California's political prisoners.... (violent crime, house, college)

[ferretkona]

I am pleased to hear the system is working, we voted in a law and it was not over turned.

My cousin was in the care of the state since puberty. We were born a week apart. Since his release at 21 he has been back in prison twice. He just like anyone you speak to was innocent of course. He is out right now at 49, major chip on his shoulder at the man. Just talking to him I want to call the cops, he is a time bomb.

[Huckleberry3911948]

maem i got your rep/comment that i need to read your post more carefully,
i did that b4 and after.
i think your son is influencing you a great deal in fact he has gotten you to post a letter in public which presents people who commit felonies in a very favorable light. i wonder how much of this thinking is yours or the overwhelming love of a mother for her son?
to say that if they did not spill blood it was not really a crime is not so.
by the way its not joy riding its grand auto theft and when i was a kid in chicago they were shot for doing it on the spot unless they surrendered.

[Lovehound]

Anybody who has two strikes against them should find a new line of work... A legal line of work!

I have no sympathy for anybody in jail with three strikes. As somebody else said (above) to be caught and convicted three times probably indicates dozens of crimes committed and successfully gotten away with.

Let's talk about homeless people or something. At least I have some sympathy for them. I have absolutely no sympathy for career criminals. Anybody could make a mistake once and get convicted and serve time. A few dull ones might not get the message and keep it up and get convicted a second time. By the time somebody gets convicted of their third serious crime they have indicated that they are either not willing or not capable of getting the message that crime doesn't pay.

[nevergoingback]

I voted for Prop 66 along with 5 mil. other Californians, 6.2 mil. voted against it, oh well, don't be a dumb*ss in Ca.

Oh and I always hate the "Drugs and Alcohol" cop out. He didn't even get popped for those offenses. Ca. has a very good drug court system, the resources are there, people use them all of the time. I don't have much sympathy for your son. Three felonies is three too many. He should have joined the military or something and got the eff outta dodge.

[BennyPhoenix]

I have sympathy for the mother, not the son.
I cant imagine having a child in prison.

[happ]

What's the saying about repeating mistakes is insane. So many simple minds influenced by emotion & fear [lots of Republicans on this board

We will never see improvement until we begin to devote attention to America. All the troubles of living in a safe & rationale society have been successfully mastered by all the nations of Europe yet some small minds can't grasp "common good".

Rather than go into debt over a pointless war we could now be leveraging revenue to protect Americans from selfish capitalists who's only concern is multi-national greed. Tonight John McCain warned that America is going to be "socialist" [for once a Republican is right but only 10 years behind the time].

[mother of a 3-striker...]

Prop 66, according to poles before the election, was favored 3 to 1. Even Joe Klass who was instrumental in initiating the law favored Prop 66 and had admitted to flaws in the law. Then big money was donated by several groups including Prison Guards Unions and the California Correctional Peace Officers Asso. and the Governor launched a campaign blitz where he deliberately falsely advertised against Prop 66. He stated that if it passed there would be 26,000 murderers and rapists released from prisons when in fact it would have affected approximately 4200 inmates who only would have had there cases reviewed before any actions could have been taken.

My son has been behind bars and kept out of society for 12 years. He has had 12 years of time to think about his crimes and offenses and to wise up. I agree career criminals need to be kept away from society. I also know that some criminals can turn their lives around. 14 years ago he stole stuff that was returned to the owners. Then 12 years ago he was being stopped for a traffic violation and panicked and ran. I know it was a dumb thing to do. I'll say it again, 13 more years in prison is excessive and cruel and doesn't fit the crime.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by mother of a 3-striker...

My son has been behind bars and kept out of society for 12 years. He has had 12 years of time to think about his crimes and offenses and to wise up. I agree career criminals need to be kept away from society. I also know that some criminals can turn their lives around. 14 years ago he stole stuff that was returned to the owners. Then 12 years ago he was being stopped for a traffic violation and panicked and ran. I know it was a dumb thing to do. I'll say it again, 13 more years in prison is excessive and cruel and doesn't fit the crime.

These are only two offenses. What was the third?

Stealing stuff that was returned: You mean he felt bad and returned it of his own volition?

Who would panic that badly from a simple traffic violation? I'm sorry to sound suspicious, and I know you're his mother and you love him, but NOBODY turns tail and flees the cops for coming to a rolling stop or something, unless he's afraid the cops will find something else. That just doesn't make any sense.

I think he's snowing you as he has snowed others. And yes. I think not having learned your lesson after THREE cracks at it, means that you're someone who absolutely would turn around and commit a crime again if let out of jail...because you did turn around and commit a crime again. You've already proven you'd break the law again...you've proven it by, well, breaking the law again.

Make sense?

[mother of a 3-striker...]

Twice he stole things that were found in his possession and cops returned. When he was stopped for the traffic violation (expired registration) he was stoned or drunk. That was still 12 years ago.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by happ

What's the saying about repeating mistakes is insane. So many simple minds influenced by emotion & fear [lots of Republicans on this board

We will never see improvement until we begin to devote attention to America. All the troubles of living in a safe & rationale society have been successfully mastered by all the nations of Europe yet some small minds can't grasp "common good".

Rather than go into debt over a pointless war we could now be leveraging revenue to protect Americans from selfish capitalists who's only concern is multi-national greed. Tonight John McCain warned that America is going to be "socialist" [for once a Republican is right but only 10 years behind the time].

Happ... you lost me?

I lived and worked in Europe for a time after Graduation and I agree it is different... At the risk of Generalizing, I would say Europeans, as a population, are more law abiding for the "Common Good" as you say.

I will also say that Europeans have a strict sense of right and wrong when the "Common Good" is violated. Burglars do get killed by Homeowners and the public has little to no sympathy for criminals.

I witnessed a jewelry store being robbed and the two thieves were both shot dead by police as they were fleeing. There was no public out cry and the officers involved received commendations.

Europe does have a different concept than the United States on what constitutes criminal behavior and as such, prostitution and drug use are not seen in the same light as here... as long as those involved don't become a menace to society.

At least that is my experience from the time I worked there....