Do you think most prison sentences are way too light? Just right? Too mean?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Some think that prison sentences are way too lax. Others think the opposite. And some want to lock 'em up for life in a jaywalking case, but scream about the taxes to pay for that.
Do you think most prison sentences are way too light? Just right? Too mean?
 

How are we supposed to know that? We might have a case or 2 in mind but not nearly enough data to come to an informed answer.

Locally we had an abuse case that left the wife w a broken arm, missing teeth, and this happened in view of the children and this was the last incident of abuse, not the first. He was facing 35 years and got 5, imho that was far to light. So Idaho is soft on crime! (I believe the fix was in from the get go.)

In Louisville, cop faces life, even though his actions only (very fortunately) caused property damage, while all the other criminals(cops) got off w no punishment including those who lied to get a warrant, which ended in the killing of Taylor and wounding the boyfriend. His punishment is far too severe. Kentucky is soft on crime - they fail to prosecute criminal behavior.
 
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In the US it varies wildly by state so it's hard to give a general answer. Several states have move so towards a revolving door for theft and even violent criminals that there's no sentence at all because they're not kept in the system and prosecuted. This is a fairly recent trend so I'll speak historically. In the recent past it was crazy how many non-violent drug offenders the US sent to prison.
 

I think they are too relaxed, especially in Canada... Most crimes here in Ontario, they get busted, taken in to court, and released, especially when it comes to car theft... Seems nobody is held accountable for their crime anymore... I think this is one of the things messing up today's world... One of the things!!!
 
It’s a mixed bag in this area.

I feel bad when a person is used to make an example with a harsher than normal sentence or loaded up with a long list of minor charges.

I also feel bad when the sentence comes down to the ability to afford a quality legal team.

I’m not sure that it has ever been any different or how to make it fair.

The cost goes way beyond incarceration. There is also the financial impact on the convicts family and in many cases the cost of ongoing social services for the convict after release.

In some cases I think that the convict should be allowed to continue working, with some restricted privileges, and be required to pay monthly victim support similar to alimony or child support.
 
AnnieA said:
In the US it varies wildly by state so it's hard to give a general answer. Several states have move so towards a revolving door for theft and even violent criminals that there's no sentence at all because they're not kept in the system and prosecuted. This is a fairly recent trend so I'll speak historically. In the recent past it was crazy how many non-violent drug offenders the US sent to prison.
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Please point out a case of a violent criminal, that's been convicted, "that there's no sentence at all."
 
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I sometimes watch "Court Cam" type shows. An idiot is beating up cops, endangering the lives of others, resisting arrest for some dumb drunk thing the idiot did. And he gets 200 hours of community service for which he'll probably never show up for.
GRRRRR!!
 
againstthegrain said:
Please point out a case of a violent criminal, that's been convicted, "that there's no sentence at all."
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Read the end of the quoted sentence. I didn't say convicted. That's the problem, they aren't.

"Several states have moved so towards a revolving door for theft and even violent criminals that there's no sentence at all because they're not kept in the system and prosecuted."
 
AnnieA said:
Read the end of the quoted sentence. I didn't say convicted. That's the problem, they aren't.

"Several states have moved so towards a revolving door for theft and even violent criminals that there's no sentence at all because they're not kept in the system and prosecuted."
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Understood. It's bail you're speaking of, not prison sentences.
 
I wish there was more automatic financial restitution in place of incarceration.

My mom used to get sporadic small checks as restitution from a guy who collected a lot of partial prepayments from customers for his septic system business, then he quit/closed his business without building the septic systems. I thought it was really satisfying that the legal system did that.

When my car was stolen when I was young, I don't know what (if anything) was done to the thieves, but I never got any money. If people had to pay 4 or 5 times the value of the stolen property (like in the bible), I'd maybe be parking my car out by the road with the keys in it! ha!
 
IMO, the problem is that prosecutors are too quick to reduce charges. Also, some state courts are complaining there are too few prosecutors to begin with. And I think the federal justice system (and not the state) started requiring 3 and 4 different hearings per charge instead of 2 or 3.

So you've got more people doing crime and not enough prosecutors who have the time to appear at all these separate hearings just to get the accused to the point where they can actually prosecute them.

So prosecutors reduce felonies to a misdemeanor, judges impose a fine that'll never get paid, court clerks hand out some paperwork that'll never get read, and scumbags are free to go. Crime pays.
 
NYT 10/28/24

"A former Louisiana state trooper who had faced felony charges in the 2019 death of a Black man who was beaten while in police custody pleaded no contest to significantly reduced charges on Monday, allowing him to avoid jail time in a case that drew protests and spurred a federal civil rights investigation.

The trooper, Kory York, 51, had initially faced charges of negligent homicide and 10 counts of malfeasance in office in the death of Ronald Greene, 49, who was beaten while in custody after a high-speed chase on May 10, 2019. In an agreement with prosecutors, Mr. York on Monday pleaded no contest to eight counts of misdemeanor battery in exchange for one year of probation, his lawyer, Mike Small said."

That is completely effed up. Did not even require a plea of guilty.
 
againstthegrain said:
NYT 10/28/24

"A former Louisiana state trooper who had faced felony charges in the 2019 death of a Black man who was beaten while in police custody pleaded no contest to significantly reduced charges on Monday, allowing him to avoid jail time in a case that drew protests and spurred a federal civil rights investigation.

The trooper, Kory York, 51, had initially faced charges of negligent homicide and 10 counts of malfeasance in office in the death of Ronald Greene, 49, who was beaten while in custody after a high-speed chase on May 10, 2019. In an agreement with prosecutors, Mr. York on Monday pleaded no contest to eight counts of misdemeanor battery in exchange for one year of probation, his lawyer, Mike Small said."

That is completely effed up. Did not even require a plea of guilty.
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The state will no doubt pay millions to settle the inevitable lawsuits.
 
Not enough deterrent. Politicians want those votes, so they keep eroding justice and sentencing.

I don't want even more bulging prisons, I want people to stop being criminals. And we are doing that the wrong way, by moving the goalposts backwards.
 
Depends on the crime. Most judges go by the DOJ’s sentencing guidelines, which aren’t always fair. There’s a lot of back and forth in court between the judge, the prosecutor and the defense attorney. In some states, the jury is allowed to hand down or at least recommend sentencing. I used to be a strong supporter of the death penalty, but have since kind of backtracked from that to a degree.

Of course, if the killer has killed several people, I could be convinced to go death penalty. Sitting in prison for anyone is serious punishment and penalty of it’s own. Many county jails off few rehab jobs to train and state prisons do offer some training, but very little. You hear about people getting diplomas from high schools and colleges, however, not a lot of prisoners take advantage of the programs offered.

I have heard of many state prisons offering some good programs, not just custodian jobs.
 
I’ve been a victim of a crime and 20 plus years was suspended for the punk. He got 26 months in prison and 26 months probation. I got zero dollars in restitution, zero. We’re too easy on junkies in the US because they’re junkies.
 

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