US Supreme Court Orders 46,000 criminals released

[charlou]

It's probably worth pointing out that state police (South Australian Police, for example) are trained in all aspects of their roles as law enforcement officers, and that community policing is generally sensitive to the community demographic. Branches within the state police department take care of the various areas of crime prevention, law enforcement and community services.

[Warren Dew]

Two, reduce the number of cops you have. Sounds counter-intuitive but it isn't. You have three or fours layers of cops in some areas and they all need to look busy. So they get busy busting people for stupid shit that everywhere else in the world would get them a raised eyebrow and a move on order. Why do you need city/town cops, county cops, highway cops, state cops and the FBI? All you need is state cops and the FBI.

I don't think you understand how things work here.

The only police I ever see are state police patrolling the expressways and local police everywhere else. Overlapping jurisdictions do not result in extra police. In fact, it's probably the opposite: FBI agents are more expensive than local police because they have to be trained in things local police don't have to know, so it would actually be far more expensive to have the FBI and state police doing everything.

Honestly, if you wanted to cut down on the levels of police, you'd get rid of the state police and the FBI and just have local police. The problem with that is that there would no longer be anyone to investigate police corruption.

[Warren Dew]

Simple solution. End incarceration for non-violent crimes. Create a system of tethered house arrest, where GPS encoded tethers or better yet, implants, are used to track the whereabouts of non-violent criminals. Have them restricted in movements outside of their jobs, and have them closely monitored with periodic check ins with a parole officer. That should free up plenty of space in the prison system.

It would also mean there would be a big increase in auto theft and similar crimes, since those people would never be incarcerated.

Decriminalize victimless crimes like drug use, sure. Some nonviolent crimes have victims, though.

I think we're just putting a lot of people in jail who ought not to be.

DEFINITELY. Such as a lot of marijuana-related convicts. And "three strikes" violators. And mandatory-minimum sentences. The prison population doesn't have to be nearly so high.

Other than those in for drug use, the "three strikes" convicts are the last ones that should be let out, since they're the ones who are practically guaranteed to commit more crimes.

[Atheist-Lite]

The prison system is a money making racket in the US. When the collapse is underway here in the UK we've only 80,000 prisoners on the street whilsts over in the US you'll have to deal with miliions (could execute them & turn them into biscuits and decend into barbarism that way).

[Gallstones]

I said all along that states should have their police. I've also said that I don't get the point of county and town police. Or highway police for that matter. Can't state police drive on the highways? Would having to learn the Highway Code overheat their brains?

I've also never said that Americans are homogeneous. I know you aren't. Christ sake, your culture is the most invasive in the world, I can't fail to know. But how non-homogeneous are you? State to state I get that. But county to county, town to town? Does Bumfuck Montana think sister fucking is okay but the next town over, WeloveJesus Montana think that sex should only be between married couples over thirty years of age, with the lights off and their Minister in the room? Do they both frown on drug use? Murder? Theft?

Wait, stop.
We have city cops which are the same as county cops because a person pays their property taxes to the county.
We have state highway patrol.
We have federal Fish and Game et al.

And then the FBI.

Bumfuck Montana? Now you are being gratuitously insulting.
FYI, there is no We Love Jesus, Montana. People pretty much mind their own business. Read some of my comments about this.

You know nothing about us at all.

No, I'm not being gratuitously insulting, you're being gratuitously humourless. It's obvious you take Montana very seriously so I'll hold the humour.

Okay, so you have just city cops also known as county cops. Good for you. There are other parts of America, LA for instance, that has city and county cops. And of course state cops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforc ... _of_police If you don't like it you can edit that page to make it more suitable to your lived experience.

Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billings_Police_Department

http://ci.billings.mt.us/index.aspx?nid=101

http://www.co.yellowstone.mt.gov/Sheriff/

But then, I know nothing about you at all.

Great, now I have lung cancer.

Crap, included humour. Sorry.

Thank you for that.


I'm not apologizing for taking Montana seriously. This is a great place to live--the last best place.
What is with all the stuff about Billings?

BTW, you ignored this part

FYI, there is no We Love Jesus, Montana. People pretty much mind their own business. Read some of my comments about this.

• 

[Svartalf]

Why does the us have such a large prison population? someone told me they are used as slave labour. is this true?

They're used as sex slaves for the Canadians.

That's not prison population, that's an elk flock

[Svartalf]

In Iceland there is a waiting list to get into Butlins prison. If it is full you have to wait until there is a space to do your time. Strange fucking country sometimes.

and are offenders banished for 3 years while those who are already in finish their time?

[pErvinalia]

I said all along that states should have their police. I've also said that I don't get the point of county and town police. Or highway police for that matter. Can't state police drive on the highways? Would having to learn the Highway Code overheat their brains?

I've also never said that Americans are homogeneous. I know you aren't. Christ sake, your culture is the most invasive in the world, I can't fail to know. But how non-homogeneous are you? State to state I get that. But county to county, town to town? Does Bumfuck Montana think sister fucking is okay but the next town over, WeloveJesus Montana think that sex should only be between married couples over thirty years of age, with the lights off and their Minister in the room? Do they both frown on drug use? Murder? Theft?

Wait, stop.
We have city cops which are the same as county cops because a person pays their property taxes to the county.
We have state highway patrol.
We have federal Fish and Game et al.

And then the FBI.

Bumfuck Montana? Now you are being gratuitously insulting.
FYI, there is no We Love Jesus, Montana. People pretty much mind their own business. Read some of my comments about this.

You know nothing about us at all.

No, I'm not being gratuitously insulting, you're being gratuitously humourless.

[pErvinalia]

It's probably worth pointing out that state police (South Australian Police, for example) are trained in all aspects of their roles as law enforcement officers, and that community policing is generally sensitive to the community demographic. Branches within the state police department take care of the various areas of crime prevention, law enforcement and community services.

Yep. Only one level of major bureaucracy vs. the 3 or more in the states.

[Hermit]

Why does the us have such a large prison population? someone told me they are used as slave labour. is this true?

In 2009 Pennsylvanian judges Ciavarella and Conahan were discovered to have given hundreds of accused youths custodial sentences when non-custodial penalties would have been appropriate. They were getting kickbacks from privately owned and run juvenile gaols for each "customer" they thus delivered.

I think nobody should be gaoled for smoking pot. Does anyone know the number of prisoners in the USA who are clogging up the prison spaces that ought to be occupied by bona fide criminals?

[Coito ergo sum]

Simple solution. End incarceration for non-violent crimes. Create a system of tethered house arrest, where GPS encoded tethers or better yet, implants, are used to track the whereabouts of non-violent criminals. Have them restricted in movements outside of their jobs, and have them closely monitored with periodic check ins with a parole officer. That should free up plenty of space in the prison system.

It would also mean there would be a big increase in auto theft and similar crimes, since those people would never be incarcerated.

Except that they would be tethered by GPS monitoring systems. If a car is reported stolen in a given area, then the first thing that would be checked would be which GPS tethers were in the vicinity at the time, and they should be set to allow movement only to and from designated places at designated times.

Decriminalize victimless crimes like drug use, sure. Some nonviolent crimes have victims, though.

I agree, but with some some thought, a GPS based tether system can replace prisons for those who are non-violent, and that would end the unfortunate cycle wherein non-violent criminals become better criminals and even violent criminals as a result of the rigors of prison.

I think we're just putting a lot of people in jail who ought not to be.

DEFINITELY. Such as a lot of marijuana-related convicts. And "three strikes" violators. And mandatory-minimum sentences. The prison population doesn't have to be nearly so high.

Other than those in for drug use, the "three strikes" convicts are the last ones that should be let out, since they're the ones who are practically guaranteed to commit more crimes.

I think if we all agree just to end prison terms for possession and personal use of drugs, and even sale of, drugs, a good deal of prison space would be freed up.

[JimC]

Legalizing marijuana would go a long way to taking some of the burden off the criminal justice system. It would create an entrepreneurial opportunity where people who are now felons and on the public dime would instead be legitimate businesspersons making money and contributing capital to their counties and the state. It would also remove the incentive for some crime based business.

What should happen is that all non-violent, non-dealer FEDERAL marijuana prisoners should be released, and the FEDERAL prisons should be stuffed with as many of the state felons as they can get away with, as a start.

Then all state marijuana non-violent, non-dealer prisoners should be released, and California, like every other state, should REFUSE to cooperate with the feds on marijuana investigations, arrests, bookings, trials or incarcerations.

Sounds good to me...

[Coito ergo sum]

It's probably worth pointing out that state police (South Australian Police, for example) are trained in all aspects of their roles as law enforcement officers, and that community policing is generally sensitive to the community demographic. Branches within the state police department take care of the various areas of crime prevention, law enforcement and community services.

Yep. Only one level of major bureaucracy vs. the 3 or more in the states.

I'm not sure you have an accurate understanding of US law enforcement.

[JimC]

It's probably worth pointing out that state police (South Australian Police, for example) are trained in all aspects of their roles as law enforcement officers, and that community policing is generally sensitive to the community demographic. Branches within the state police department take care of the various areas of crime prevention, law enforcement and community services.

Yep. Only one level of major bureaucracy vs. the 3 or more in the states.

I'm not sure you have an accurate understanding of US law enforcement.

I must admit the rather large number of different organisations and levels of enforcement agencies in the US has puzzled me; one reads of examples where there is friction between them, to the detriment of efficiency...

[Adenosine]

I said all along that states should have their police. I've also said that I don't get the point of county and town police. Or highway police for that matter. Can't state police drive on the highways? Would having to learn the Highway Code overheat their brains?

I've also never said that Americans are homogeneous. I know you aren't. Christ sake, your culture is the most invasive in the world, I can't fail to know. But how non-homogeneous are you? State to state I get that. But county to county, town to town? Does Bumfuck Montana think sister fucking is okay but the next town over, WeloveJesus Montana think that sex should only be between married couples over thirty years of age, with the lights off and their Minister in the room? Do they both frown on drug use? Murder? Theft?

Wait, stop.
We have city cops which are the same as county cops because a person pays their property taxes to the county.
We have state highway patrol.
We have federal Fish and Game et al.

And then the FBI.

Bumfuck Montana? Now you are being gratuitously insulting.
FYI, there is no We Love Jesus, Montana. People pretty much mind their own business. Read some of my comments about this.

You know nothing about us at all.

No, I'm not being gratuitously insulting, you're being gratuitously humourless. It's obvious you take Montana very seriously so I'll hold the humour.

Okay, so you have just city cops also known as county cops. Good for you. There are other parts of America, LA for instance, that has city and county cops. And of course state cops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforc ... _of_police If you don't like it you can edit that page to make it more suitable to your lived experience.

Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billings_Police_Department

http://ci.billings.mt.us/index.aspx?nid=101

http://www.co.yellowstone.mt.gov/Sheriff/

But then, I know nothing about you at all.

Great, now I have lung cancer.

Crap, included humour. Sorry.

Thank you for that.


I'm not apologizing for taking Montana seriously. This is a great place to live--the last best place.
What is with all the stuff about Billings?

The Billings stuff was proving that you have city and county cops in one place. Billings PD and Yellowstone County cops. That's all. Just my little contribution to the smartass quotient of the universe.

BTW, you ignored this part

FYI, there is no We Love Jesus, Montana. People pretty much mind their own business. Read some of my comments about this.

• 

I didn't think you actually wanted an answer to that. I was pretty sure there was no Welovejesus Montana just as I was pretty sure there is no Bumfuck in Montana (because it's in Idaho dontchaknow?). I picked those names as allegories. I could have easily used Prudeville and Inbredton Montana. They served a purpose. For the rest, I'm happy for you, that you live in an area like that. Not everybody has that privilege.

Can I suggest that you don't take sweeping generalisations about the US to mean your little corner of paradise?

Also Queensland > Montana. Bigger, better beaches (lol), better Great Barrier Reef, better people (like me fer instance), better everything.