
I dont have . breakdown of state by state, fired by lawyer, etc, but the fact that we have twice as many as a country 3 times our size tells me a lot.

Of course, the glaring omition in the article is China.

Just wondering. On its face, that is atrocious.
 
Not read the thread, but laws that need to be changed/removed:

1. Simple possession: marijuana, etc. tax it and sell it and fix two problems at once, look at Countries like Argentina for drug policies that work.

2. Child support and certain traffic crimes (and also punish DUI's more severely)

3. Age of Consent laws: Match with the world, make 16 legal age of consent and also make it to where someone one year older having consensual sex with someone doesn't label them a sex offender or punish them, same as possession of pictures of under age people. a nude picture of a 17 year old sent to a 19 year old boyfriend can, technically, be 8 years and sex registry. Totally not acceptable in this day and age.

Prison also need to be changed to focus more on rehabilitation. Make them work more doing community things like construction and cleanup, teach them things they can do when they get out (which our military should also do), and make them all see therapists regardless of crime to judge and at least get information behind the crime or the criminal to use to help stop it in the future. Make it easier to get a job being an ex con so they don't have to resort to crime again to live.
 
We pass laws that most will never even try to break
Sadly, the American people have been duped into believing that if legislatures aren't passing laws, they aren't earning their pay check. I honestly think, for every law passed, two should be repealed. I know this would never happen, but it's a thought.
 
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Ras, you may have already read this, if not, I think you will find it interesting...
 
Sadly, the American people have been duped into believing that if legislatures aren't passing laws, they aren't earning their pay check. I honestly think, for every law passed, two should be repealed. I know this would never happen, but it's a thought.

Don't forget the fact D.A.'s and Sheriffs are elected, which means they need as many convictions as possible, regardless of the severity of said crime. We live in a country where it is legal for a police officer to lie to a suspect, but not the other way around. When you really break down how the law works, its terrifying in many aspects.
 
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Many of these people waiting in jail are forced to wait simply because they can't afford to post bail. A 2013 analysis by the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that advocates for changes in drug laws, found that nearly 40 percent of New Jersey's jail population fell into this category. The Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that among felony defendants in the nation's largest counties, 34 percent were detained before trial because they couldn't make bail.

But in practice, this means that plenty of people sit behind bars not because they're dangerous, or because they're a flight risk, but simply because they can't come up with the cash. A recent analysis by the Vera Institute, a research group advocating for various changes in criminal justice laws, found that 41 percent of New York City's inmates were sitting in jail on a misdemeanor charge because they couldn't meet a bail of $2,500 or less.

5th Amendment

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

6th Amendment

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

8th Amendment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

:zeitung_lesen:
 
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Serious question. We have the largest prison population in the free world (and probably the unfree world also). Is it because we just have an abnormal number of bad people here in the USA or is it because we make so many things in this country illegal and worthy of spending time in jail?

Could this nation stand to have a culling of the laws on the books?

Too many laws, no doubt.
 
little clarification is needed here; not all laws are created equal.

too many laws regarding drugs...yes. Legalize and regulate most of it; take the taxes and prop up Social Security so I will get to use it, dammit.

I'm fine with the laws regarding violence, murder, rape, and theft however. Keep those people under thumb (or dead for the worst of them).
 
little clarification is needed here; not all laws are created equal.

too many laws regarding drugs...yes. Legalize and regulate most of it; take the taxes and prop up Social Security so I will get to use it, dammit.

I'm fine with the laws regarding violence, murder, rape, and theft however. Keep those people under thumb (or dead for the worst of them).

I think most sane people here agree that as long as a crime has not been committed, that we don't need to be aggressively throwing people in jail. A crime by most in here is defined as an action that results in damage to or loss of life, limb or property.
 
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Legalize and tax:

1. Drugs
2. Prostitution
3. Gambling

A regulated sex industry in this country would be awesome. Anyone who has traveled to more..progressive...places know what I mean. Marriages would definitely last way longer than they currently due. Guys would be happier because they can keep getting some trim after their wife freezes them out. Wives will be happier because they won't be harassed for sex anymore and can spend more time eating ice cream, getting fat, and watching lifetime.

An added benefit is there will be less rapes and cat calling so feminists will have to find some new imaginary thing that offends them.

Weed. I don't know the going rates for weed anymore but when I was younger it was like $150 for a half ounce (maybe). Those days are fuzzy. We could have weed/tobacco blends, cartons of joints, loose leaf, snuff, dip, chew, Trader Joes own, open air cage free pesticide free locally grown herb, etc. Rake in the taxes, create more farm jobs. Hell the hoods could maybe reach full employment with a good urban farming program.

Gambling. Lets be real. The indians had their time. Now its time for the rest of America to be able to legally partake in this ancient past time.

If we are knocking down religious based laws lets start doing it to things that actually affect most people and not a small, small, SMALL, part of the population.
 

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