And The Nevada View doesn’t mean that in a good way
Nevada faces budget problems and the answers being touted by conservatives aim only to serve a self-defeating purpose for our state. As social services are being cut under Republican policy decisions, we have been and will be seeing a rise in overall costs to our state budget and growth in our prison populations.
Over the past 30-40 years, the U.S. has actually seen a decrease in crime, particularly with violent crimes. Yet the populations of our prisons have skyrocketed. The percentage of Americans in the prison system has much more than doubled since 1985.
I’d like to put forth that the reason the crime rate has dropped is because criminals are IN prison, so are unable to rob, rape, and murder people like Justin McAffee, the editorial writer.
Evidence shows a link between incarceration rates and conservative policy. The CATO institute’s rating of “economic freedom†(a/k/a conservative tax and deregulation policies) shows a correlation with the spike in prison populations.
Or, it could be that Conservatives are more interested in locking up the bad guys, rather than using liberal ideas, like cookies, low fat all natural milk, and self esteem classes.
Incarceration rates are higher in states controlled by Republican legislatures and governors. Congressional policy making by Republicans in 1994 creating stricter mandatory minimum sentences has left the United States as the nation with the highest percentage of its population in prison in the entire world.
You’d think locking up criminals would be a good thing. Only in Liberal World is it not. Obviously, the Liberal alternative is higher taxes, more money for liberal education……say, why are crime rates so much higher in areas controlled by liberals?
Damn them Republicans! if there were no laws, no one would be in prison…would be a lot of suckers shot full of holes though… Most of us just don’t do a whole lot of talking.
Get the vote! Liberate our political prisoners held with false convictions of murder, rape, theft and voting GOP…er forget the last.
The majority of people in prison are there because of our idiot drug laws. We need to eliminate the war on drugs and begin the process of legalizing medications. This would reduce our need for the medical industry and allow people to take care of themselves.
Lot’s of people in prison? Guess that helps explain the steadily declining crime rate in the annual FBI stats.
Why is that a bad thing? Other than the expense of keeping them there. A more “liberal” application of the death penalty would help – say, sentence executed within 2 months? (pun intended)
Hmm, let’s compare the crime rates for say… Oklahoma City versus Chicago or Detroit.
Believe it or not, Oklahoma is not a staunch Republican run state. We just have alot of CONSERVATIVE thinking. We also have our debates on prison funding. But, we also don’t believe that letting people go is the answer either.
Hey I know, if we are going to let people walk on drug charges,… then how about common theft? How about ignoring lying to the gov’t? Or, why are we throwing people in jail for not having licenses? You know, assault is just two people getting in to an argument, why throw people in jail for that? And, why should we arrest people who drink? Drinking is not illegal!!! So why make it illegal to HAVE drunk something?
And, while we are at it, why is it really illegal to have shoot-outs? That again is just two people, or a group of people, letting their frustrations out and attempting to settle an argument. If that argument is settled, and one side’s argument wins, then is there really a loser? WHy throw those people in jail for having a stronger opinion and having a willingness to defend that opinion?
If we just stop throwing people in prison for these stupid silly reasons, then we have solved our funding problem.
Simple, huh?!
Vlame reagan for the drug laws. Violent crime convictions are going down , but drug convictions and sentences are still going up. More than 80% of the people in CA who are doing life under the 3 strikes law were convicted of non violent crimes,
John,
Once again you are wrong. The drug laws that we currently have were the result of Wilson. Most of the freedom that we have lost over the last 100 years is either secondary to Wilson or FDR. Wilson passed a massive drug bill in 1913. It was unique in the world. No one had even dreamed that a government had the power to prevent people from caring for themselves. Subsequent to this, many presidents have added to the monster. And Reagan did add to this, however, it was Nixon who formed the DEA (at the advice of Elvis).
The fact is that we don’t need these drug laws and regulations. Without them we would spend only a fraction on law enforcement and prisons. People would also be able to get medication without hassel and without fear of violating the laws. I have to take pain medications for a chronic disorder. I am lucky not to be arrested whenever I go to the drugstore because of the stupidity of our leaders. Only 10% of individuals have a tendency to abuse drugs. Yet 100% of the population are being punished. We need to get government out of medicine in all ways.