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

[roguerower]

Looks like a win.

I don't see the problem there.

What they said.

I put this kind of shit up there with people who don't have a job and collect welfare yet they have a cell phone, cable TV, and internet at home.

 

[Kalvin00]

All offenders who get to three strikes should be forced to work in the coal mines, crop fields, or anything other jobs where outside labor is brought in. Prison should be something like the gulag in soviet russia where you would rather die then get sent there.

+1. Prison is a fucking resort in this country. A place to hang out with your homies and watch TV. That is why scumbags don't mind it.

 

[Mxylplyx]

I can see it for violent criminals, but we are spending too much cash (and wasting much needed prison beds) locking up drug offenders, and not enough for the hardcore offenders, such as murderers, rapists & predators of children.

Legalizing marijuana, sell & tax it (and pay down the national debt at the same time), and send hardcore drug users/sellers to REHAB, would be a better solution. Prohibition never has worked, and our "war on drugs" has failed miserably.

Life for a $10 rock is outrageous, no matter how you see it.

Cat

This

We throw felonies at drug offenders, which essentially bars them from ever making something of themselves in our "no 2nd chance" society. So they in turn do the only thing they can do to get by...sell drugs. This countries fvcked up drug policy creates dangerous criminals out of common addicts, funds international drug cartels that threaten to destabilize our neighbors, and costs us a fortune when we are flat broke. All of you responding with the typical "lock them up and throw away the key" are just emblematic of this countries propensity to seek simple solutions to complex social problems.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

That's what I would suggest for certain things. Especially the 3rd strike thing.

third strike is arbitrary so I'm not sure why you would defend that

 

[Numenorean]

This

We throw felonies at drug offenders, which essentially bars them from ever making something of themselves in our "no 2nd chance" society. So they in turn do the only thing they can do to get by...sell drugs. This countries fvcked up drug policy creates dangerous criminals out of common addicts, funds international drug cartels that threaten to destabilize our neighbors, and costs us a fortune when we are flat broke. All of you responding with the typical "lock them up and throw away the key" are just emblematic of this countries propensity to seek simple solutions to complex social problems.

Bullets are pretty simple.

I don't mind a second chance. I also wouldn't mind first offenders get a misdemeanor for minor drug charges. But if they got another charge, then they're done in my book. Get rid of them.

I do mind more than a 2nd chance.

 

[roguerower]

So then skip to the chase just make everything punishable by death.

Rape (not statutory rape) = Death
1st or 2nd Degree Murder = Death
Multiple DWI/DUI (3+) = Death

Those stand out right now. Parents who kill their kids and then get off scot free should also be eliminated.

In the same breath, physician-assisted suicide (think Kevorkian) should not be a punishable offense.

 

[Numenorean]

Rape (not statutory rape) = Death
1st or 2nd Degree Murder = Death
Multiple DWI/DUI (2) = Death

Those stand out right now. Parents who kill their kids and then get off scot free should also be eliminated.

In the same breath, physician-assisted suicide (think Kevorkian) should not be a punishable offense.

Fixed that.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

lol you guys lost me on the death penalty for victimless crime.

 

[Numenorean]

lol you guys lost me on the death penalty for victimless crime.

I haven't seen any victimless crime listed in here.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

I haven't seen any victimless crime listed in here.

drinking and driving is victimless. selling crack is victimless(provided your selling to an adult).

 

[Numenorean]

drinking and driving is victimless. selling crack is victimless(provided your selling to an adult).

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.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Uhh...drinking and driving is not victimless. Many are killed each year by people who do this.

killing/hurting someone is a separate crime. We have assault, manslaughter and murder laws already on the books.

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

Again violent crimes are already on the books. Selling a good or service isn't inherently bad unless your talking about sex slavery and human trafficking in which case there are already numerous laws that have been broken and victims established before getting to that point.

..

 

[Patranus]

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.

Reckless driving would be what isn't victimless about drinking and driving.

Drinking can causes you to drive recklessly.

 

[dawp]

all the problems you link to drugs can be traced back to that fact that drugs are illegal. legalize and most of them will be greatly reduced.

you're trying to legislate morality and that never works.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Reckless driving would be what isn't victimless about drinking and driving.

Drinking can causes you to drive recklessly.

That's subjective. Driving a 2.5 ton piece of metal at any speed above a fast jog is inherently risky and wreckless.

 

[ahenkel]

all the problems you link to drugs can be traced back to that fact that drugs are illegal. legalize and most of them will be greatly reduced.

you're trying to legislate morality and that never works.

I came here to post this, also see Portugal for how to do it right.

 

[roguerower]

That's subjective. Driving a 2.5 ton piece of metal at any speed above a fast jog is inherently risky and wreckless.

Let me clarify my earlier statment.

You drink
You drive
You kill someone
You deserve the same fate

 

[MotionMan]

all the problems you link to drugs can be traced back to that fact that drugs are illegal. legalize and most of them will be greatly reduced.

you're trying to legislate morality and that never works.

Imagine how out of context movies like Scareface will look in 100 years if we legalize drugs in the near future. A little like watching movies with 1920's speakeasies ("You mean alcohol was illegal?").

MotionMan

 

[IGBT]

repeat customers go to the head of the line. He's a doper. who cares.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Let me clarify my earlier statment.

You drink
You drive
You kill someone
You deserve the same fate

agreed.

 

[ahenkel]

repeat customers go to the head of the line. He's a doper. who cares.

I highly doubt he's a doper. I lived next to a crackhead once they couldn't function enough to do anything but crack let alone sell it

 

[dawp]

repeat customers go to the head of the line. He's a doper. who cares.

You should considering the US has the largest prison population per capita in the western world and who do you think pays the private prison companies to house them? Your tax dollars hard at work. reduce the prison population and reduce your taxes. Isn't that what you really want, lower taxes?

 

[BoomerD]

You should considering the US has the largest prison population per capita in the western world and who do you think pays the private prison companies to house them? Your tax dollars hard at work. reduce the prison population and reduce your taxes. Isn't that what you really want, lower taxes?

Then by all means, let's start executing the habitual criminals who have shown no want, need, or desire to become productive members of society.
Instead of housing them, feeding them, providing them with nearly unlimited health care, just execute them and get it done...then, the only added cost will be an expanded prison graveyard...

 

[Acanthus]

Good. Lousy drug dealers. Penalties for dealing should be harsher, and penalties for usage should be stiff.

Do you have any idea how much that costs?

 

[William Gaatjes]

I came here to post this, also see Portugal for how to do it right.

O please...

You naive idiots and your "lets legally allow all lethal drugs" idea.

Legalize alcohol and cannabis. Keep everything else illegal. Most drug addicts are people with a psychological disorder. They should be helped. They should not be encouraged to use drugs. Using drugs to feel better or to forget or to be able to "function" is a prime example of why these people should not use drugs. Some people are more prone to addiction research indicates and thus use of drugs should not be encouraged by legalizing it. It will cause an exponentially increase of problems in society.

Some people do not 100% of the time have the state of mind to realize that. People who use occasionally the hard drugs(cocaine or heroine for example) and who do not get addicted because of the infrequent use are also people who are mentally stable.

However, humans need ways to relief stress and sport or good sex is not always an option. Thus the occasional pint of beer or joint will not do much more harm than living in a smog city.

The reason why Portugal is doing so well, is not the legalization of drugs but the offer for therapy instead of prison, removing the fear of prison and the fear of being an outcast. Exactly as i stated above.
There is a pattern to be found when you look at the typical drug(including alcohol) addict. These are people with serious unrecognized issues or people who from the start are difficult to socialize with. It is rare that successful people who also use occasional drugs get addicted because their ability to properly prioritize by logic. They know when enough is enough. When you can no longer make that priority decision when you are under influence you are in grave danger.