United States aka: Penal Colony

[Momo]

staggering Statistics

By James Vicini, Reuters

WASHINGTON (Dec. 9) -- Tough sentencing laws, record numbers of drug offenders and high crime rates have contributed to the United States having the largest prison population and the highest rate of incarceration in the world, according to criminal justice experts.

At the end of last year, the U.S. had 2.2 million people in jail, more than any other nation. One in every 32 American adults was in jail, on probation or on parole.

The U.S. incarceration rate of 737 per 100,000 people is the highest in the world. Many Western industrial nations imprison around 100 per 100,000 people.

China ranks second with 1.5 million prisoners, though it's population is about 1.3 billion, more than four times that of the United States. Russia ranks third with 870,000 inmates.

Drug offenders account for about 2 million of the 7 million in prison, on probation or parole in the U.S. "We now imprison more people for drug law violations than all of western Europe...incarcerates for all offenses," said Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance

 

[Hell_Awaits]

You know what that means. Legalize it. Decriminalize it.

 

[SueNC]

You know what that means. Legalize it. Decriminalize it.

yes... make things like rape, robbery and murder legal, so nobody has to ever be arrested!

GREAT PLAN, GUY!

 

[ZeeZooZum]

yes... make things like rape, robbery and murder legal, so nobody has to ever be arrested!

GREAT PLAN, GUY!

God, you are stupid. That's not what he meant.

 

[Dead Winter]

I'm sure he was speaking about marijuana, being that it's quite a harmless drug in the grand scheme of things and that US typically throws the book at smaller offenses such as these.

 

[Buzzard]

The biggest reason they are in jail is because of FREEDOM.

FREEDOM = Acting Responsible!!!!

 

[Dead Winter]

I second that as well. If you act like a dumbass, you get what's coming to you.

 

[Hell_Awaits]

yes... make things like rape, robbery and murder legal, so nobody has to ever be arrested!

GREAT PLAN, GUY!

I'm talking about legalizing drugs a victim less crime.

 

[Dr.TEETH]

All drugs should be legal.
If there is no victim, there is no crime.

 

[Dr.TEETH]

I can't believe that China has a much smaller percentage of prisoners.
Maybe the political dissidents just get executed.

 

[Arg_Hamster]

I can't believe that China has a much smaller percentage of prisoners.
Maybe the political dissidents just get executed.

Or sent to "work" in a toy factory as part of their "rehabilitation".

 

[SueNC]

I'm talking about legalizing drugs a victim less crime.

ssoooo... when somebody gets robbed because of a drug addict's need to finance their habit... that's a victimless crime?

when some freak on a meth binge gets in a car and slams into a family of four on the highway, killing them all... that's a victimless crime?

when somebody on PCP flips out and slashes the next person they encounter with a box cutter... that's a victimless crime??

wow.


btw, i'm sure all those drug offenders in prison arent just dealing in 'harmless' weed.

Billy had it right.

 

[schenkadere]

ssoooo... when somebody gets robbed because of a drug addict's need to finance their habit... that's a victimless crime?

when some freak on a meth binge gets in a car and slams into a family of four on the highway, killing them all... that's a victimless crime?

when somebody on PCP flips out and slashes the next person they encounter with a box cutter... that's a victimless crime??

wow.


btw, i'm sure all those drug offenders in prison arent just dealing in 'harmless' weed.

Billy had it right.

I agree for the most part. Marijuana usage appears victimless, but most likely someone somewhere in the world died to get that pot to you so you can enjoy your high. If it was legalized, there would still be illegal trafficking, and in turn people in prison, paroled or on probation due to drug related incidents. Legalization would have to be so strictly enforced that it would probably result in even more arrests.

As Billy said...Be responsible and you'll be fine.

 

[Hell_Awaits]

ssoooo... when somebody gets robbed because of a drug addict's need to finance their habit... that's a victimless crime?

when some freak on a meth binge gets in a car and slams into a family of four on the highway, killing them all... that's a victimless crime?

when somebody on PCP flips out and slashes the next person they encounter with a box cutter... that's a victimless crime??

wow.


btw, i'm sure all those drug offenders in prison arent just dealing in 'harmless' weed.

Billy had it right.

Thats a law enforcement issue. If someone is getting behind the wheel intoxicated make tougher laws aginst driving while intoxicated. Thats going to happen whether the sustance there on is legal or illegal.

 

[SueNC]

Thats a law enforcement issue. If someone is getting behind the wheel intoxicated make tougher laws aginst driving while intoxicated. Thats going to happen whether the sustance there on is legal or illegal.

right... so let's keep it illegal and make the penalties for breaking the law harsh.

 

[OldScratch]

I can't believe that China has a much smaller percentage of prisoners.
Maybe the political dissidents just get executed.

China doesn't have 80 million "minorities" living in their inner-cities to contend with, as does the US. If one could extrapolate out urban "street-crime"(what a clever euphamism) America would be, on a per-capita basis, no more criminally inclined than any civilized nation - less so, likely. Naturally, this must go unspoken in the mainstream, for the obvious reasons.
*Still, I would decriminalize many drugs also, though I am personally against their usage, the "war on ****** has been an astronomically expensive exercise in futility.

 

[schenkadere]

China doesn't have 80 million "minorities" living in their inner-cities to contend with, as does the US. If one could extrapolate out urban "street-crime"(what a clever euphamism) America would be, on a per-capita basis, no more criminally inclined than any civilized nation - less so, likely. Naturally, this must go unspoken in the mainstream, for the obvious reasons.
*Still, I would decriminalize many drugs also, though I am personally against their usage, the "war on ****** has been an astronomically expensive exercise in futility.

Bully! Great points!

 

[Dead Winter]

Legalization would have to be so strictly enforced that it would probably result in even more arrests.

As Billy said...Be responsible and you'll be fine.

So why doesn't this happen in Amsterdam? Smoke it only in the shops, it's expensive, it's taxed, and it's legal. It's illegal to have above a certain amoutn of it on your person, but you can smoke it in the shops. If you score something from someone, you take it to the "drug police", they test it, and they tell you if it's dangerous or if it's safe to take. For instance, you score some Ecstasy or whatever from someone, but you don't know them. Take it to them and they test it and tell you if you're going to die from anything other than the normal effects of the drug, basically. Surprisingly, not many Dutch people do drugs...it doesn't interest them.

 

[MyHatred]

Surprisingly, not many Dutch people do drugs...it doesn't interest them.

Exactly! Once you take the criminal element out of it, it doesn't appeal to people so much. It is much like when you drink underage. It seems more fun because you know you are breaking the law and being rebellious. Once a person turns 21, it usually doesn't seem as fun to drink. I honestly think hard drugs should remain illegal but I don't see anything wrong with someone taking a few puffs of a "jazz cigarette" every once in awhile. I have yet to encounter a violent pothead but have encountered more than a few violent drunks.

 

[Hell_Awaits]

right... so let's keep it illegal and make the penalties for breaking the law harsh.

By making drugs illegal you infringe on the rights of people that can do drugs and behave in a safe rational manner. That is not the American way.