Gov Daniels Wants To Shorten Sentences For Non-Violent Drug Offenders

[mrjarrell]

It would save money and it's the right thing to do. Of course those who benefit from the drug war prosecutions are against it. They don't want to be seen as "soft on crime", it might hurt their political chances come election time. Of course these same people don't actually like the idea of just sentencing. Justice is a foreign concept to them.

Prosecutors group assails proposal to cut prison sentences | The Indianapolis Star | IndyStar.com

 

[PatriotPride]

I agree with it. It's a solid proposal all-around.

 

[level.eleven]

Holy crap. I am paying for a man to be incarcerated for 20-50 years for owning 3 grams of blow? In Ohio it is up to 1 year. That's interesting to me as I thought the sentences would be much closer. Seems like sentencing guidelines are rather arbitrary.

 

[thej27]

It's about time. Drug crimes have just become an easy win for some prosecutors and law enforcement. No matter what the drug is or the amount seized or the history of the suspect the prosecutors will say "Hey could you imagine all the horrible things he/she could have done while high." Thus making it look like they took a dangerous person off the street instead of really just a neighbor down the road.

 

[88GT]

I agree with it. It's a solid proposal all-around.

And potentially the kick that gets the ball rolling for others to do the same. Maybe even enough that the criminality of it changes a bit too. Maybe. Then again, logic and common sense have never played a role in these kinds of things either.

 

[kwatters]

I never understood why drug offenses carried bigger penalties many times than violent crime.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

Yes it is about time. Glad this is going somewhere. Non-Violent drug offenders need rehab not prison where they learn to become violent drug offenders.

everyone who agrees is getting rep, til i run out.

 

[E5RANGER375]

smart man that mitch daniels is. the next best thing would be to decriminalize marijuana.

maybe they should start looking into making not paying child support unjailible too. or to make it fair start locking up ho's that spread their legs and get knocked up for the child support $$.


Also lets go after these welfare abusers more aggressively.

Im all for cutting cost!!

 

[loony1]

about ****ing time!

 

[nate1865]

Back in the day corporal punishment would have been an option.

 

[loony1]

Yes it is about time. Glad this is going somewhere. Non-Violent drug offenders need rehab not prison where they learn to become violent drug offenders.

everyone who agrees is getting rep, til i run out.

lol, i fully agree but pass the rep on to others

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

Back in the day corporal punishment would have been an option.

why would you post something like that?

 

[Keyser Soze]

What sold me on this...The last 6 years to three months of any felons sentence will be spent in a rehabilitation program/strict monitoring program. Relapses are most common six months or less. I do hope there intention is to focus more resources on other offenses.

 

[grimor]

As someone who doesn't do drugs but thinks weed should be legal, I would say that if you're in for ONLY POSSESSION and not distribution, you should just get out now (unless you have a "criminal past") If you're in for distribution of weed, you should get out now. If you're in for distribution/mfg review the cases and make a determination based on priors.

 

[Ashkelon]

It will be difficult for this to get traction. The Prosecuting Attorneys are very much against the proposal. Arguing about "safety" when really its about their own political futures and platforms they ran on to get elected.

Daniels is commenting no further and unless he personally pushes these guys politically it seems doomed to failure or a very watered down version with little to no real impact.

I have been following it for months and it is now splintering into political factions with nobody wanting to step up and do the right thing. Everyone is CYA in their own little fiefdoms of influence without having skin in the game.

Great idea fiscally and socially but looking like it will be sabotaged from the inside out.

 

[Ramen]

It will be difficult for this to get traction. The Prosecuting Attorneys are very much against the proposal. Arguing about "safety" when really its about their own political futures and platforms they ran on to get elected.

Daniels is commenting no further and unless he personally pushes these guys politically it seems doomed to failure or a very watered down version with little to no real impact.

I have been following it for months and it is now splintering into political factions with nobody wanting to step up and do the right thing. Everyone is CYA in their own little fiefdoms of influence without having skin in the game.

Great idea fiscally and socially but looking like it will be sabotaged from the inside out.

This is not surprising since Indiana's elected officials ares addicted to incarcerating people. Instead of doing the right thing and stopping this "Do drugs get prison for life" insanity we are finding more ways to put people in prison.

 

[Expat]

This is just crazy talk. Why let out these vicious pot smokers out and make room to keep murderers, rapists and child molesters longer? Can you imagine the chaos caused by the increased sells of Doritos... Our society may collapse.

 

[Disposable Heart]

Expat, lol, VICIOUS!

Still waiting for someone to come along and scream "libtard"!

 

[Leadeye]

I'll really have to see more detail on this before forming an opinion, the big number for me would be to know how many times prosecutors are convicting defendants on drug possesion charges as a part of another crime simply because the possesion charge is easy to prove.

 

[Regionnus Rattis]

How stupid can you get allowing this to happen? A drug dealer is committing a "soft crime"? These scum get kids, adults, etc. hooked on cocaine & meth and ruins the lives of those they get hooked, if not in essence killing them because they've overdosed on the stuff. Drug dealers are killers and murderers just as much as the other guys for "hard crimes"