Merely a Good Start

[Minimalist]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/presiden...rceration/

President Obama commutes non-violent drug sentences in move to reduce mass incarceration

In an effort to pare down the massive number of people serving long prison sentences for non-violent, drug-related offenses, President Barack Obama will free dozens of federal prisoners in the coming weeks, the New York Times reports.
While the president is expected to commute the sentences of a rough total of 80 people soon, it’s just a small fraction of the 30,000 prisoners who applied for clemency. But it’s part of a broader move to correct what many agree to be a national pattern of gross over-sentencing, thanks to years of “tough on crime” politicians who instituted mandatory minimum sentencing, according to the Times.
The United States is the world’s largest jailer, according to statistics from the American Civil Liberties Union. With just 5 percent of the world’s population, the US has 25 percent of the world’s prison population. Since 1970, the US prison population has shot up 700 percent.
The crisis has been attributed to the War on Drugs, which is now broadly seen as a failure, and mandatory minimum sentencing, according to Business Insider.

Expect 'Murrica to scream bloody murder.

[abaris]

What do you expect to happen with private prison companies being a huge business? It's the new slave trade, funding a lot of politicians.

[brewer]

This is very good news and a long time coming. Watching the fallout should be interesting.

[Minimalist]

Funny you mentioned that, Ab.  This is going on right now here in Errorzona.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/hundr...t-32216623

Hundreds of Arizona Inmates to Be Moved Following Riot

The prison holds about 3,500 minimum- and medium-security inmates and is operated by Centerville, Utah-based Management and Training Corp. The injured officers work for the company, which also operates prisons in seven other states.

And, of course.....

Arizona houses thousands of inmates in private prisons, and the industry has come under fire for its large donations to Republican politicians.

But we all knew that without reading to the end.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I wish NZ would follow suit - drug laws here are fucking draconian.  It wasn't long ago that a 19 years old was caught with 2 joints in his pocket.  He wasn't dealing, wasn't producing, had no paraphernalia - and got fined $500 and 3 months in the nick.

I don't smoke weed (these days), but you'd have a hard time convincing me that a kid walking around with two joints is enough of a threat to my safety that he deserves to be locked up.

Boru

[abaris]

I wish NZ would follow suit - drug laws here are fucking draconian.

Boru

Drug laws, at least when it comes to canabis are pretty much dead law here in Austria. At least when it comes to possession. There was hardly anyone charged for possessing anyway and now they reduced the penalty even further to just some mandatory courses on health and safety when you are caught.

So, no rap sheet and certainly no prison time.

[Pyrrho]

Good for Obama. I hope he expands the program to release more nonviolent drug users.

[Ravenshire]

I would call 80 out of 30,000 hardly a start at all.

And why the fuck hasn't my home state released any non-violent prisoners who are only there for pot?

[Thumpalumpacus]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/presiden...rceration/

President Obama commutes non-violent drug sentences in move to reduce mass incarceration

In an effort to pare down the massive number of people serving long prison sentences for non-violent, drug-related offenses, President Barack Obama will free dozens of federal prisoners in the coming weeks, the New York Times reports.
While the president is expected to commute the sentences of a rough total of 80 people soon, it’s just a small fraction of the 30,000 prisoners who applied for clemency. But it’s part of a broader move to correct what many agree to be a national pattern of gross over-sentencing, thanks to years of “tough on crime” politicians who instituted mandatory minimum sentencing, according to the Times.
The United States is the world’s largest jailer, according to statistics from the American Civil Liberties Union. With just 5 percent of the world’s population, the US has 25 percent of the world’s prison population. Since 1970, the US prison population has shot up 700 percent.
The crisis has been attributed to the War on Drugs, which is now broadly seen as a failure, and mandatory minimum sentencing, according to Business Insider.

Expect 'Murrica to scream bloody murder.

Time for thinkers to shoulder up and explain it to the masses. It's a long-overdue move.

[Minimalist]

I would call 80 out of 30,000 hardly a start at all.

And why the fuck hasn't my home state released any non-violent prisoners who are only there for pot?

The longest journey begins with the first step.

Why don't you write your governor and ask?