Loading ...“A panel of three federal judges, saying overcrowding in state prisons has deprived inmates of their right to adequate healthcare, tentatively ruled Monday that the state must reduce the population in those lockups by as many as 57,000 people,” according to the L.A. Times.
Why don’t we just revise Three Strikes and decriminalize marijuana?
The State Legislative Analyst reported that “44 percent of all inmate strikers were convicted of a serious or violent current offense, while 56 percent were convicted of non-serious or nonviolent offenses.” Should we really be locking people up for live for non-serious, nonviolent offenses? Does that really make any sense? The Analyst’s report also suggested that it is almost impossible to prove that Three Strikes has even lowered crime!
With regard to marijuana, the L.A. Times reported yesterday that “Young men who began using marijuana as adolescents or who smoked pot at least once a week were twice as likely as those who never used the drug to develop testicular cancer,” according to a new medical study, so why would you want to smoke pot anyway?
It is time for our state legislators and Governor to bring change to our prison system by revising Three Strikes and decriminalizing pot – our state is in crisis and we need change now!
See, Art, the government put all those pot puffers in prison so they don’t get cancer. Government loves you.
John,
Even worse, once they do get cancer the taxpayers will have to pay for their medical care! We better let them loose before that happens…
I don’t think that anyone is in prison for the sole offense of smoking pot.
Junior,
Read the state legislative analyst’s report. Drug possession is a BIG reason why so many people are in jail.
Art – Do you mean drug possession with intent to sell?
junior,
I am not sure what the analyst was specifying. The report only made reference of possession, not intent.
I am fairly certain that those in prison for “possession” are not just users – they are dealers.
junior,
1. That’s a lot of dealers.
2. Apparently many of them will be released early, as per the judges’ orders.
3. Is pot really the biggest threat in the state?
4. And finally, what are you basing this on? I have not found any evidence to support this claim.
If drugs were decriminalized, the jails would not be filled with dealers. End of overcrowding.
Art said: “4. And finally, what are you basing this on?”
Art – I have not seen your evidence that those in prison for drug offenses are primarily just pot smokers.
Art said: “3. Is pot really the biggest threat in the state?”
No, the biggest threat the state is the California Legislature.
You’re smoking something Art. This is typical libertarianism. Can’t fix it, so we’ll pretend to make things better by saying its not wrong anymore…
Good job!
California! Want more of these great ideas? Vote Libertarian or Democrat for Governor in 2010!!!