Jail--as it should be!

[GS3Tek]

Subject: FW: Jail--as it should be!

>
>
> Jail - as it should be!
>
> Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who created the "tent city
>
> jail":
>
> He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the
>
> inmates for them.
>
> He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails.
>
> Took away their weights.
>
> Cut off all but "G" movies.
>
> He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on
>
> county and city projects.
>
> Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued
>
> for discrimination.
>
> He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal
>
> court order that required cable TV for jails.
>
> So he hooked up the cable TV again but only let in the Disney
>
> channel and the we ather channel.
>
> When asked why the weather channel he replied, "so they will
>
> know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain
gangs."
>
> He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value.
>
> When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't the
>
> Ritz/Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back."
>
> He bought Newt Gingrich' lecture series on videotape that he
>
> pipes into the jails.
>
> When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a
>
> Democrat, he replied that a Democratic lecture series might explain
>why a lot
>
> of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.
>
>
>
> More on the Arizona Sheriff:
>
> with temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116
>degrees
>
> just set a new record), the Associated Press reports:
>
>
>
> About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent
>
> encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to
>strip down
>
> to their government-issued pink boxer shorts.
>
> On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either
>
> curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached
>138
>
> degrees inside the week before.
>
>
>
> Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected
>
> on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks.
>
> "It feels like we are in a furnace," said James Zanzot, an
>
> inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 1/2 years. "It's inhumane."
>
>
>
> Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city
>
> and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna
>sandwiches, is
>
> not one bit sympathetic.
>
>
>
> ****He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates:
>
> "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents
>
> too, and they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn't commit
>any
>
> crimes, so shut your damned mouths!"
>
>
>
> Way to go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one,
>
> there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders.
>
> Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in
>
> luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit
>another
>
> crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money
>
> and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
>
>
>> If you agree, pass this on. If not, oh well, delete it!

to Sheriff Joe

[joshoowa]

thats scary man..

[SharpLS-96]

That's why he was reelected in Az for a 4th term this past Nov. We need more Sheriff's like him!
http://www.azcentral.com/news/electi...sheriff03.html

His bio in law enforcement.
http://www.mcso.org/submenu.asp?file...sheriff&page=1

[LB Lex]

Originally Posted by GS3Tek

If you don't like it, don't come back."

Reading this quote made me laugh out loud

[TI II]

Do the crime pay the time...

[stckyfngz]

ya...torture people for using drugs

good idea that will cure it

Prison-sentence reform urged
Study: State too harsh on drug users

Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
May. 12, 2004 12:00 AM

Arizona could save $40 million by sending one out of five non-violent inmates addicted to drugs to treatment programs instead of prison, a non-profit advocacy group reported.

That proposal and others advocating prison reform in Arizona were part of a report released Tuesday by Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit group that commissioned a study of the state's sentencing laws.

Maricopa County prosecutors hotly rejected the report, which declared the state's justice system broken.

FAMM concluded that Arizona's system of long, mandatory sentences for repeat offenders has cost the state millions, filled prisons with mostly non-violent criminals, disproportionately sanctioned people of color and done little to enhance public safety. The study was embraced by at least two key Arizona legislators who are pushing to revise Arizona's sentencing laws.

"We have a prison system in Arizona packed with low-level, non-violent offenders," FAMM Executive Director Laura Sager said. While Arizona has the highest incarceration rate in the West, "it has had the least success in reducing crime rates of its neighbors."

Sager called on the governor and Legislature to establish a high-level, nonpartisan commission to study and revise Arizona's sentencing laws. In the meantime, the state should give judges the power to set aside mandatory sentences when appropriate. And it should begin reclassifying some low-level offenses to cut back prison time and support more community-based alternatives, such as substance-abuse treatment for drugs, drunken driving and other non-violent offenses.

"We do have a prison crisis in Arizona, not just because of beds but because of how we incarcerate," said Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, who leads a House work group studying sentencing reform. "It is time to stop warehousing people, it is time to start treating people and making a difference in their lives."

Barnett Lotstein, special assistant Maricopa County attorney, said County Attorney Rick Romley and his office reject the notion that there is a problem in the state's sentencing system. He called FAMM's report "obviously biased" with the aim of legalizing or decriminalizing drugs.

"We are in favor of mandatory sentences as they exist in Arizona," Lotstein said, adding that they impart consistency. "The people who are in prison, for the most part, deserve to be there."

In its report, FAMM argues that many prisoners incarcerated for low-level, non-violent offenses are there because they commit petty crimes to support their drug habits. Those prisoners would be better served by community-based or residential treatment, which cost less than the average $20,000 a year it costs to keep someone in prison. The report also criticizes the process by which repeat offenders are given much longer "enhanced" sentences. Those enhancements, which cause the prison sentence to be significantly inflated, do not take into consideration whether previous felonies were violent or not, or related to the current offense.

For example, Stanley Holmes, a 45-year-old Mississippi native, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being arrested for the third time in one year for possessing a small amount of crack cocaine. He received no drug treatment between arrests.

"I think it was way extensive," Holmes told The Republic about the sentence, which he said the Board of Executive Clemency recently recommended be reduced by the governor to three years. "I was not (to the point) that I could go back into society, work and maintain my taxpayer, citizen status and use rehabilitation."

FAMM points out in its report that Arizona's sentencing laws also do not distinguish between addicts who sell a small amount of drugs to fund their habit and those who are drug "kingpins."

For example, a drug addict convicted of selling a gram of cocaine with a previous possession charge faces a minimum sentence of 4.5 years. A major drug dealer caught selling a kilo of cocaine faces a minimum sentence of three years.

Lotstein said enhanced sentences are appropriate for repeat offenders like Holmes.

"The community has a right to be protected from people who commit crimes over and over again," he said.

FAMM said it hopes to work closely with state leaders to study and revise Arizona's sentencing policies, as it did recently in Michigan where most mandatory minimum drug statutes were repealed.

[SharpLS-96]

Known as "America's Toughest Sheriff," Arpaio's get-tough-on-criminals approach has made him wildly successful over the years as he has put inmates in tents and pink underwear, sent them to work on chain gangs and punished them with bread-and-water diets.

[stckyfngz]

Originally Posted by SharpLS-96

Known as "America's Toughest Sheriff," Arpaio's get-tough-on-criminals approach has made him wildly successful over the years as he has put inmates in tents and pink underwear, sent them to work on chain gangs and punished them with bread-and-water diets.

the pink underware is crazy, but it's not much wose then being dressed head to toe in a carrot suit

and the bread and water is meant to keep everyone small

Arizona sentencing practices hit hard at women and minorities, the report found. The number of women in prison grew 58% in the last five years, largely driven by imprisonment for drug and property offenses, while racial minorities fill the state's prisons in disproportionate numbers. Minorities constitute about one-third of the state's population, but more than half of all prisoners, and nearly two-thirds of all inmates held for drug or DUI offenses. (Because of Arizona's repeat offender provisions, the state imprisons a large number of repeat drunk drivers for long sentences -- 3.1 years on average.)

As a result of harsh sentencing practices, Arizona's prison population has increased more than 600% since 1980, nearly seven times faster than the state's overall population. According to the Arizona Department of Corrections, the state has the highest incarceration rate of any Western state, and last year, 80% of new admissions were for nonviolent offenders. Drug offenders accounted for 18% of all new admissions, with nearly 6,000 behind bars in the state for drug crimes. In the past decade, the amount of time they serve has increased from 23 months to 34 months.

The overcrowding does not appear to be merely a reflection of Arizona's rapid population growth. From 1980 to 2000, the state's population grew by about 90 percent, from 2.7 million to 5.1 million. During that same period, Arizona's inmate population grew by about 600 percent, from 3,859 inmates to more than 27,000, and has since crept up to 31,000 inmates.

Imprisoning those low-level criminals cost money -- money that the state of Arizona does not have. The corrections budget has increased twenty-fold since 1978, from $32 million to $638 million this fiscal year, the agency reported.

[TLW]

Originally Posted by LB Lex

Reading this quote made me laugh out loud

[mmarshall]

I'm getting sick and tired of hearing this bleeding-heart excuse of so many people being in prison " only " for drug violations.....as if there is nothing wrong with using illegal drugs. Although the legality of so-called " medicinal " marijuna is still being debated and is unclear in many areas, possesion and deliberate use of marijuana, opium, heroin, LSD, cocaine, and crack is not just an idle activity........It is a CRIMINAL offense....like it or not. Period. End of arguement. They will continue to be criminal offenses until the law is changed....and there is no real reason to change it. These substances are dangerous and harmful. ( So are alcohol and tobacco, but society has not yet seen fit to outlaw them for adults) You possess and use these substances, you go to prison and do your time. Do it again after you come out and you will go BACK......AGAIN. And if you STILL don't learn....three strikes and you are OUT.
My chief complaint is that the drug laws are not being enforced ENOUGH. Too many musicians, Hollywood entertainers, professional athletes, young people, and others are using them....sometimes on a daily basis.....and not getting caught or having to pay the price. This is a totally unacceptable situation that cannot be allowed to continue. It makes a mockery of drug laws. If you pass a law you have to ENFORCE it.
We need more prisons and prison space, for one. I myself am helping in this area.......I have several municipal bonds in my portfolio that are specifically for the construction of new prisons.

I know that some people stress rehibilitation over incarceration. I disagree....because doing so only gives the impression that it's OK to start using drugs and get hooked and that the laws don't really mean what they say.....the State or Federal Government will get you off with a Second Genesis program. An addict is addicted for one reason only...he or she STARTED using drugs.....and that act of STARTING to use them is a CRIMINAL activity, not a "social" problem. The first time you take a puff off a non-medically prescribed joint, you have committed a criminal offense and are eligible for jail time. This is why so many people are in jail......they were either not taught this forcefully enough or simply did not listen when they should have. This is SERIOUS buisness....and people HAVE to understand they can wind up in JAIL. Yes....a baby can be born addicted in some cases, but again....WHY? Because the MOTHER starting using drugs....a criminal offense. The mother, in this case, is unfit to be a mother.

OK....so much for my soap-box......didn't mean to get carried away. But I was just trying to make a point....that drug-users are in prison for a REASON.....not just politics.
I also practice what I preach. I myself respect drug laws.....I have never in my life so much as taken a puff on a joint.
So...I guess I could sum this whole litany up in one sentence......... No drugs, no jail.....simple as that.

[LB Lex]

Originally Posted by mmarshall

I'm getting sick and tired of hearing this bleeding-heart excuse of so many people being in prison " only " for drug violations.....as if there is nothing wrong with using illegal drugs. Although the legality of so-called " medicinal " marijuna is still being debated and is unclear in many areas, possesion and deliberate use of marijuana, opium, heroin, LSD, cocaine, and crack is not just an idle activity........It is a CRIMINAL offense....like it or not. Period. End of arguement. They will continue to be criminal offenses until the law is changed....and there is no real reason to change it. These substances are dangerous and harmful. ( So are alcohol and tobacco, but society has not yet seen fit to outlaw them for adults) You possess and use these substances, you go to prison and do your time. Do it again after you come out and you will go BACK......AGAIN. And if you STILL don't learn....three strikes and you are OUT.

I believe drug use (possibly aside from MJ, leads to other crimes) because in my area, a lot of junkies break into cars to steal anything they find so they can get a couple bucks to get another hit. They even take change out of the cars for crying out loud!!! I don't know the statistics behind this relation, but I'm pretty sure there is a strong correlation.

Originally Posted by mmarshall

I know that some people stress rehibilitation over incarceration. I disagree....because doing so only gives the impression that it's OK to start using drugs and get hooked and that the laws don't really mean what they say.....the State or Federal Government will get you off with a Second Genesis program. An addict is addicted for one reason only...he or she started USING drugs.....and that act of STARTING them alone is a CRIMINAL activity, not a "social" problem. Yes....a baby can be born addicted in some cases, but again....WHY? Because the MOTHER starting using drugs....a criminal offense. The mother, in this case, is unfit to be a mother.

I suppose your point is that education is were we should be concentrating our efforts, and I agree. Stop the problem before it arises.

[stckyfngz]

Originally Posted by mmarshall

I'm getting sick and tired of hearing this bleeding-heart excuse of so many people being in prison " only " for drug violations.....as if there is nothing wrong with using illegal drugs. Although the legality of so-called " medicinal " marijuna is still being debated and is unclear in many areas, possesion and deliberate use of marijuana, opium, heroin, LSD, cocaine, and crack is not just an idle activity........It is a CRIMINAL offense....like it or not. Period. End of arguement.

for you may be

so much for trying to solve a problem

yes waging war on our own poplulation is such a smart idea

question: do you drive above the speed limit?

Originally Posted by mmarshall

My chief complaint is that the drug laws are not being enforced ENOUGH. Too many musicians, Hollywood entertainers, professional athletes, young people, and others are using them....sometimes on a daily basis.....and not getting caught or having to pay the price. This is a totally unacceptable situation that cannot be allowed to continue. It makes a mockery of drug laws. If you pass a law you have to ENFORCE it.
We need more prisons and prison space, for one. I myself am helping in this area.......I have several municipal bonds in my portfolio that are specifically for the construction of new prisons.

the law makes a mockery of itself

trying to legislate what people do in their house behind closed doors is stupid

we already lock up a higher percentage of our population then any other Western Nation and you want to lock up more?

hell Winston Churchill ran his country's day to day operations three sheets to wind. Some people are just different

Originally Posted by mmarshall

I know that some people stress rehibilitation over incarceration. I disagree....because doing so only gives the impression that it's OK to start using drugs and get hooked and that the laws don't really mean what they say.....the State or Federal Government will get you off with a Second Genesis program. An addict is addicted for one reason only...he or she STARTED using drugs.....and that act of STARTING to use them is a CRIMINAL activity, not a "social" problem. The first time you take a puff off a non-medically prescribed joint, you have committed a criminal offense and are eligible for jail time. This is why so many people are in jail......they were either not taught this forcefully enough or simply did not listen when they should have. This is SERIOUS buisness....and people HAVE to understand they can wind up in JAIL.

jails should be for people who are dangers to society

I hardly call smoking a joint and watching a movie criminal, but you go ahead

and you can send these people to lock down rehabs, where they can't leave and are forced to live by tough rules. Not too mention these rehabs introduce people to AA and NA.

Rehabs can be jail for drug addicts, you just have to put forth some time effort and BRAIN power and may be we can solve some problems rather then locking them up and TRYING to forget about them.

[stckyfngz]

Originally Posted by LB Lex

Stop the problem before it arises.

never going to happen IMO

most people learn from their own mistakes not those of others

locking up non-violent criminals with violent criminals only creates violent criminals

they only learn how to get "higher" and where to buy it

plus it serves no purpose to put non-rehabilitate criminals back on the street...isn't that the point of jail?

[mmarshall]

Originally Posted by stckyfngz

yes waging war on our own poplulation is such a smart idea

the law makes a mockery of itself

trying to legislate what people do in their house behind closed doors is stupid

jails should be for people who are dangers to society

I hardly call smoking a joint and watching a movie criminal, but you go ahead

just don't complain when your taxes go up to pay for it

This is not a war on people. it is a war on that which DESTROYS people. And that's the problem. Too many people cohabitate with the enemy....drugs. This is a war on drugs, not people. Now.....what do you do with people who co-habitate with and become part of the enemy ? EXACTLY....you lock them up.The anti-drug laws don't just exist in a vaccum for nothing, or because somebody decided out of thin air that we were going to go after drug-users for nothing.....they are there for a REASON. Drugs are the enemy of society. You are correct that they have been an exceedingly difficult enemy to deal with, but it has to be done. I for one would not want to live in a society with legal drugs.....things are bad enough the way it is NOW.....with illegal drugs.
I am not the one calling smoking a joint illegal...you can't pin that on ME. Drug laws were in effect LONG before both you and I were born. I simply respect them. Our elected representatives make and enforce laws....I don't. But unlike you, I can see why the war on drugs is being fought. I've also seen what it does to people.....a number of the people I grew up with and went to school with are dead.
Now...as for the issue of my taxes going up......I have ALREADY given thousands of my own dollars to buy municipal bonds to support new prison construction. I haven't complained one bit.

[stckyfngz]

Originally Posted by mmarshall

This is not a war on people. it is a war on that which DESTROYS people. And that's the problem. Too many people cohabitate with the enemy....drugs. This is a war on drugs, not people. Now.....what do you do with people who co-habitate with and become part of the enemy ? EXACTLY....you lock them up.The anti-drug laws don't just exist in a vaccum for nothing, or because somebody decided out of thin air that we were going to go after drug-users for nothing.....they are there for a REASON. Drugs are the enemy of society. You are correct that they have been an exceedingly difficult enemy to deal with, but it has to be done. I for one would not want to live in a society with legal drugs.....things are bad enough the way it is NOW.....with illegal drugs.
I am not the one calling smoking a joint illegal...you can't pin that on ME. Drug laws were in effect LONG before both you and I were born. I simply respect them. Our elected representatives make and enforce laws....I don't. But unlike you, I can see why the war on drugs is being fought. I've also seen what it does to people.....a number of the people I grew up with and went to school with are dead.
Now...as for the issue of my taxes going up......I have ALREADY given thousands of my own dollars to buy municipal bonds to support new prison construction. I haven't complained one bit.

this isn't giving secrets to the Russians...it's doing something bad to yourself

it's a war on people because rather then help them we lock them up

then we release them early on parole knowing they will come back

have you ever read the rules of being on parole? I dare to say half this board couldn't stay out of jail if they had to live by those rules

hey I know why the Drug War still exists...BIG MONEY...think of all the jobs that would be lost if they cancelled the war on drugs

plus you can add the prison system to the lists of BIG BUISNESS, it's a huge money maker and they only way to make money is to keep the prisons full