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This is why we need mandatory jail sentences for white collar crimes. Until we do something similar to that, the companies will simply continue to base these de

This is why we need mandatory jail sentences for white collar crimes. Until we do something similar to that, the companies will simply continue to base these decisions on a calculation.

conanbatt 8y ago
Mandatory jail times to protect 60 year old VPs over low socioeconomic status workers?
- realbarack 8y ago
  Are you the one who gets to decide which ageist (, sexist, racist, etc.) employment practices are legal because they benefit a party you see as more deserving?
  - kittiepryde 8y ago
    Being illegal and going to prison aren't the same.
  - conanbatt 8y ago
    I dont want to decide anything, and someone saying that the VP should be protected over the low income worker is already something i clearly disagree with.
- frgtpsswrdlame 8y ago
  Yes. Age/race/gender/national-origin discrimination in hiring and firing should by punishable by, say, 4 months in prison.
  - HarryHirsch 8y ago
    Four months for a crime that affects the lifetime earnings of hundreds of people to the tune of hundreds of thousands? That's not nearly enough.
    - enraged_camel 8y ago
      It depends. The opportunity cost, measured in leisure and luxury and time away from family and kids, can make even short jail sentences scary for older wealthy people.
      - tchaffee 8y ago
        In addition to your career perhaps being over. Most companies do strong background checks for executive positions. Plus your reputation in the local community. I'm sure if Martha Stewart had to chance to choose again, she'd skip the insider trading and the jail sentence.
        isoskeles 8y ago
        I dunno, Martha Stewart got a lot of street cred for doing hard time in the slammer.
    - chongli 8y ago
      4 months in prison for a VP of a tech company is not the same as 4 months for poverty-stricken career thief. It's rather absurd to mention this, but the VP has a lot more to lose; it could potentially ruin his entire life.
      - doesnt_know 8y ago
        So a life is worth less because they are poor? If you're rich you shouldn't have to face the same consequences for your actions? That is insane. A "VP of tech company" is likely to be wealthy and have a number of assets. They could liquidate or just pay out of pocket to maintain their assests while they are inside and still come back to wealthy life. If you were already poor going into prison, living paycheck to paycheck, they have literally lost everything. Their life is destroyed. If anything, prison sentences and fines should scale up based on one's position of power and income.
        mac01021 8y ago
bilbo0s 8y ago
>This is why we need mandatory jail sentences for white collar crimes... Wait... What? Mandatory jail terms for discrimination? I think these companies should be held to account, no question there. But putting people in prison if they discriminate against older people, or blacks, or women, or what have you, that's kind of a lot don't you think? I mean, how many people would we be putting in prison if we started jailing people for discrimination? There is a LOT of discrimination out there. We should be hitting these companies where they feel it most, in their pocketbooks. Take whatever you feel the damages might have been, and add a zero on the end. Or two zeroes, or three, until these companies get the message.
- tchaffee 8y ago
  Yes. Mandatory jail terms for all sorts of white collar crimes. You gave no reason why we shouldn't other than that you seem shocked. I bet the first few people will be shocked. Much like Martha Stewart was. And then they will very quickly get the message. We've tried fines. Huge fines. Businesses don't care. They continue to do this stuff on a very regular basis.
malandrew 8y ago
This country already has a prison population of 2.2 million and you want to make it bigger? Who is going to foot the $31k to $60k per year per prisoner it takes to incarcerate all these prisoners, especially considering that you're suggesting increased jailing of the population of people that already pay like 98% of federal and state taxes. If anything, we already put too many people in prison.
- jon-wood 8y ago
  Hit them with a fine at the same time and they can fund their own stay on prison.
vonmoltke 8y ago
Mandatory jail sentences have no place in a fair legal system. They are just weapons to be wielded at the Boogeyman/out-group of the week.
- tchaffee 8y ago
  The mandatory 5 year jail sentence for carrying a pistol in the UK seems to be very effective. And fair. Handguns are strictly not welcome there both legally and culturally. To the point that the neighborhood police do not carry guns.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]

This is why we need mandatory jail sentences for white collar crimes. Until we do something similar to that, the companies will simply continue to base these decisions on a calculation.

conanbatt 8y ago

Mandatory jail times to protect 60 year old VPs over low socioeconomic status workers?

realbarack 8y ago
Are you the one who gets to decide which ageist (, sexist, racist, etc.) employment practices are legal because they benefit a party you see as more deserving?
- kittiepryde 8y ago
  Being illegal and going to prison aren't the same.
- conanbatt 8y ago
  I dont want to decide anything, and someone saying that the VP should be protected over the low income worker is already something i clearly disagree with.
frgtpsswrdlame 8y ago
Yes. Age/race/gender/national-origin discrimination in hiring and firing should by punishable by, say, 4 months in prison.
- HarryHirsch 8y ago
  Four months for a crime that affects the lifetime earnings of hundreds of people to the tune of hundreds of thousands? That's not nearly enough.
  - enraged_camel 8y ago
    It depends. The opportunity cost, measured in leisure and luxury and time away from family and kids, can make even short jail sentences scary for older wealthy people.
    - tchaffee 8y ago
      In addition to your career perhaps being over. Most companies do strong background checks for executive positions. Plus your reputation in the local community. I'm sure if Martha Stewart had to chance to choose again, she'd skip the insider trading and the jail sentence.
      - isoskeles 8y ago
        I dunno, Martha Stewart got a lot of street cred for doing hard time in the slammer.
  - chongli 8y ago
    4 months in prison for a VP of a tech company is not the same as 4 months for poverty-stricken career thief. It's rather absurd to mention this, but the VP has a lot more to lose; it could potentially ruin his entire life.
    - doesnt_know 8y ago
      So a life is worth less because they are poor? If you're rich you shouldn't have to face the same consequences for your actions? That is insane. A "VP of tech company" is likely to be wealthy and have a number of assets. They could liquidate or just pay out of pocket to maintain their assests while they are inside and still come back to wealthy life. If you were already poor going into prison, living paycheck to paycheck, they have literally lost everything. Their life is destroyed. If anything, prison sentences and fines should scale up based on one's position of power and income.
      - mac01021 8y ago

bilbo0s 8y ago

>This is why we need mandatory jail sentences for white collar crimes... Wait... What? Mandatory jail terms for discrimination? I think these companies should be held to account, no question there. But putting people in prison if they discriminate against older people, or blacks, or women, or what have you, that's kind of a lot don't you think? I mean, how many people would we be putting in prison if we started jailing people for discrimination? There is a LOT of discrimination out there. We should be hitting these companies where they feel it most, in their pocketbooks. Take whatever you feel the damages might have been, and add a zero on the end. Or two zeroes, or three, until these companies get the message.

tchaffee 8y ago
Yes. Mandatory jail terms for all sorts of white collar crimes. You gave no reason why we shouldn't other than that you seem shocked. I bet the first few people will be shocked. Much like Martha Stewart was. And then they will very quickly get the message. We've tried fines. Huge fines. Businesses don't care. They continue to do this stuff on a very regular basis.

malandrew 8y ago

This country already has a prison population of 2.2 million and you want to make it bigger? Who is going to foot the $31k to $60k per year per prisoner it takes to incarcerate all these prisoners, especially considering that you're suggesting increased jailing of the population of people that already pay like 98% of federal and state taxes. If anything, we already put too many people in prison.

jon-wood 8y ago
Hit them with a fine at the same time and they can fund their own stay on prison.

vonmoltke 8y ago

Mandatory jail sentences have no place in a fair legal system. They are just weapons to be wielded at the Boogeyman/out-group of the week.

tchaffee 8y ago
The mandatory 5 year jail sentence for carrying a pistol in the UK seems to be very effective. And fair. Handguns are strictly not welcome there both legally and culturally. To the point that the neighborhood police do not carry guns.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]