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Change your state government and maybe you’ll see something different, and effective.
Robeson County judicial system
- Thread starter heel79
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I can’t imagine your tenure in Lumberton……incredibly hard job. No one liked your paper, I expect.
I expect you’re talking about the rape and murder of Sabrina Buie……..the convictions of McCollum and Brown….their subsequent exoneration.
I also expect that during that criminal case, your paper was expected to support law enforcement and the DA.
I really don't think this is a red-blue issue. I am talking about national reform, not NC or Robeson County, and over the years both parties have had control to make reform. This to me is so simple. Put violent people in jail, not violent to work in community, and give help to addicts and mentally ill. Something for everyone. Just wish the conversation would start.
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It’s a state criminal law, state government issue. 100%. Feds have no fucks to give.
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Dems have certainly not covered themselves in glory in this respect, especially in the 90s, but I do think a lot more people on the left are genuinely interested in prison reform than on the right. The operators of private prisons have a lot of influence on the right, especially at the moment.
Cool, my answer is the same. Clearly both parties have controlled different states for decades, and I do not see this anywhere. Two paths. You are charged with a crime, it falls under violent or non-violent. If violent, you face hard sentencing, Under non-violent, you face community work, pick up trash, clean animal shelters, cut grass, clear ditches, whatever. If ypu are addict, go into program, if you are mentally ill, get treatment. We cannot have people convicted of violence multiple times walking free, while people who smoke dope are in jail. Fix it.
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I don't want the present PUB Congress to weigh in.....
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The are a lot of studies out there. Many factors come into play. You say you look at this through a Robeson County lens and that people walking after commuting violent crimes are terrorizing the community, but you are also likely focusing only on the recidivists and not on all the other people who commit violent offenses but do not go on to commit another one. A violent criminal going on to commit another violent offense makes story. It does not make a story when one DOES NOT go on to commit another violent offense. So of course it never really gets noticed or talked about. You’re never going to read or watch the news and see a headline reporting that someone hasn’t committed a crime. Maybe you see 500 cases where a person who has committed a violent offense goes on to commit another, but your attention is never brought to another 1,000 cases where someone who committed a violent offense never commits another one. Anyway, here’s one link:
New National Recidivism Report - Council on Criminal Justice
The first national report on recidivism rates in three years is just out from the Justice Department. In a new brief, the Council highlights key takeaways, noting that return-to-prison rates have dropped significantly.
counciloncj.org
I also have over 20 years of experience working in the criminal justice system.
A little anecdote regarding Robeson County: I recently reviewed a murder case out of Robeson County for potential post-conviction relief. A dude basically killed another guy over nothing. During the trial, one of the witnesses was asked how people in his culture (of which the defendant was a part) handle situations where they feel slighted by another. His answer was that, in their culture, they retaliate with violence and that failure to do so can make one look weak. He was referring to some subset of Lumbee culture. That is not me expressing my view of Lumbee culture; just this guy’s testimony, which I found fascinating. Not at all saying I agree with his testimony, but I thought that maybe it had some relevance to your statement about seeing things through a Robeson County lens.
ETA: I’m not arguing against long sentences for people who commit certain types of violent offenses. It’s just complicated and every person and case is different.
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Seriously, where do addicts and the mentally ill go for treatment?
I don't know. Presumably there would be some prison space, perhaps convert some. This would obviously be an incredible undertaking, but the idea is simple: If someone is violent, especially repeat offenders, deal with them harshly. Find alternative sentencing for non-violent, putting some to work for the community etc. Get mental ill and addicts the help they need.
I think it good get bipartisan support. Pubs liking harsh penalties, Dems embracing getting people help, everybody supporting safer communities. I know Robeson County is an outlier, but five- or six-year waits to be tried for murder, then plea bargains, etc., and just recycling out on the street is insanity. BTW, the judges, DA's, public defenders, acknowledge the problem, but still work short weeks. Former DA told me during a high-profile murder trial he handled 20 years ago that lasted six weeks or so, there were seven murders added to the calendar.