The greedy, corrupt prison lobbyists and their bosses are back at it again using false and misleading statements and statistics to scare the public into pushing even more nonviolent, diseased drug addicts into long term sentences. It has been evident over the years that these lobbyists and their cronies will fill their expensive prison "hotels" at any cost. These institutions have become some of the best schools in America, teaching nonviolent drug offenders how to become hardened-criminals, ultimately becoming life-long card members of their finest "hotels." That is exactly why we worked for years on reforming the Rockefeller Drug Laws, so we would no longer treat our most vulnerable the same way we treat those who are real threats to our public safety. Through drug courts, rehabilitation and the end of mandatory minimum sentences we have made much progress since 2009, however, the full implementation of the reforms is still a ways away.
The statistics stated in today's New York Post op-ed "Why Crime's Rising: Drug Law 'Reform' Plaguing NY" by former Rockland County District Attorney Michael E. Bongiorno are grossly misrepresented. Mr. Bongiorno's position that crime is rising in certain parts of our state because of drug law reform is unfounded and based on assumptions, rather than facts. His entire argument is based on the increase of violent crimes, however, the vast majority (close to 75 percent) of those incarcerated for drug offenses have never been convicted of a violent felony.
Fewer than 600 people have been released under the Rockefeller Drug Law Reforms, and those re-sentenced under the reforms have remarkably low rates of return to prison -- less than 9 percent, compared to an overall recidivism rate of nearly 40 percent -- and generally for parole violations, not the commission of new crimes. These ugly stereotypes about drug offenders, that most are violent criminals, is one for the Reagan/Bush years... we no longer believe the hype.
The "War on Drugs" and the "Rockefeller Drug Laws" were major failures of our society. In New York, both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have recognized these failures and have been strong supporters of the present reformation of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. We waged WAR against our own people and that war has destroyed our communities. 94 percent of those statewide and 97 percent of those in New York City convicted of drug offenses are black and Latino, even though blacks and whites sell and use drugs at the same rate. We now understand how the war was fought, with phase one being the misleading and manipulating of the public. Phase two is to legally bribe, through lobbying and "fundraising," for our elected officials who ultimately put terrible, destructive, racist laws on the books so they can continue to fill their "hotels."
This is a new America. An America that believes that drug addiction is a disease and not a crime. We will no longer subject ourselves to the old ways of destruction. We will fight for a fair justice system that uplifts our people from the drug war devastation of the past 39 years.
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Criminal Law Reform - American Civil Liberties Union
Drug Law Reform | American Civil Liberties Union
Rockefeller Drug Law Reform | New York Civil Liberties Union ...
Child support is based on a mathematical formula where both parent's income is accounted, each parent pays a proportional share of their income, which amounts to the average of the child's needs, usually on a per month basis.
Dad makes $2,000/mo.
Mom makes $1,000/mo.
Child needs $400/mo.
Dad would pay $300.00
Mom would pay $100.00
For total of $400.00/mo. Child Support
So, in most cases the parent paying the child support to the custodial parent is not paying the TOTAL amount it takes to support the child, because the custodial parent's income is also taken into account.
As for the dealers - it should be a capital crime with the only penalty allowed being the death sentence.
The prison industry that exists actually leads to communities and governments not helping people get educations, off the streets, or mental health care. Since prison lobbyist convince people that money is better spent on prisons.
There is that old expression. "you can pay now or pay later". I would rather see my tax money going towards improving schools and free college education for qualified students, low or no cost national health care including mental, dying with dignity, effective family planning and pro choice, and abolishing the death penalty. For people who yell about costs don't realize these rights in the long run cost much, much less than the alternatives, they just don't want to believe it.
We are a short sighted country and we are now paying the price. Call me a liberal, for me there would be no higher compliment.
Someone makes a choice to put a substance in their body, and my Tax Dollars are supposed to pay 50k per year to house this individual in a prison, that cost millions of Tax dollars to build.
So lets tie property taxes to incarceration the same way we do with education and see what happens. Let see how many conservatives will be willing to house addicts with no treatment.
It's like shooting fish in a barrel - too easy.
The jig is up!
http://www.nola.com/prisons/
Shameful. Just shameful.
So is mental illness.
And in some states....credit card debt.
Racing toward the 16th century...
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/136565/breast_cancer_survivor_thrown_in