4 ms·

The US baffles me sometimes. > He explained his case isn’t the worst: Timothy Jackson, a man caught stealing a jacket from a shop more than 20 years ago, is se

by abraae 7y ago

The US baffles me sometimes. > He explained his case isn’t the worst: Timothy Jackson, a man caught stealing a jacket from a shop more than 20 years ago, is set to spend the rest of his life in Angola. The average sentence in Angola is almost 90 years. How can a civilised country allow this to be?

marvin 7y ago
Would be interesting to learn more about the history of the prison system in Louisiana. It's the first time I hear that the Louisiana "justice" system is this harsh. The idea of thousands of black men that are forced under threat of violence to pick cotton, fruits and vegetables and receive only a symbolic amount of money for it (in Louisiana!) does seem more than slightly suspicious given the state's history.
mcsb4 7y ago
The prisions are not state run but commercial entities. Thus there is a certain incentive to lobby for longer sentences in order to make more business. Occasionally they pay "commission" like in this scheme to jail youth for profit: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/08/11/139536686/pa-judge-sentenced-to-28-years-in-massive-juvenile-justice-bribery-scandal https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/08/11/139536686...
- dmm 7y ago
  Prisons in the US no doubt have a lot of problems but I don't think Louisiana has any private prisons. And private prisons only hold 8.5% of prisoners across the US.
_iyig 7y ago
Looks like a “three strikes” law, which imposes a mandatory heavy (in this case, ridiculously heavy given the offenses) sentence after a certain number of felony convictions: “After this conviction under La.R.S. 14:67, Mr. Jackson was sentenced in accordance with R.S. 15:529.1 A(1)(c)(ii), which states in pertinent part: If the fourth or subsequent felony or any of the prior felonies is a felony defined as a crime of violence under R.S. 14:2(13) ․ the person shall be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. After a sentencing hearing at which the State proved Mr. Jackson's multiple offender status, the trial court simply stated that “because of the specific provisions of the law ․ the sentence must be ․ life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension.” Mr. Jackson has prior convictions for simple burglary in 1991 and in 1986 and for simple robbery in 1979. Simple robbery is listed as a crime of violence under La.R.S. 14:2(13).” https://caselaw.findlaw.com/la-court-of-appeal/1042986.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/la-court-of-appeal/1042986.html
- marvin 7y ago
  This is heartbreakingly cruel. It's hard to believe that an otherwise civilized country can do this to its citizens.
  - User23 7y ago
    How about having some sympathy for this man’s many victims and the people he would have preyed on in the future? While a life sentence without parole sounds excessive, he will never again rob or burgle or otherwise prey on the citizens of that otherwise civilized country. The only reason to permit the state monopoly on violence is because the state in turn keeps the peace. That includes protecting its citizens from robbery and burglary.
    - wbl 7y ago
      Most criminals don't commit crimes as they get older. The idea of lifelong criminality is a myth. The certainty of a sentence is more important then its duration, so these harsh sentences aren't deterring crime as effectively as having more cops would.
      - SamReidHughes 7y ago
        The purpose of the harsh sentence in three strikes laws isn't to deter crime, it's to lock people up who are apparently undeterrable.
        EliRivers 7y ago
        Crazy, isn't it. If deterrence appears not to work, let's pick the most expensive, wasteful alternative we can find! Taxpayers get a bad deal, society gets a bad deal, everyone involved gets a bad deal. I suppose that's what we get if the point isn't to make a better society but rather to indulge people's revenge fantasies and messed up sense of satisfaction.
    - marvin 7y ago

by abraae 7y ago

marvin 7y ago

Would be interesting to learn more about the history of the prison system in Louisiana. It's the first time I hear that the Louisiana "justice" system is this harsh. The idea of thousands of black men that are forced under threat of violence to pick cotton, fruits and vegetables and receive only a symbolic amount of money for it (in Louisiana!) does seem more than slightly suspicious given the state's history.

mcsb4 7y ago

The prisions are not state run but commercial entities. Thus there is a certain incentive to lobby for longer sentences in order to make more business. Occasionally they pay "commission" like in this scheme to jail youth for profit: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/08/11/139536686/pa-judge-sentenced-to-28-years-in-massive-juvenile-justice-bribery-scandal https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/08/11/139536686...

dmm 7y ago
Prisons in the US no doubt have a lot of problems but I don't think Louisiana has any private prisons. And private prisons only hold 8.5% of prisoners across the US.

_iyig 7y ago

Looks like a “three strikes” law, which imposes a mandatory heavy (in this case, ridiculously heavy given the offenses) sentence after a certain number of felony convictions: “After this conviction under La.R.S. 14:67, Mr. Jackson was sentenced in accordance with R.S. 15:529.1 A(1)(c)(ii), which states in pertinent part: If the fourth or subsequent felony or any of the prior felonies is a felony defined as a crime of violence under R.S. 14:2(13) ․ the person shall be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. After a sentencing hearing at which the State proved Mr. Jackson's multiple offender status, the trial court simply stated that “because of the specific provisions of the law ․ the sentence must be ․ life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension.” Mr. Jackson has prior convictions for simple burglary in 1991 and in 1986 and for simple robbery in 1979. Simple robbery is listed as a crime of violence under La.R.S. 14:2(13).” https://caselaw.findlaw.com/la-court-of-appeal/1042986.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/la-court-of-appeal/1042986.html

marvin 7y ago
This is heartbreakingly cruel. It's hard to believe that an otherwise civilized country can do this to its citizens.
- User23 7y ago
  How about having some sympathy for this man’s many victims and the people he would have preyed on in the future? While a life sentence without parole sounds excessive, he will never again rob or burgle or otherwise prey on the citizens of that otherwise civilized country. The only reason to permit the state monopoly on violence is because the state in turn keeps the peace. That includes protecting its citizens from robbery and burglary.
  - wbl 7y ago
    Most criminals don't commit crimes as they get older. The idea of lifelong criminality is a myth. The certainty of a sentence is more important then its duration, so these harsh sentences aren't deterring crime as effectively as having more cops would.
    - SamReidHughes 7y ago
      The purpose of the harsh sentence in three strikes laws isn't to deter crime, it's to lock people up who are apparently undeterrable.
      - EliRivers 7y ago
        Crazy, isn't it. If deterrence appears not to work, let's pick the most expensive, wasteful alternative we can find! Taxpayers get a bad deal, society gets a bad deal, everyone involved gets a bad deal. I suppose that's what we get if the point isn't to make a better society but rather to indulge people's revenge fantasies and messed up sense of satisfaction.
  - marvin 7y ago