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 skatealex2
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Registered: 07/04/08
Posts: 16,730
Last seen: 5 minutes, 42 seconds
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 US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act 
#11875899 - 01/21/10 08:47 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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"Earlier this morning the United State’s Senate, Committee on Judiciary, unanimously approved Senate Bill 714, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009.
NORML first blogged about this federal legislation back in November, and encouraged NORML supporters to contact their U.S. Senators in favor of this long-needed reform. Fortunately, many of you did so, and today the Senate Judiciary responded accordingly.
As amended, Senate Bill 714 will establish a `National Criminal Justice Commission’ to hold public hearings and “undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including Federal, State, local, and tribal governments’ criminal justice costs, practices, and policies. … The Commission shall make findings regarding such review and recommendations for changes in oversight, policies, practices, and laws designed to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice system.”
It’s been many years since a federally appointed commission has taken an objective look at American criminal justice policies, and it’s been nearly 40 years since federal lawmakers have undertaken a critical examination of U.S. drug policy. As affirmed by the bill’s chief sponsor, Democrat Senator Jim Webb of Virginia:
“America’s criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace. … The United States has by far the world’s highest incarceration rate. With 5% of the world’s population, our country now houses nearly 25% of the world’s reported prisoners.
… Drug offenders, most of them passive users or minor dealers, are swamping our prisons. … Justice statistics also show that 47.5% of all the drug arrests in our country in 2007 were for marijuana offenses. Additionally, nearly 60% of the people in state prisons serving time for a drug offense had no history of violence or of any significant selling activity. … African-Americans — who make up about 12% of the total U.S. population population — accounted for 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.
… It is incumbent on our national leadership to find a way to fix our prison system.”
NORML supporters can play a role in this ‘fix’ by contacting their U.S. Senators and urging them to support Senate Bill 714, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act. (Note, the measure must still be approved by the full Senate, and then the House of Representatives, before it can become law.)
‘Change we can believe in?’ It’s about damn time."
http://blog.norml.org/2010/01/21/us-senate-committee-passes-the-national-criminal-justice-act/
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 Srching4Reality
Srching4Reality
Registered: 11/28/09
Posts: 150
Loc: Fl, USA
Last seen: 1 year, 11 months
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 Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: skatealex2]
#11875979 - 01/21/10 09:05 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Sounds like a plan...but just how long will this take? lol
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ShroomDoom
Friend of the Medicine
Registered: 06/07/04
Posts: 3,322
Loc: A Psychedelic State 
Last seen: 4 hours, 27 minutes
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: Srching4Reality]
#11876125 - 01/21/10 09:31 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Srching4Reality said:
Sounds like a plan...but just how long will this take? lol
prolly forever.
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monkeywrench
Why Not?
Registered: 09/16/08
Posts: 908
Last seen: 1 month, 26 days
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: ShroomDoom]
#11876296 - 01/21/10 10:06 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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We've gotta get the whole Senate on board. The NORML auto letter is below. You can print it out and send it manually too. Just do something, please.
Auto-send Link
Quote:
I am writing you today to urge your support for Senate Bill 714, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009.
Senate Bill 714 will establish a `National Criminal Justice Commission' to "undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system ... and make reform recommendations for the President." I believe that this evaluation is sorely needed.
The United States has the highest reported incarceration rate in the world, imprisoning a higher percentage of its population than any other country. The American incarceration rate is five times the world's average incarceration rate. A total of 2,380,000 people are in prison.
The number of persons on probation and parole is equally alarming. There are 7,300,000 Americans incarcerated or on probation or parole, equal to 1 in every 31 adults, an increase of 290 percent since 1980.
During this same time period, drug offenders in prisons and jails have increased 1200 percent. Nearly a half million persons are in Federal or State prison or local jail for a drug offense, compared to an estimated 41,100 in 1980. A significant percentage of these offenders have no history of violence or high-level drug selling activity.
Finally, minorities make up a disproportionately large share of prison populations. African American males have a 32 percent chance of serving time in prison at some point in their lives; Hispanic males have a 17 percent chance. By contrast, white males have a 6 percent chance.
The National Criminal Justice Commission will evaluate these and other criminal justice trends, and make recommendations to Congress on ways to improve public safety, cost-effectiveness, and fairness in the implementation of the America's criminal justice system.
I urge you to vote 'yes' on S. 714.
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[quote]skalthren said:
It's nice of you to imply that I've been brainwashed by the government, but the truth is that I'm simply intelligent enough to recognize the subtleties of these issues instead of going "durr hurr, weed should totally be legal!"[/quote]
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 stedenko
Stranger
Registered: 10/13/08
Posts: 756
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: monkeywrench]
#11877157 - 01/22/10 05:38 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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I think the first thing should be an injunction to make cops do police work, instead of searching random cars for random quarter bags. Put away the epic banhammer known as jail and let me smoke. Also, anyone with a purely marijuana charge locked up right now should be allowed to participate fully in this thing. I know of people doing 10 years on 2 plants.
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monkeywrench
Why Not?
Registered: 09/16/08
Posts: 908
Last seen: 1 month, 26 days
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: stedenko]
#11877316 - 01/22/10 06:46 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
stedenko said:
I think the first thing should be an injunction to make cops do police work, instead of searching random cars for random quarter bags. Put away the epic banhammer known as jail and let me smoke. Also, anyone with a purely marijuana charge locked up right now should be allowed to participate fully in this thing. I know of people doing 10 years on 2 plants.
Although I agree with your sentiment, I think that you have it backwards. Cops, in essence, are working within the confines of the law. The draconian policies are what needs to be change. The civ paradigm is practically of a "legalize" mentality, but we need the books to reflect this. Until we get the laws changed then we have no recourse to require our "agents of trust" to act any different.
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[quote]skalthren said:
It's nice of you to imply that I've been brainwashed by the government, but the truth is that I'm simply intelligent enough to recognize the subtleties of these issues instead of going "durr hurr, weed should totally be legal!"[/quote]
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winterone
Earth Wanderer
Registered: 11/08/09
Posts: 230
Last seen: 1 year, 3 months
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: monkeywrench]
#11877427 - 01/22/10 07:30 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Repeal the drug laws, then when the police try to continue the policy of draconian prohibition they will be in violation of the law.
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Alice
I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
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Adamist
fucking aliens, bro
Registered: 11/23/01
Posts: 9,748
Loc: ∞
Last seen: 7 hours, 2 minutes
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Re: US Senate Committee Passes The National Criminal Justice Act [Re: monkeywrench]
#11877428 - 01/22/10 07:31 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks for the link, I sent letters out.
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 { { { ṧ◎ηḯ¢ αʟ¢ℌ℮мƴ } } }
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