More inmates imprisoned than ever

...except by saying, If you can't do the time, Don't do the crime. Why is the majority of society blamed for the actions of a few people who can't play by the rules. We really have about another 25 years until this Country is done. It would not be so damn expensive if they didn't get cable, air conditioning, hot water, phones( you want to talk,then talk on your own dime, if your daddy is in jail go see him in person). Example; Population of Belize 250,000+ Prison Population 1100 Reason: It's a third world country that can't afford to pay for cable, air conditioning etc...and the people know that, also 1/2 lb of "ganga" got a man 2 1/2 years. Go figure, bad Prison conditions+stiff sentences=less prisoners(New World Math folks)

Again...let's not put the blame where it belongs. Until people are held accountable for their own actions, we will continue to have these problems. How many chances are these drug users/dealers suppose to get? How many chances are theives suppose to get? I say, if someone get's caught stealing three times you lose a hand

Two words for ya. Chain Gang.. Put these idiots to work. Our roads here in Brunswick County are full of trash. Give me a few of them for a week I have a lot of work around the house I need done. Hell I'm paying for them to be housed I might as well get some use out of them.

mandatory sentencing at first glance,mandatory sentencing seemed like a good idea. and it is....but not in every case. if you have never been involved in the criminal court system you have no idea how the laws really work.take some time and look at the charts they use for minimum sentencing.take a look at these websites for some eye opening info....http://www.sentencingproject.org/ and http://www.famm.org/ so many things in this world are not black and white. there are gray areas and mandatory sentencing brings up alot of gray areas. much of the focus has been on the drug, especially crack cocaine side of mandatory sentencing. but there are other areas where it is just as,if not doing more harm than good. laws are complicated. things are not always as they seem. mandatory sentencing only serves to overpopulate prisons,drive up the costs of budgeting those prisons,not get the especially non violent offenders the help and programs they need to stay out of prison, and the court system; tie up the court systems, and feed lawyers more money because more cases go to trial since offenders dont want to take a plea bargain for mandatory time with no chance of getting out early. Even if they have rehabilitated months, or years before their sentence is up,or perhaps,even before the walk to the cell door after sentencing just by learning from their first mistake. which,can and does happen with some people. the study just released says one out of a hundred people in the united states are incarerated. is this because we are really taking criminals off the streets,or because the laws have become more and more extreme?we hear so much about repeat offenders.do they really and truly like the roof over their head, three square meals that much, or are we not addressing the underlying problems? or does being incarcerated for a young non violent person screw with their mental ability,or give them more criminal tendencies living,eating,sleeping,breathing with other more seasoned criminals?? intensive probation---where the probation officers dont have heavy workloads so they can do their jobs and keep it intensive.....house arrests.....these are things that can be done along with mandatory counseling,drug programs,mental health treatment,community service,to keep a non violent light offender supporting his/herself,their family,(so we dont have to,with tax dollars),to pay any restitution ,fines,while they work a mandatory job. save the mandatory sentences for when and who they are useful,not a blanket over every single charge.

at first glance,mandatory sentencing seemed like a good idea. and it is....but not in every case. if you have never been involved in the criminal court system you have no idea how the laws really work.take some time and look at the charts they use for minimum sentencing.take a look at these websites for some eye opening info....http://www.sentencingproject.org/ and http://www.famm.org/--------------------if it is your husband,son,wife,daughter and the punishment doesnt fit the crime,it is a whole different story. so many things in this world are not black and white. there are gray areas and mandatory sentencing only serves to overpopulate prisons,drive up the costs of budgeting those prisons,not get the especially non violent people the help and programs they need to stay out of prison and the court system,tie up the court systems even more, and feed lawyers more money because more cases go to trial because people accused dont want to take a plea bargain for mandatory time with no chance of getting out early.

Then lets crank up ole sparky and clear out death row.

Meanwhile,people who don't belong there have to wait for those who really belong there to get their case heard. Some fall thru the crack because of this. Lawyers need to step it up, they DO get paid for this. Severe cases should stay in jail, less severe ones should get on House Arrest until their case gets heard.I know of one case where the court date was continued 4 times already and the inmate always had to go back to jail to wait for the next court date, what's up with that? Not the inmates fault is it???