Senate passes sweeping criminal justice reform bill

[Sparko]

Jail isn't a great place to be, but you get free food, free place to sleep out of the elements, free clothing, free cable TV, don't have to work....

Beats being on the streets. Some people quite deliberately break the law upon getting released so they can go back. Sometime I suspect that our jail population is so high mostly because it's not such a bad place to be compared to other parts of the world.

If Starlight had his way, we would all be in "jail" with free food and not having to work!

[Cow Poke]

Reminds me of a neighboring county who was building a new county jail, and applied for a bunch of federal grants.

Grants, of course, come with strings attached.

The jail could not be a "jail", it had to be a "correctional facility", and not have ANY bars, must have color TV available, air conditioning... all kinds of stipulations. Also, there had to be a "window square footage to floor square footage" ratio that provided natural light and views to the outside.

Oh, and recreation equipment like a pool table.

The first week they were open, they had 7 "jailbreaks" -- the biggest of which was when some prisoners pulled up the slate top of the pool table and threw it through the plexiglass window of the rec room, and 21 prisoners escaped.

I stopped by there one day to pick up a prisoner for trial, and asked to speak to the jail captain. The sergeant told me, "last time I saw him he was at the back fence yelling 'y'all come back'".

It was not unusual for one of our arrestees to ask "can you book me a room in the _________ county jail, please"

[Sparko]

Reminds me of a neighboring county who was building a new county jail, and applied for a bunch of federal grants.

Grants, of course, come with strings attached.

The jail could not be a "jail", it had to be a "correctional facility", and not have ANY bars, must have color TV available, air conditioning... all kinds of stipulations. Also, there had to be a "window square footage to floor square footage" ratio that provided natural light and views to the outside.

Oh, and recreation equipment like a pool table.

The first week they were open, they had 7 "jailbreaks" -- the biggest of which was when some prisoners pulled up the slate top of the pool table and threw it through the plexiglass window of the rec room, and 21 prisoners escaped.

I stopped by there one day to pick up a prisoner for trial, and asked to speak to the jail captain. The sergeant told me, "last time I saw him he was at the back fence yelling 'y'all come back'".

It was not unusual for one of our arrestees to ask "can you book me a room in the _________ county jail, please"

Yeah I wonder what kind of country club they will put Cohen in?

[Cow Poke]

Yeah I wonder what kind of country club they will put Cohen in?

And that's exactly what they called this "institution" -- the ____________ County Country Club.


One day I drove by there and somebody had changed the sign out front from "Deer Crossing" to "Prisoner Crossing".

[Sparko]

And that's exactly what they called this "institution" -- the ____________ County Country Club.


One day I drove by there and somebody had changed the sign out front from "Deer Crossing" to "Prisoner Crossing".

some of the federal ones are called Club Fed.

https://www.cnbc.com/2012/01/19/The-...n.html?slide=1

[seer]

Beats being on the streets. Some people quite deliberately break the law upon getting released so they can go back. Sometime I suspect that our jail population is so high mostly because it's not such a bad place to be compared to other parts of the world.

I have a friend, Eddie S, who was a drunk for a lot of years, and homeless (he is sober now) who would get himself arrested every November or December so he could spend winter in lock up.

[Leonhard]

There are still issues where both the right and left in the US, can meet each other and agree on things.

Next up, civil asset forfeiture. Where I agree with a libertarian about something being legalized theft.

[seer]

Yeah I wonder what kind of country club they will put Cohen in?

He is going to Otisville

https://www.recordonline.com/news/20...le-behind-bars

https://www.businessinsider.com/mich...photos-2018-12

[seer]

There are still issues where both the right and left in the US, can meet each other and agree on things.

Next up, civil asset forfeiture. Where I agree with a libertarian about something being legalized theft.

I have no problem with this after the person is convicted and if they can show that what they own came from illegal means.

[Leonhard]

I have no problem with this after the person is convicted and if they can show that what they own came from illegal means.

In other words, what the law was before Civil Asset Forfeiture was put in place.

I believe its a law that does far more harm than good, and even violates basic principles of property ownership. The few cases were its allowed them to nap a member of organized crime in no way outweighs, or gives back any of the property stolen from people and used by corrupt police departments to buy themselves goods.

[rogue06]

Jail isn't a great place to be, but you get free food, free place to sleep out of the elements, free clothing, free cable TV, don't have to work....

Beats being on the streets. Some people quite deliberately break the law upon getting released so they can go back. Sometime I suspect that our jail population is so high mostly because it's not such a bad place to be compared to other parts of the world.

With a certain percentage these folks have become "institutionalized" and actually have a hard time dealing with freedom. They get very accustomized being told when to get up, when to eat, when to go outside and come back in and when to go to bed. To a much, much lesser degree this phenomena has even been observed with those who were in the military for a long time -- especially back in the old days.

[rogue06]

Yeah I wonder what kind of country club they will put Cohen in?

The one thing to keep in mind is if you break any of the rules you'll quickly find yourself transferred to a regular jail.

[seer]

In other words, what the law was before Civil Asset Forfeiture was put in place.

I believe its a law that does far more harm than good, and even violates basic principles of property ownership. The few cases were its allowed them to nap a member of organized crime in no way outweighs, or gives back any of the property stolen from people and used by corrupt police departments to buy themselves goods.

Let me tell you about my cousin Dennis. He would go down to Cuba and buy antiques - bring them back to Florida and sell them. He saved up for a couple of years and tried to fly down with 10,000 dollars (he needs to use cash down there). He did not know there there was some law against taking that amount of cash out of the country (if it was in fact a law). He wasn't trying to hide it, it was in his carry on bag. The Feds took it all, he tried to get it back a few times - no way. It really set him back.

[Leonhard]

Let me tell you about my cousin Dennis. He would go down to Cuba and buy antiques - bring them back to Florida and sell them. He saved up for a couple of years and tried to fly down with 10,000 dollars (he needs to use cash down there). He did not know there there was some law against taking that amount of cash out of the country (if it was in fact a law). He wasn't trying to hide it, it was in his carry on bag. The Feds took it all, he tried to get it back a few times - no way. It really set him back.

Well at least a local police department got a round of margaritas at a bar, and a new espresso machine.

[seer]

Well at least a local police department got a round of margaritas at a bar, and a new espresso machine.

Right, here is my cousin in Key West (where he lives), and he is the one standing next to me in my avatar: