Harsher Sentences For More Serious Crimes - 1450 Words

â€Å"You actually create victims by not letting elderly prisoners go and using your resources on rehabilitation for the ones that are going to get out. When I came here and saw the elderly population, I said, ‘God, well, why are they here? Our name is Corrections to correct deviant behavior but there’s nothing to correct in these guys; they’re harmless ...†--- Burl Cain, Warden at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola Elderly prisoners are the least unsafe group of people behind bars but the most expensive to keep under lock and key. Yet, the number of elderly prisoners is sky rocketing. Thousands of older men and women life’s end each year in prison, even though they were not officially sentenced to death they die of old age. But due of the long sentences they received, they might as well have been. Harsher sentences for less serious crimes was a major attribute of the failed â€Å"tough on crime† and â€Å"war on drugs† policies which are accountable for this boost in the amount of older prisoners, and taxpayers are taking the beat. How compassionate is it to release a 70 to 80 year old into the streets when after all they have been locked away from society for 40 or more years, they have no money, no one to take care of him and nowhere to go? â€Å"While we have 35 million people aged 65 and older in the United States, the baby boomers will solidify the aging revolution in America. As this group continues to swell the ranks of elderly population, increasing numbers of older adults areShow MoreRelatedPlea Bargain1106 Words   |  5 PagesRulli According to Timothy Sandefur’s In Defense of Plea Bargaining article, â€Å"a plea bargain is a contract with the state. The defense agrees to plead guilty to a lesser crime and receive a lesser sentence, rather than go to trial on a more severe charge where he faces the possibility of a harsher sentence.† We are also told in The New York Times Article; Federal Law on Sentencing is Unjust, Judge Rules that â€Å"about 97 percent of federal criminal convictions nationwide were the resultRead MoreThe Extreme Justice League By Michael Barnett1244 Words   |  5 Pagesextreme justice league is a non-profit organization that helps fight and stop crime in the community. Theses superheroes claim they are doing the job law enforcement is lacking. The extreme justice league patrols the streets, helps citizens in need, attempts to capture video evidence of drug dealers, and bait criminals into doing criminal acts such as rape or robbery. The extreme justice le ague does not just fight crime but also helps the homeless by bringing them care packages. Barnett uses the storyRead MoreThree Strikes: Harsher Sentencing of Repeat Felony Offender804 Words   |  4 Pagesthree strikes sentencing policy which calls for much harsher sentencing of repeat felony offender. Most sentences for these repeat offender called for a minimum punishment of a life sentence with possibility of release until twenty five years have been served (1 Marvell, Moody 89). These laws where created to target and punish what lawmakers believed to be the small percentage of criminals that where committing the majority of serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnaping, aggravated robbery,Read MoreEffects of Punishment805 Words   |  4 PagesRetribution relies on the principle of just deserts, which holds that the severity of the punishment must be in proportion to the severity of the crime. This is not the same as revenge because retribution is more concerned with the needs of society as a whole instead of just the victim or victims. 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As a result, strict sentencing laws were enforced, such as, three strikes, that required a person convicted of a felony, that had a previous conviction of one or more felonies to receive a sentence enhancement (Brown Jolivette, 2005). Supporters of three strikes legislation claimed that these laws could be utilized as a tool to control the crime problem, and was the only wayRead More Three Strikes Law Essay1740 Words   |  7 Pagesa former pattern of behavior or a tendency to return to criminal behavior. Many studies have been conducted about criminals who begin with petty crimes (misdemeanors) that repeat the same crimes or graduate to serious crimes (felonies). The fear of repeat offenders and the increase of recidivism ignited the federal and state governments to seek harsher ways to protect citizens’ safety. Mike Reynolds a photographer whose daughter, Kimber, was murdered in1992 during a purse snatching incident introducedRead MoreThe philosophy of probation has changed over the past several years. Originally, probation1100 Words   |  5 Pagesutilitarian motive fall second to the goals of net widening scheme. This has made the determinate sentencing model a mode to falsifying offenders’ rights to be treated with human dignity; by fulfilling the retributiv e goal of the justice models philosophy crime over criminal with the use of fix terms of supervision and sanction stacking practices. Over the past 30 years, the criminal justice systems sentencing and corrections practices have changed immensely. Going from a rehabilitative approach in theRead MoreGANG VIOLENCE AND HARSH PENALTIES1465 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Chen March 20 2014 Gang Violence and Harsh Penalties The presence of gang violence has plagued the United States for many years. Although it is more active in some parts of the country than others, gang violence affects every American: either monetarily as a taxpayer or directly as a victim. Regardless, it is a concern of every individual; therefore, the criminal justice system has been addressing it for years in different ways. The approach of emphasizing harsh punishments has been implementedRead MoreHow Effective Is The Youth Justice System Essay1709 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction How effective is the Youth Justice System in responding to youth crime? Since the arrival of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) came into effect, the crime rates have decreased. Previously Canada had one of the highest youth incarceration rates in the western world. However since the Youth Criminal Justice Act got put into place in 2003, the crime rates have declined significantly. The Youth Justice System does their best to better and rehabilitate the adolescents that get into