WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – For years, the juvenile court system in Wilkes-Barre operated like a conveyor belt: Youngsters were brought before judges without a lawyer, given hearings that lasted only a minute or two, and then sent off to juvenile prison for months for minor offenses.
The explanation, prosecutors say, was corruption on the bench.
In one of the most shocking cases of courtroom graft on record, two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.
All of those people should get an attorney now and sue the fuck out of the state.
"Youth detention centers", like the trend in adult prisons, is being encouraged by the conservatives as a "free market" principle. It's supposed to be cost effective, because we know that state run prisons is "socialism". Uh huh...
The reason why that corruption happened is the same exact reason why the banks are failing.
The almighty dollar encourages people to be corrupt. I suspect that most people who have the opportunity, take it. Few get caught.
By the way.. Bernard Madeoff's wife drew 15 million out of a company account just prior to her husband getting arrested. That money belongs to the investors.
Put them both in prison until they die. This is not a victimless crime. This is not petty theft.
...
Related; California has been ordered to released tens of thousands of prisoners unless they correct over crowding and address the near complete lack of health care.
Part of society's (<--) responsibility when they assume the right to imprison people is to provide basic needs.. safety.. nutrition.. health care. Economics forces a balance. California has really awful sentencing laws, and it's helping to bankrupt the state. The message is that prison is not the answer for many of the non-violent offenders that are having their lives ruined. It's cheaper to actually fund other alternatives.. and it costs a hell of a lot less to end the death penalty in the state.
Either that.. or the people of California need to get taxed more to pay for it.
...
Related again; On teevee yesterday, they showed a video of two cops beating the shit out of 50 year old man who was on the ground and subdued.
The cops rationalized it by saying that the man had attacked the officers prior to the video starting.
The cops are saying that it's okay for them to punish somebody once that person is under control. It's not. At that point, the officer is committing an assault. They should be fired and charged with assault.
...
One thing I've come to realize over the last few years is that the criminal justice system, and the way we deal with crime, is probably the worst in the western world. The cops are corrupt, lie with impunity, and cannot be trusted. Judges don't give a shit, and will line their pockets if they can. Attorney's stroke the system to get paid. Politicians run on a platform of "getting tough on crime", and aid in bankrupting states, and ruining people's lives.
We tried it the "conservative" way.. and like everything else, it's a complete failure.
...
The cops arrested something like 8 people related to the photograph of Michael Phelps hitting a bong.
Those cops should be ashamed. I suppose there's no real crime going on in their city.
But hey.. pot is bad.. according to the conservatives.. and you must not be allowed to smoke it.. ever.. not even if you have cancer, and a doctor prescribes it.
Conservatives fail.
1 comment:
Last summer I was smoking a joint in the local park. Shortly after lighting it a cop came through and approached me. It was clear that I was busted but since I live north of the border the cop asked me to put it out and move on.
God I love this.. I mean, Gorak I love this country.
Post a Comment