by James C. Sherlock
The Associated Press published an article by the always-reliable Sarah Rankin yesterday. It was headlined:
Virginia law stops early inmate releases, angering families
Let’s conduct a contest.
Take a minute and guess to whose families the headline refers, victims or convicted criminals.
Time’s up. It seems we have a unanimous set of winners.
(comments below)
(comments below)
One way to stop crime is to lock them up and make them do hard time. Go to jail and you have two choices chain gang or school classes. No a/c and no weights.
Here is the actual article for anybody interested. https://sports.yahoo.com/virginia-law-stops-early-inmate-110413977.html#:~:text=Relatives%20and%20other%20inmate%20advocates,RICHMOND%2C%20Va.
Of course , we spend 3 times as much to imprison someone than to educate them….
Not saying that all violent offenders would never have come that but if you read about their “crimes’ very, very few of them were rich/economically secure and the school-to-prison pipeline part of the equation.
What I’d really like to better understand is if Virginia is typical for that many violent offenders compared to other states and compared to other countries.
In general, if someone is a violent offender, it matters to me the circumstances and if it is a one-off or they have a life of violent offenses.
I have no trouble keeping folks in jail that have a life of violent offenses but
if we can reduce the number that end up on that path in life, we should.
LG – what is necessary to be designated a ‘life of violent offenses’ — a second victim? a third? a fourteenth?
I guess those who are hurt because the miscreant wasn’t in jail are just part of the cost of ‘social justice’?
Pundits tend to speak ex cathedra for individuals and families of victims. While not a tidal wave, there have been a number of instances where victim relations have agreed with releases and even expressed forgiveness. Pundits should take a step back before contributing to hard line divisions on this issue and exacerbating views. The imprisoned remain a social responsibility even if we deny them a vote and a living wage for their labor.
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
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