Incarceration in the US

[Charles]

Law enforcement and corrections is an industry. And one of the few which is expanding.

Chas

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Charles

Law enforcement and corrections is an industry. And one of the few which is expanding.

Chas

but it does not need to

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by Charles

Law enforcement and corrections is an industry. And one of the few which is expanding.

Chas

But among government services that are candidates for privatization, aren't these two the most dangerous - to our liberty. I can imagine a police force of Pinkerton boys and the reintroduction of debtors prisons.

Regards,

D-Ray

[BlueStreak]

Why is it that the folks who like to complain that our prisons are too posh and swanky never seem to be in a hurry to go live in one?

'Cuz, maybe, deep down inside, even they know they are full of shyte?

Dave

[merrylander]

What bugs me is that being caught with a small amount of maryjane can get you a long sentence. Commiting robbery with a gun gets littlle more than a slap on the wrist. Any crime commited with a gun should send you upriver for 10 years or more.

[piece-itpete]

What more does a jail need, than be (generally) clean and (absolutely) secure? In another life I've seen the inside of a couple of them. If someone wanted the taxpayers to get us a new flatscreen with surround and perhaps a t-bone or two we'd have been fine with it, but most would've said 'suckers' under their breath.

That said, I was in one in partic that was truly awful, disgustingly filthy, and a darn good candidate for being a poster boy for privatization. But most are indeed clean.

Comb, I'm fine with my local cops knocking some heads, in general. But over here at least, a large amount of them no longer work for us, they work for the system. D, this is where I both agree and disagree with you. It doesn't have to be privatized to become corrupt. Police - judges - fines - pay police - judges - fines ad infinum.

Wait till MAD gets their way and illegal BOC gets dropped to .05%. Then we can stick all kinds of suburban housewives in jail and clean out their savings accounts.

Pete

[merrylander]

When the states started making Noknock warrants legal was when the system started downhill. Despite the Justice department's arguments it does violate the 4th Ammendment. A little considered argument against noknock is that it also violates the 6th Ammendment because the police will never tell you who told them that you had drugs in the house.

If they do find anything they get to keep all of your possessions, so naturally they are bound to "find" something - even if they have to bring it with them.

[piece-itpete]

Rob, surely your not saying the police would ever do anything not perfectly legal? Shocked, shocked I am

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Rob, surely your not saying the police would ever do anything not perfectly legal? Shocked, shocked I am

Pete

Come visit Prince George's County, MD. Their police force is kind of a cross between the Gestapo and the Keystone Cops. Really.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Come visit Prince George's County, MD. Their police force is kind of a cross between the Gestapo and the Keystone Cops. Really.

But leave your dogs at home.