Some background on the proposed prison closing
Reporting by Brian Lockhart for The Stamford Advocate:
Lawmakers, desperate to save money in the budget crisis, have quietly reversed a significant reform to the criminal justice system made after a 2007 home invasion and triple homicide in Cheshire.
Hoping to reduce the prison population and save an estimated $4 million annually, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the Democratic-majority Legislature agreed to lift nearly two-year-old restrictions on supervised re-entry furloughs to release prisoners early.
As I've said before, I don't want to see people imprisoned for using marijuana. And if there are people behind bars for that (and only that), then I think they should be released. But I don't have a great deal of faith in our prison system "getting it right." So I'm not comfortable with this cost-saving measure.
I wonder how Cheshire's five state legislators view this. I'm curious to see the alternative cost reduction they suggest. For me, I'd probably start with the DOT. With debacles like I-84s storm-drains-to-nowhere, I'm confident there are plenty of changes that could and should be happening there.
Tim White
10 comments:
And FWIW, I did find some data related to CTs incarceration rate related to marijuana use.
It's something like this...
Few, if any, people are behind bars for using marijuana.
Furthermore, many people end up behind bars after being convicted of multiple crimes.
So the issue with marijuana use is that there are people behind bars because they have multiple convictions... some of which are convictions for marijuana use / possession, etc.
And some of which are convictions for (what I consider to be) more serious crimes.
I'm confused..first we had an order to halt the early release of any criminals from our prions in the state shortly after the multiple home invasions a few years back.
Families of these criminals who may have been paroled were furious. Liberal defense attorney's were mounting a case against Governor Rell.
Most, if not all Democrat Judiciary members were totally against this ruling.
Left wing activists were screaming that this ruling was a racist, unconstitutional, ill conceived rush to judgment by the Governor.
Correctional workers, management claimed that riots would break out putting officers in grave danger.
The public was put in the mindset that all heck was going to break out in the overcrowded, filled to the brim prison system.
Fast forward to today and now none of the atrocities that I listed above ever materialized and now we find out that we can close facilities, yet two years ago we were thinking that we would need to build more prisons in our state.
I ask anyone of you to explain how this occurred?
I believe that anyone who committed a crime and was fairly tried, convicted and sentenced to the just time in prison should do their time.
Now maybe we need to make sure they are released into society with the motivation to turn their lives around and never return to prison as many do. But they should do their time..period!
I may be seen as a hard ass, but that's your opinion, maybe you would have a different take on this subject if someone you loved was killed by a casual user of marijuana who got behind the wheel of a car stoned and forced that special loved one off the road into oncoming traffic.
I'm all for saving tax dollars by consolidating prisoners and closing facilities that are not needed. I'm not for letting one single criminal out prior to them doing their time.
What's your opinion?
mjr
MJR, sounds good to me. I never understood why criminals are given early release for 'good behavior'. Aren't they supposed to behave in prison?
The way it should be is that if you behave well, you serve your time. If you don't behave well, you get time added on.
if someone you loved was killed by a casual user of marijuana who got behind the wheel of a car stoned and forced that special loved one off the road into oncoming traffic.
MJR... if your question is for me, then my view is that the person should be punished for getting behind the wheel.
Tim,
It was a question for your bloggers and I'm speaking of the "potential" of any casual user who could make the foolish mistake of getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
I'm speaking first hand when I say that pot is just a stepping stone for the use of stronger narcotics in a majority of cases. Until CT legalizes marijuana, then the laws stand as there are and if convicted of use or possession then you must do the time.
(Hopefully with time served and rehabilitation these people can fit right back into society.)You do remember that commercial of a woman smoking a joint, then in the next frame it shows you that she's in the drivers seat of a public school bus. This is my point.
Respectfully,
mjr
"As I've said before, I don't want to see people imprisoned for using marijuana."
Laws are in place to protect the masses. To be put in prison for any marijuana charge would mean you have been arrested before, was in possesion of a large quantity for sale or was growing for the purpose of distribution. As far as using, I doubt anyone is in prison for simply using marijuana. These people plead to lesser charges and pay a fine...
And the next day they are driving on the same roads as your loved ones.
My, my, my how the guilty quickly want to forget their transgressions. Here's a refresher: http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20391483&BRD=2755&PAG=461&dept_id=594803&rfi=8
"The decision to send out the e-mails was made by the entire board of directors of Cheshire Junior Football, Oris said."
Thanks MJR,
I have to say that smoking weed is one thing - getting behind the drivers wheel while high is another. I don't condone any type of DUI. As far as pot being a gateway drug - not to everyone. There are far more drunk drivers causing accidents and I like to point out the difference between living with or being an alcoholic vs living with or being a pot head. I will take the pot head every time. On the same token, I hope kids don't get into either...
I think we are getting off the true subject matter of this post. This post is about closing prisons and letting criminals out prior to completing the entire length of their sentence.
The core reason of this order is to save money in this recession. The state doesn't have the money to house these criminals.
Let me ask everyone involved in this blog: If money wasn't the issue, would we be addressing this issue at all? Would we be allowing criminals to be released before they should? The answer is obvious...NO!
So it all comes down to money! Big surprise..I know. The way you reduce crime, at every severity, is by starting with the petty criminals and having a no tolerance at all.
Put these criminals to work and make them pay for there room and board. Teach them a vocation and let them use what they learn to give back to the state.
Do not let criminals out early! No pardons! No early release for good behavior! You who don't agree with me would if you or a loved one was a victim of a criminal released early..........
mjr
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