9 ms·

I’m confused, according to the article this woman, at the age of 55, as a heroin addict, got life without parole for carrying heroin in a sock across town. Wha

I’m confused, according to the article this woman, at the age of 55, as a heroin addict, got life without parole for carrying heroin in a sock across town. What a waste of taxpayers money and a complete shambles.

overcast 7y ago
On a positive note, it probably saved her life.
- bjourne 7y ago
  Yes, but imagine the savings if she had gotten treatment instead of 20 years of pointless punishment.
  - alexis_fr 7y ago
    And 1 year in prison cost as much as 1 year at Harvard.
    - rienbdj 7y ago
      Perhaps, but Harvard diplomas are valuable because they are scarce.
      - alphabettsy 7y ago
        Your response completely misses the point. The $30k/year could go towards any number of more productive things than incarceration.
- code_duck 7y ago
  You'd have to ask her if she would have preferred to die at 60 than spend her 60s languishing in prison, I guess. The grim truth is that sometimes life is very unpleasant and not everyone always feels that living is better.
mcbuilder 7y ago
Maybe you are too young to remember the war on drugs, but it was (and continues to be) a sad period in American history.
clarkmoody 7y ago
With two simple rules you could clear up so much absurdity in the criminal justice system and in the public perception of the law: - No victim, no crime - Legal != moral
- ng12 7y ago
  By purchasing heroin/cocaine you are virtually guaranteed to be financially supporting a narco-terrorist group.
  - colonwqbang 7y ago
    You could say the same about purchasing alcohol in the 1920's. But today I'm sure you don't feel you're supporting organised crime when you have a beer.
    - throwawayhhakdl 7y ago
      ... well it’s not the 1920s, so you’re not supporting organized crime...
  - toolz 7y ago
    Untrue, legal suppliers are already supplying coca and poppy plants for medicinal purposes. So there's no reason to believe legalization wouldn't grow that industry just like the legal marijuana industry is growing.
  - cr0sh 7y ago
    One could extend that kind of reasoning to a number of so-called "legal" products and services being sold today. Either directly or indirectly (degrees of separation), many simple acts of commerce fund things most would find abhorrent. Diamonds are most definitely on that list still - despite all the noise and promises made; I am fairly certain so-called "blood diamonds" are still a part of the trade. Gasoline (more concretely, oil) is another. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that various renewables have their own problems in a similar vein... You can probably think of others.
ahbyb 7y ago
"carrying heroin in a sock" vs. acting as a courier of heroin and hydromorphone pills, after having been convicted before of forgery for having used fraudulent checks and stolen credit cards.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]

overcast 7y ago

On a positive note, it probably saved her life.

bjourne 7y ago
Yes, but imagine the savings if she had gotten treatment instead of 20 years of pointless punishment.
- alexis_fr 7y ago
  And 1 year in prison cost as much as 1 year at Harvard.
  - rienbdj 7y ago
    Perhaps, but Harvard diplomas are valuable because they are scarce.
    - alphabettsy 7y ago
      Your response completely misses the point. The $30k/year could go towards any number of more productive things than incarceration.
code_duck 7y ago
You'd have to ask her if she would have preferred to die at 60 than spend her 60s languishing in prison, I guess. The grim truth is that sometimes life is very unpleasant and not everyone always feels that living is better.

mcbuilder 7y ago

Maybe you are too young to remember the war on drugs, but it was (and continues to be) a sad period in American history.

clarkmoody 7y ago

With two simple rules you could clear up so much absurdity in the criminal justice system and in the public perception of the law: - No victim, no crime - Legal != moral

ng12 7y ago
By purchasing heroin/cocaine you are virtually guaranteed to be financially supporting a narco-terrorist group.
- colonwqbang 7y ago
  You could say the same about purchasing alcohol in the 1920's. But today I'm sure you don't feel you're supporting organised crime when you have a beer.
  - throwawayhhakdl 7y ago
    ... well it’s not the 1920s, so you’re not supporting organized crime...
- toolz 7y ago
  Untrue, legal suppliers are already supplying coca and poppy plants for medicinal purposes. So there's no reason to believe legalization wouldn't grow that industry just like the legal marijuana industry is growing.
- cr0sh 7y ago
  One could extend that kind of reasoning to a number of so-called "legal" products and services being sold today. Either directly or indirectly (degrees of separation), many simple acts of commerce fund things most would find abhorrent. Diamonds are most definitely on that list still - despite all the noise and promises made; I am fairly certain so-called "blood diamonds" are still a part of the trade. Gasoline (more concretely, oil) is another. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that various renewables have their own problems in a similar vein... You can probably think of others.

ahbyb 7y ago

"carrying heroin in a sock" vs. acting as a courier of heroin and hydromorphone pills, after having been convicted before of forgery for having used fraudulent checks and stolen credit cards.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]