Prison/Criminal Justice

Prisons: I have several rants for this blog. I’ll start with some prison related items. First, I would like to applaud the Colorado state house for passing a bill, last week, to abolish the use of the death penalty in that state. The bill only passed by one vote-but one is enough. Now it, the bill, will go to the state senate. I hope they pass the bill as well, and then the Colorado Governor signs it into law. It has been a “Crime” how the death penalty has been used in the United States. Since 1989 there have been 235 post-conviction DNA exoneration's-most from death rows. That means a jury found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the man or woman committed the charged crime. Then went on and found again in another hearing that the convicted person should be put to death. How broken can we be? To have a system that can make such a grievous mistake to put an innocent person on death row. Again I ask, where is the outrage! Oh, I get it; people only get outraged if it affects them directly. Well people, it does. Because if so many people are found to be innocent-post conviction, and these are just the DNA cases that is, cases where DNA was left at the crime scene. And the jury system convicted them- then I ask how many other innocent men and women are rotting away in our prisons and jails? I would like to see real reform done with regard to the criminal justice system, before the next innocent person charged with a crime is you. Criminal Justice: Reforming the system. Here are a few ideas I have. First, do away with plea bargaining. I know firsthand that most criminal cases are disposed with through the use of plea bargaining. I also know that lot’s of the pleas are made by scared innocent people. Yes, I hear you, “But Veritas, why would an innocent person say they are guilty?” The reasons agree as countless as the stars in the sky. Most of my direct experience is that the person is just worn down by the system or scared that they might actually get more time, if they go to trial, because of a past record. I spent years in county jail and talked to countless men who just wanted the “thing” to be over with. They knew if they just plead guilty then they could go home-time served, or get on to state prison. You see as bad as state prison is-county jail is worse. That brings me to my next idea for reforming the criminal justice system: Set reasonable bail. I know that’s what’s supposed to happen. But that’s not what goes on. The county jails are bursting at the seams because of pre-trial detainees. The pre-trial people are not convicted of any crime, not at that point. They just simply can’t make bail, or in some cases are held on No Bail. No bail is for people with parole holds or accused of very serious crimes. But our constitution gives us, Americans, and those arrested on our soil the right to reasonable bail. Over the years that’s been watered down. The reason for it being put in the constitution was the British and Ol’ King George had a nasty habit of just arresting people and holding them for as long as the British wanted without a trial and never set a bail. Gee, that sounds like another George??? Anyway, the issue of bail should be revisited. It sucks to be poor or lower middle class and get charged with a crime in America. You will just wait and wait because you or your family can’t afford bail or the 7-10% for the bondsman. So, as I wrote earlier, you break down and take the plea just to get home so you don’t lose your house or job or both. Jail ain’t no fun and a lot of people will do just about anything to get out. So, another innocent person takes a plea. Our criminal justice system is broken, it’s so obvious. With 235 Post conviction DNA exoneration's. And these people went to trial. Pleas wake up! It could be you next. Thank you for reading this blog. With respect, Veritas5509