POLICE STATE: U.S. Prison System Larger Than Soviet Gulags...

[HUGGY]

Many Americans are quite convinced that they live in one of the freest nations on the planet


Even if they don’t think that we are the freest, they still believe that our population has far more rights than the vast majority of the human race. However, these people tend to ignore our large prison population. Can you really call it a free country when that nation restricts the freedoms of such a large percentage of its population, most whom are convicted of nonviolent crimes?

What’s more shocking, is that our prison population has reached an ominous milestone over the past few years. The number of Americans who were in jail and prison, or on probation and parole, was 7 million people by 2009. When you include former inmates who have since left our prison system, you wind up with 19 million people as of 2010. This number exceeds the 18 million people who endured the Soviet Gulag system, between 1929 and 1953.

While the conditions in the gulags were far worse than American prisons, our facilities still utilize slave labor and torture techniques like solitary confinement to keep their inmates in line. And with a per capita incarceration rate that might only be exceeded by countries like North Korea and Cuba, there’s no reason to believe that the United States is still among the free nations of the world.

The US Prison System Is Actually Larger Than Soviet Gulags

It is not just the incarcerated that have no true freedom. Once imprisoned your life is through as labeled a felon your opportunities have evaporated. It is easy to control the future of a huge group of Americans by systematically removing their rights and opportunities.

I work with a guy that is a registered sex offender. He was 20, he had too much Corona, he took a whiz in some guy's shrubbery.

He had a moron for a lawyer. His case should be easy to overturn but it won't be cheap.

He couldn't afford a lawyer...the public defender lied to him. (Told him he was pleading to and would get a year unsupervised probation for public urination & disorderly conduct.)

Public defenders have ruined more lives than you can imagine.

 

[Buzz Jenkins]

Jesus fucking Christ. This tired old leftist tripe is still being regurgitated by empty headed shithead leftists? This is fucking pathetic!

You have convicted law breakers and you have their sentences. Everybody knows what they are and what the consequences will be if you break the law in certain areas. If you are going to bitch about the "prison industrial complex" (gag!) then you have to accept that the consequence of addressing your gripes is to free many, many convicted criminal scum. You say, "oh, that is ok because many of the prisoners are there for non-violent crimes!" Oh yeah? Well these non-violent fucks are there for drug related shit like possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and trafficking. Serious shit. In terms of numbers, our prison populations are not full of some dumb fucks who got caught smoking a joint. These are dealers and mules. These poor "non-violent" offenders also consist of immigration violations, and white collar and financial crimes. Do you really want these assholes running around? I don't.

Comparing the U.S. to the rest of the world is asinine. We are not the rest of the world. We are not even like the rest of the industrialized world. Here are some compelling differences:

1. It is the fact that we do not have Gulags that encourages criminal acts. We have more civil liberties and freedoms than anywhere else in the world. We know we face only some time in a prison if we are caught breaking the law. We know we will not be killed or tortured. There is no deterrence factor here like in other countries. Thus, criminality is encouraged.

2. With all of our freedoms there are more opportunities to break the law. We get to own guns and carry concealed weapons. We get to associate with whomever we choose. We get to go to wherever we want, unquestioned.

3. We live in a relatively very prosperous nation. We have shit here worth stealing. What the fuck are you going to steal in Paris? A croissant? A used Atari system from America? Fuck you!!!

4. This whole proportionality argument is misplaced. You need to have a comparable size data pool for it to work. You do not. We have too large of a population to fairly use your proportionality bullshit argument. Do your dumb asses even comprehend what I am saying here? Comparing results when you have radically different sized data pools skews results.

5. Our appeals process. This goes along with point # 1 above. The fact that a convicted felon has multiple bites at the apple via appellate and habeas corpus reviews lessens the deterrent affect. Clearly, if we took a newly convicted drug trafficker directly from the courtroom to the firing squad and put a bullet into his head within 10 minutes of conviction, then the deterrent effect of this would greatly reduce volitional criminal behavior. However, we have chosen a different way.

6. Most of these other countries are socialist cesspools that take most of its citizens' income by taxation and redistributes it to all of its citizens in order to provide for their basic needs. Thus, the need for criminal enterprise to produce an income is mitigated in these countries.

7. WARNING: POLITICALLY INCORRECT CONTENT TO FOLLOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED. One last difference is that the USA is home to a negro population. They only make up 13% of our population, yet they make up the overwhelming majority of our prison population. This little tidbit of statistical info should give everyone pause. We do not have an incarceration problem. We have a black problem. If we remove this segment from our population then American prisons would be hailed as the greatest, most progressive and successful penal system to have ever existed, and probably crafted from the hands of God himself! But, alas, that is not the case. I am saying neither that there is institutional discrimination or that blacks are inherently flawed; I believe neither. But the high proportionality of blacks in prison is a FACT, the same as your facts.

America is the greatest country in the world. Is there room for improvement? That is not even the question. The real question is why certain segments of our population are willing to fabricate crises in an attempt to give America a black eye (e.g., the prison industrial complex; black lives matter; immigration; etc...). These types of critiques are not in the vein of American patriotism. Rather, they are anti-American rubbish spouted with the angry intent to do our nation harm.

 

[HUGGY]

Many Americans are quite convinced that they live in one of the freest nations on the planet


Even if they don’t think that we are the freest, they still believe that our population has far more rights than the vast majority of the human race. However, these people tend to ignore our large prison population. Can you really call it a free country when that nation restricts the freedoms of such a large percentage of its population, most whom are convicted of nonviolent crimes?

What’s more shocking, is that our prison population has reached an ominous milestone over the past few years. The number of Americans who were in jail and prison, or on probation and parole, was 7 million people by 2009. When you include former inmates who have since left our prison system, you wind up with 19 million people as of 2010. This number exceeds the 18 million people who endured the Soviet Gulag system, between 1929 and 1953.

While the conditions in the gulags were far worse than American prisons, our facilities still utilize slave labor and torture techniques like solitary confinement to keep their inmates in line. And with a per capita incarceration rate that might only be exceeded by countries like North Korea and Cuba, there’s no reason to believe that the United States is still among the free nations of the world.

The US Prison System Is Actually Larger Than Soviet Gulags

It is not just the incarcerated that have no true freedom. Once imprisoned your life is through as labeled a felon your opportunities have evaporated. It is easy to control the future of a huge group of Americans by systematically removing their rights and opportunities.

I work with a guy that is a registered sex offender. He was 20, he had too much Corona, he took a whiz in some guy's shrubbery.

He had a moron for a lawyer. His case should be easy to overturn but it won't be cheap.

He couldn't afford a lawyer...the public defender lied to him. (Told him he was pleading to and would get a year unsupervised probation for public urination & disorderly conduct.)

MY personal rule when faced with a court proceeding that requires a legal representative is this:

Find a lawyer who is an expert in the area in question. NOTE!!! This first lawyer IS NOT the one you want! This one is just the guy you need to help you find the right one.

I do this by always knowing a lawyer I can depend on to recommend an expert. THEN and MOST IMPORTANT before you commit to this shyster look him in the eyes and ask him WHAT exactly is his won/loss record. If he gives you anything but an impressive NUMBER run..do not walk away. Accept absolutely NO BULLSHIT at this stage of your search. Find a WINNER in the area you are dealing with. Otherwise you are just throwing the dice. A good tip is after you find the winner make sure he plays golf or cards with the judge. THAT'S the only sure way to get a good deal.

These tips are tried and true. I have staked my life of them many times.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Wouldn';t have done him any good: he didn't have the money for it.

 

[Katzndogz]

The mistake is in equating a non violent offense to a non violent offender.

There are many people in prison for a non violent offense that are violent. They might even have prior convictions for violent offenses. This time it's a non violent offense. Like the man who killed Kate Steihle. He just got out of prison for a non violent offense.

 

[PredFan]

Maybe if people stopped committing crimes, there would be less people in jail.

I agreed with you on this but does every offense deserve jail time? As a citizen, I really don't care if some laws are violated because they may be minor or not hurt me at all. I just kind of think some of these punishments are over the top.

I don't know if anyone has done this study but what if the US is just better at catching criminals than other countries are? I'll bet that we are better than most at it.

 

[Katzndogz]

Many Americans are quite convinced that they live in one of the freest nations on the planet


Even if they don’t think that we are the freest, they still believe that our population has far more rights than the vast majority of the human race. However, these people tend to ignore our large prison population. Can you really call it a free country when that nation restricts the freedoms of such a large percentage of its population, most whom are convicted of nonviolent crimes?

What’s more shocking, is that our prison population has reached an ominous milestone over the past few years. The number of Americans who were in jail and prison, or on probation and parole, was 7 million people by 2009. When you include former inmates who have since left our prison system, you wind up with 19 million people as of 2010. This number exceeds the 18 million people who endured the Soviet Gulag system, between 1929 and 1953.

While the conditions in the gulags were far worse than American prisons, our facilities still utilize slave labor and torture techniques like solitary confinement to keep their inmates in line. And with a per capita incarceration rate that might only be exceeded by countries like North Korea and Cuba, there’s no reason to believe that the United States is still among the free nations of the world.

The US Prison System Is Actually Larger Than Soviet Gulags

It is not just the incarcerated that have no true freedom. Once imprisoned your life is through as labeled a felon your opportunities have evaporated. It is easy to control the future of a huge group of Americans by systematically removing their rights and opportunities.

I work with a guy that is a registered sex offender. He was 20, he had too much Corona, he took a whiz in some guy's shrubbery.

He had a moron for a lawyer. His case should be easy to overturn but it won't be cheap.

He couldn't afford a lawyer...the public defender lied to him. (Told him he was pleading to and would get a year unsupervised probation for public urination & disorderly conduct.)

MY personal rule when faced with a court proceeding that requires a legal representative is this:

Find a lawyer who is an expert in the area in question. NOTE!!! This first lawyer IS NOT the one you want! This one is just the guy you need to help you find the right one.

I do this by always knowing a lawyer I can depend on to recommend an expert. THEN and MOST IMPORTANT before you commit to this shyster look him in the eyes and ask him WHAT exactly is his won/loss record. If he gives you anything but an impressive NUMBER run..do not walk away. Accept absolutely NO BULLSHIT at this stage of your search. Find a WINNER in the area you are dealing with. Otherwise you are just throwing the dice. A good tip is after you find the winner make sure he plays golf or cards with the judge. THAT'S the only sure way to get a good deal.

These tips are tried and true. I have staked my life of them many times.

When you ask about that win/loss record ask how many verdicts, taken to trial. Every lawyer counts plea bargains. If you get a lawyer with 200 wins and 150 are pleas, or negotiated settlements, you will be sold out.

 

[HUGGY]

It is not just the incarcerated that have no true freedom. Once imprisoned your life is through as labeled a felon your opportunities have evaporated. It is easy to control the future of a huge group of Americans by systematically removing their rights and opportunities.

I work with a guy that is a registered sex offender. He was 20, he had too much Corona, he took a whiz in some guy's shrubbery.

He had a moron for a lawyer. His case should be easy to overturn but it won't be cheap.

He couldn't afford a lawyer...the public defender lied to him. (Told him he was pleading to and would get a year unsupervised probation for public urination & disorderly conduct.)

MY personal rule when faced with a court proceeding that requires a legal representative is this:

Find a lawyer who is an expert in the area in question. NOTE!!! This first lawyer IS NOT the one you want! This one is just the guy you need to help you find the right one.

I do this by always knowing a lawyer I can depend on to recommend an expert. THEN and MOST IMPORTANT before you commit to this shyster look him in the eyes and ask him WHAT exactly is his won/loss record. If he gives you anything but an impressive NUMBER run..do not walk away. Accept absolutely NO BULLSHIT at this stage of your search. Find a WINNER in the area you are dealing with. Otherwise you are just throwing the dice. A good tip is after you find the winner make sure he plays golf or cards with the judge. THAT'S the only sure way to get a good deal.

These tips are tried and true. I have staked my life of them many times.

When you ask about that win/loss record ask how many verdicts, taken to trial. Every lawyer counts plea bargains. If you get a lawyer with 200 wins and 150 are pleas, or negotiated settlements, you will be sold out.

Pleas don't count for wins. Too many pleas means the shyster is lazy.

 

[Truth2Know]

Well, i disagree. Especially when it comes to drug offenders. Decriminalize most drugs and release non-violent offenders. Using drugs isn't a criminal act, anymore than drinking alcohol is. Adults should have the right to decide. I don't care if you snort a mountain of cocaine. That's on you. But you don't belong in a cage for doing it.[/QUOTE]

If drugs only hurt the user, I'd agree with you. They don't. The debilitating, addictive nature of illegal and illegally used drugs:

• Destroys families by incapacitating breadwinners.
• Pushes addicts into other crimes in order to get money to buy drugs when they are to the point they can't work or get enough money through working to support their habit.
• Leads to drug dependency in others since selling drugs is one job an addict can hold down.

Laws against illegal drug use protect us good people from crime "non-violent" drug use is sure to spawn.

 

[frigidweirdo]

"SMALLER GOVERNMENT, WE WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT (except we want larger prisons and a larger military)"

Actually many conservatives favor prison reform.

Conservatives are leading on prison reform

Many being how many? So, in Texas, where else? Their other example was New York which seemed to pioneer this in the US.

Certainly not Louisiana. Also, these are liberal polices of rehabilitation.

In Europe there's a reason why crime rates are at the same or lower rates and prison populations are much lower.

But then when the right figure out these policies are liberal they'll have an allergic reaction and go all silly on us.

 

[frigidweirdo]

"SMALLER GOVERNMENT, WE WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT (except we want larger prisons and a larger military)"

Oh please its libs who have sent millions of young black and Hispanic men to prison out of your Democratic run inner cities. So typical of the lying lowlife scum left to try to blame someone else for their actions.

The most populous prison population per capita is the liberal, no, the Marxist Communist state of Louisiana.

The worst states are right wing states. Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, then places like Texas and Alabama.

 

[Ame®icano]

How many of incarnated Americans are political prisoners?

 

[Jackson]

Many Americans are quite convinced that they live in one of the freest nations on the planet


Even if they don’t think that we are the freest, they still believe that our population has far more rights than the vast majority of the human race. However, these people tend to ignore our large prison population. Can you really call it a free country when that nation restricts the freedoms of such a large percentage of its population, most whom are convicted of nonviolent crimes?

What’s more shocking, is that our prison population has reached an ominous milestone over the past few years. The number of Americans who were in jail and prison, or on probation and parole, was 7 million people by 2009. When you include former inmates who have since left our prison system, you wind up with 19 million people as of 2010. This number exceeds the 18 million people who endured the Soviet Gulag system, between 1929 and 1953.

While the conditions in the gulags were far worse than American prisons, our facilities still utilize slave labor and torture techniques like solitary confinement to keep their inmates in line. And with a per capita incarceration rate that might only be exceeded by countries like North Korea and Cuba, there’s no reason to believe that the United States is still among the free nations of the world.

The US Prison System Is Actually Larger Than Soviet Gulags

So, what is your point? We should not incarcerate criminals?

 

[ScienceRocks]

Here is what I think we should do
1. Reduce all sentences for non-violent crime by half. This is across the board. The 3 strike rule should be increased to 5.
2. Use more community service!
3. Legalize Pot...Millions go to prison because of it.
4. Increase executions for murderers.

 

[jon_berzerk]

in the old soviet union

how many didnt even make it to the "gulag"

which of course was forced labor camp system


just saying

research the russian revolution and who the bolsheviks that created communist russia are and how many TENS OF MILLIONS they eradicated and/or sent to the gulags....

google "lev bronstein"

yes the gulag was a prison work camp system

as i stated earlier

how many didnt even make it to the gulag

your comparison is apples and oranges

 

[jon_berzerk]

in the old soviet union

how many didnt even make it to the "gulag"

which of course was forced labor camp system


just saying

Statistically, the U.S. Government imprisons more of its Citizens than any other nation on the planet. Nothing to boast about.

the gulag was a system with in the system

how many did the old soviet union kill out right

These are very unpleasant times for our nation. American Police are murdering Citizens at at a staggering rate, and imprisoning more of our Citizens than any other nation on earth. It's very sad.

staggering rate

get a grip

 

[jon_berzerk]

in the old soviet union

how many didnt even make it to the "gulag"

which of course was forced labor camp system


just saying

Hey, uncle jonny! While the number is hopefully much smaller, we have a few that didn't make it to the 'gulag'. Martin, Brown, Gardner, Emmett Till... those three kids stuffed into a Mississippi earthen dam...Diallo, the broomstick-tortured guy in the NYC jail....etc. From what I've read, the gulags were a pretty bad place to be. Like you, I think we're better, but Paulitician's point is well taken. Let's hang onto those stones for a while until we can do a little self-cleanup.

we have the forced labor camps

--LOL

get a grip

 

[kaz]

Many Americans are quite convinced that they live in one of the freest nations on the planet


Even if they don’t think that we are the freest, they still believe that our population has far more rights than the vast majority of the human race. However, these people tend to ignore our large prison population. Can you really call it a free country when that nation restricts the freedoms of such a large percentage of its population, most whom are convicted of nonviolent crimes?

What’s more shocking, is that our prison population has reached an ominous milestone over the past few years. The number of Americans who were in jail and prison, or on probation and parole, was 7 million people by 2009. When you include former inmates who have since left our prison system, you wind up with 19 million people as of 2010. This number exceeds the 18 million people who endured the Soviet Gulag system, between 1929 and 1953.

While the conditions in the gulags were far worse than American prisons, our facilities still utilize slave labor and torture techniques like solitary confinement to keep their inmates in line. And with a per capita incarceration rate that might only be exceeded by countries like North Korea and Cuba, there’s no reason to believe that the United States is still among the free nations of the world.

The US Prison System Is Actually Larger Than Soviet Gulags

That's awful, criminals belong on the streets, not in prison

 

[kaz]

POLICE STATE: U.S. Prison System Larger Than Soviet Gulags...

hurrah
for capitalism

Um...capitalism? What does our prison system have to do with capitalism? Capitalism is the boogieman to you, isn't it?

 

[kaz]

"SMALLER GOVERNMENT, WE WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT (except we want larger prisons and a larger military)"

I agree on the military one, but what you and Polly-tician have in common is lack of specificity on the prison one. You just want more criminals on the street or what is your plan exactly?