Webb Sets His Sights On Prison Reform

[Joanne98]

Senator Proposes National Panel

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 29, 2008; B01

Somewhere along the meandering career path that led James Webb to the U.S. Senate, he found himself in the frigid interior of a Japanese prison.

A journalist at the time, he was working on an article about Ed Arnett, an American who had spent two years in Fuchu Prison for possession of marijuana. In a January 1984 Parade magazine piece, Webb described the harsh conditions imposed on Arnett, who had frostbite and sometimes labored in solitary confinement making paper bags.

"But, surprisingly, Arnett, home in Omaha, Neb., says he prefers Japan's legal system to ours," Webb wrote. "Why? 'Because it's fair,' he said."

This spring, Webb (D-Va.) plans to introduce legislation on a long-standing passion of his: reforming the U.S. prison system. Jails teem with young black men who later struggle to rejoin society, he says. Drug addicts and the mentally ill take up cells that would be better used for violent criminals. And politicians have failed to address this costly problem for fear of being labeled "soft on crime."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801728_pf.html

[ixion]

1. k'd and r'd... and would do so a thousand times, if I could

there should be NO non-violent offenders sitting behind bars, IMO.

[sui generis]

2. absolutely - behind this 1000 percent

It needs to go even further - to judicial system reform.

my absolute top of the list pet peeve:

Reporters at conviction saying "the defendent showed no emotion", and the judge at sentencing saying "because the defendant showed no emotion the court levies the full term.. . "

and other bullshit like that.

Also, I am all for legalizing drugs. Quality control, tax it, put it in vending machines, put dealers out of business with a cheaper, more consistent drug. People who don't do drugs still won't do drugs, and you'll have less drugs-related street crime.

Finally, absolutely NO third party jail administration. If a company has to profit to stay in business it should not be profiting while it requires its inmates to work for free as "restitution" (or slave labor, the way I see it).

Also, because I'm against the death penalty, but for real life punishment, I'd want a special "life row" constructed: If you are sentenced to life without parole, you are put into solitary for your remaining days, no contact with anyone, no books, no tv, no lawyers, magazines, press visits, phone calls or other entertainment, just food, a shit hole and a cyanide pill should you choose to voluntarily use it.

[Elidor]

3. Fantastic news

"It's perceived as a great political sin to represent any position besides 'lock 'em up and throw the key away,' " said state Sen. J. Chapman Petersen (D-Fairfax). "With Jim's personality, he's never going to strike somebody as being soft on crime or any other issue. For that reason, he might be better able to lead this cause. He's a pretty tough guy."

That's exactly right. It's amazing to see anyone - on either side of the aisle - stand up and talk about this. I don't see eye-to-eye with Mr. Webb on some things, but I respect him for this. I hope he succeeds in at least opening a national dialogue.

And he could tie it in with Obama's plans for the economy. Extended community service in lieu of prison for non-violent offenders could accomplish a lot of good things. It needn't even be daily: you keep at it until you've worked it off, but excessive non-attendance adds extra days of service and/or modest fines. Every community would have plenty of people on hand to overhaul old buildings, clean public areas...I could get really carried away thinking about the possibilities.

[camera obscura]

4. Proud to be the fifth rec for this. Webb is the man.

Even when I don't agree with him he is an actual maverick who uses THOUGHT to find his positions instead of voting based on some popularity-based algebra. You can tell how this confuses so many people quoted in the article...

[Festivito]

5. We've created skewed justice, that is no justice, thus no Constitution.

Justice is our first, foremost establishment in our Constitution. If we fail to treat it as such, we fail our Constitution.

That's why it can be taken away from US by Bush, and we only give mealy mouthed lip service as backlash.