Life in prison for selling $10 crack rock (Strike 3)

Page 8 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Uhh...drinking and driving is not victimless. Many are killed each year by people who do this.

Selling crack? The entire surrounding community is a victim here. It creates violence and so many other problems.

The victims in DUI/DWI are those arrested....MILLIONS of arrests per year and a terribly low amount of deaths and injury for that.

DUI is about revenue though, even the founder of MADD doesn't stand behind the laws now. Limit is far too low and the penalties are financially very high for even a first time arrest.

The problem is statistically it's improbable to impossible, but everyone knows someone personally when this is discussed that was killed as well as somehow knows a person with 3+ DUI's that wasn't penalized.

It's crazy those defending crack dealers and even crazier those trying to say it's just like marijuana.

Crack is one of the drugs that people will kill for due to the addiction it causes. Marijuana only if that person would kill to begin with the addiction is more habitual in nature than taking over one's personality.

That said I think most of the above are teenagers trying to be pro-drug.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Ignoring how stupid the war on drugs is, and that repeat offenders shouldn't always get life in prison: would you throw a guy in prison for life for punching three different people in the face? (assault)

So a guy sells some crack, and the result of this is punishing him such that it is infinitely harder to do anything OTHER than selling crack. This guy already feels he has enough incentive to sell crack and then is given more incentive. Is anyone surprised he does it again? Was anything ever done to reduce his incentive to sell crack?

Call me a bleeding heart liberal, or call me someone who doesn't want to open his pocketbook to throw money down a sinkhole.

Well the problem is not all crimes fall into the 3 times = life category.

Anyone that gets to strike two on something like selling crack or say DUI and still does it when facing the next time is life in jail, is a fucking moron plan and simple.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,125
30,076
146
well, I find that to be pretty fucking harsh for a lame drug conviction.


but third strike?

....boo fucking hoo for the crackhead.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Wasn't there a story a while back about a guy who got his third strike stealing a candy bar? Seems harsh for the specific crime but taken as a whole, three felony convictions pretty much means you are incapable of living in a civilized society.

unfortunately they hand out felonies like candy bars these days.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Well the problem is not all crimes fall into the 3 times = life category.

Anyone that gets to strike two on something like selling crack or say DUI and still does it when facing the next time is life in jail, is a fucking moron plan and simple.

or just desperate
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
The victims in DUI/DWI are those arrested....MILLIONS of arrests per year and a terribly low amount of deaths and injury for that.

DUI is about revenue though, even the founder of MADD doesn't stand behind the laws now. Limit is far too low and the penalties are financially very high for even a first time arrest.

The problem is statistically it's improbable to impossible, but everyone knows someone personally when this is discussed that was killed as well as somehow knows a person with 3+ DUI's that wasn't penalized.

It's crazy those defending crack dealers and even crazier those trying to say it's just like marijuana.

Crack is one of the drugs that people will kill for due to the addiction it causes. Marijuana only if that person would kill to begin with the addiction is more habitual in nature than taking over one's personality.

That said I think most of the above are teenagers trying to be pro-drug.

blaming the crack or alcohol is just removing personal responsibility from the crime.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
or just desperate

Do you believe that his financial situation is so desperate that it was worth risking life in prison?

I wonder how many jobs he applied for and was rejected before he decided to go sell drugs with two strikes?

I wonder how many job training programs he signed up for and washed out before he decided to risk his freedom to sell drugs?

MotionMan
 
Nov 29, 2006
15,692
4,204
136
What would you give them to harvest coal and crops? You can't expect someone with nothing to live for to be trusted with tools. They would just kill each other all day.

Cool. Takes the burden off of us. I like your put them on an isolated island bit. That is what i would do. They can either learn to survive as a society there or die. But they will never be a part of "normal society" again.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
You were the one that brought up his desperation.

Do you believe that his financial situation is so desperate that it was worth risking life in prison?

MotionMan

I can't speak for his specific situation but if it was between risking my life or providing for my family, I wouldn't think twice.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
I can't speak for his specific situation but if it was between risking my life or providing for my family, I wouldn't think twice.

Did I miss where the article mentioned a family and his desperate attempts to save them?

You can assume one thing. I will assume the more likely explanation.

MotionMan
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Did I miss where the article mentioned a family and his desperate attempts to save them?

You can assume one thing. I will assume the more likely explanation.

MotionMan


No it didn't say that in fact I opened with "I can't speak for his specific situation". Desperation is one reason why people do stupid things, stupidity is another reason. nobody knows his situation.
 

actuarial

Platinum Member
Jan 22, 2009
2,814
0
71
Well the problem is not all crimes fall into the 3 times = life category.

Anyone that gets to strike two on something like selling crack or say DUI and still does it when facing the next time is life in jail, is a fucking moron plan and simple.

Well selling crack certainly shouldn't be a three strike then. Explain why this guy selling crack multiple times has harmed society more than a pedophile. Why should a pedo get out at some point but not this guy? The law is ridiculously inconsistent, and doesn't fit either of the goals of incarceration: rehabilitation or punishment.

And you still didn't say anything about the meat of my post: we as a society take people who already feel they have enough incentive to break the law and then give them MORE incentive. Why would we ever expect them to change their ways?