Governor Edwards pardons 40 murderers (insurance, crimes, law)

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by TunedIn

Sounds like a place that a young man might want to avoid. And let's face it, by the time a judge puts him behind four walls, he's had time to consciously choose the path that put him there. My only sympathies are for the victims. Speaking of which, one of the kindly old gentleman being returned to the world of air conditioning, was convicted of robbing, stabbing and beating a man about the head, before shooting him to death and setting his house on fire. Any justice, he gets hit by a car on his first day out.

Originally Posted by TunedIn

Another of these harmless silver hairs killed a hitchhiker........and raped his wife. Still another stabbed a woman to death.....39 times. And let's not overlook the gentle geriatric that had a gas station robbery attempt foiled......so what now? For this genius? Call a cab and shoot the driver to death. Almost hard to believe they were forced to endure an existence without air conditioning.

What does any of that have to do with me pointing out that prison systems don't have a lot of fat in their budgets, especially in places like Louisiana?

[TunedIn]

Originally Posted by WRM20

What does any of that have to do with me pointing out that prison systems don't have a lot of fat in their budgets, especially in places like Louisiana?

You're the one sobbing about inmate hardship.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by TunedIn

You're the one sobbing about inmate hardship.

Hardly. A prison system that doesn't have air conditioning and actually kills inmates AND EMPLOYEES is not a system with a lot of fat.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Why are OK jails full?

Jails or prisons? You know the difference? They let people plead out after 60 days to keep from overflowing the prisons. And the DA's look good because they have close to a 100% conviction rate.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

All states should look for more effective solutions. In order to solve a problem, you have to understand it. Keeping people in prison past the peak age of criminal activity, is a waste of tax money and counterproductive to lowing the crime rate. We have senior citizens in prison who are literally bedridden. Caring for those types of inmates is extremely expensive.

If you let them out and they are bedridden they will end up in a nursing home paid for by tax dollars since they cannot take care of themselves. Which is also very expensive. And you need one that is fine taking in a convicted murderer. Probably easier to let them die in prison.

I am not sure your chart is what it seems. What percent of violent offenders in your chart no longer commit crimes because they are locked up for years or dead? Sure it seems at age 50 it seems that 50 year olds are less likely to commit violent crimes but it could be the violent 50 year olds are no longer walking the streets but in prison. If you let all of them out you will see their numbers spike.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Oklazona Bound

If you let them out and they are bedridden they will end up in a nursing home paid for by tax dollars since they cannot take care of themselves. Which is also very expensive. And you need one that is fine taking in a convicted murderer. Probably easier to let them die in prison.

I am not sure your chart is what it seems. What percent of violent offenders in your chart no longer commit crimes because they are locked up for years or dead? Sure it seems at age 50 it seems that 50 year olds are less likely to commit violent crimes but it could be the violent 50 year olds are no longer walking the streets but in prison. If you let all of them out you will see their numbers spike.

If they are bedridden in prison, then tax dollars take care of them. The difference is that if they are on Medicare or Medicaid the cost is spread across the entire country rather than one state.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by WRM20

If they are bedridden in prison, then tax dollars take care of them. The difference is that if they are on Medicare or Medicaid the cost is spread across the entire country rather than one state.

Also in prison you have the additional cost of security. You have to pay for those guards to guard somebody who can't even get out of bed. it's not a great use of tax money. But that is the society we live in. Unlimited funding for police and prisons, limited funding for everything else, including anything that might prevent crime, instead of just punishing it after the fact.

[TunedIn]

Originally Posted by cloudy dayz

also in prison you have the additional cost of security. You have to pay for those guards to guard somebody who can't even get out of bed. It's not a great use of tax money. But that is the society we live in. Unlimited funding for police and prisons, limited funding for everything else, including anything that might prevent crime, instead of just punishing it after the fact.

Claptrap.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by TunedIn

Claptrap.

I'm not sure if I trust that data, but let's go with it anyway. Police, Corrections and Courts = 7.7%.

That's way more money then we spend on housing just 1.7%. More money then we spend on Highways and Roads 5.8%. Almost as much money as we spend on Higher Education and Health and Hospitals, 9.2% and 9.9% respectively.

If you are in need of housing in this country, commit a crime and go to prison. That's the only way you are going to get it. If you are in need of healthcare, commit a crime and go to prison. You might even be able to get some education in prison.

In short, if you need some help, commit a crime and go to prison. If you are going to insist on being a law abiding citizen, well then you are on your own. Because America doesn't like to spend money on law abiding citizens. Because that might actually lower the crime rate, and that is not on the agenda. We have to keep those police and prison guards busy.

[TunedIn]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

I'm not sure if I trust that data, but let's go with it anyway. Police, Corrections and Courts = 7.7%.

That's way more money then we spend on housing just 1.7%. More money then we spend on Highways and Roads 5.8%. Almost as much money as we spend on Higher Education and Health and Hospitals, 9.2% and 9.9% respectively.

If you are in need of housing in this country, commit a crime and go to prison. That's the only way you are going to get it. If you are in need of healthcare, commit a crime and go to prison. You might even be able to get some education in prison.

In short, if you need some help, commit a crime and go to prison. If you are going to insist on being a law abiding citizen, well then you are on your own. Because America doesn't like to spend money on law abiding citizens. Because that might actually lower the crime rate, and that is not on the agenda. We have to keep those police and prison guards busy.

So let's not trust United States Census Bureau data, but instead simply take your word for it that spending on police and corrections is "unlimited"? How many Amercans turn to prison for their healthcare needs? Since .7% of the current population is incarcerated, it's a total of .7% receiving healthcare in prison. Not exactly "the only way you are going to get it". The rest receiving health care? 38% receive government sponsored healthcare, split evenly between Medicare and Medicaid, almost 55% receive employer-based health insurance, with the remainder being direct purchase. Housing? Is prison the "only way you are going to get it"? Hardly, since just .7% of the U.S. population turn to the correctional system for their housing needs, with over four times that amount receiving government assisted housing through section 8 alone. "America doesn't like to spend money on law abiding citizens"? Let's have a look: in 2022 Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other health care programs consumed 46% of federal spending. Almost 10% of the federal budget was consumed by other welfare and economic security programs, including fully 1% for food stamps (SNAP) alone. 8% for veterans and federal retirees. Setting aside interest on our debt, defense, education, transportation, sciences, agriculture make up the bulk of remaining discretionary spending. What percentage of those benefitting from government spending do you reckon are NOT law-abiding?