3 ms·

While there are injustices, what percentage of the jail time is due to actually breaking the law? Isn't it valid to put people who break the law behind bars?

by kkwak 7y ago

legopelle 7y ago
I'd argue that depends on 1. laws being put I to place for strictly rational reasons, 2. arrest decisions do not depend on race and 3. punishment magnitude is equal for equal crimes.
mlyle 7y ago
If the law is just and fairly applied. If you make a whole bunch of laws that huge swaths of the population violate, and then use them to put subgroups you don't like in prison... it's not so "valid".
JshWright 7y ago
A) The laws have been specifically designed to allow targeting of certain populations (the "War on Drugs" has had a hugely disproportionate impact on non-white Americans). https://www.vox.com/2014/7/1/5850830/war-on-drugs-racist-minorities https://www.vox.com/2014/7/1/5850830/war-on-drugs-racist-min... B) Non-whites are way, way more likely to be arrested (despite similar rates of drug use), and receive harsher penalties. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432004578304463789858002 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432004578304... The list goes on and on... "Broken windows" policing results in targeting of minority communities. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly more likely to be targeted under "stop and frisk" laws, despite equal (or lower) hit rates for contraband discovery when compares to whites.
- kkwak 7y ago
  War on drugs. Is there a particular reason why weed is a necessity? Why isn't it fair to have banned it?
  - JshWright 7y ago
    That argument is nonsensical... Just because something is "not a necessity" it's reasonable to criminalize its possession? Eggs aren't a necessity, there are plenty of alternatives available. Should we ban them too?

3 ms·

While there are injustices, what percentage of the jail time is due to actually breaking the law? Isn't it valid to put people who break the law behind bars?

by kkwak 7y ago

While there are injustices, what percentage of the jail time is due to actually breaking the law? Isn't it valid to put people who break the law behind bars?

legopelle 7y ago
I'd argue that depends on 1. laws being put I to place for strictly rational reasons, 2. arrest decisions do not depend on race and 3. punishment magnitude is equal for equal crimes.
mlyle 7y ago
If the law is just and fairly applied. If you make a whole bunch of laws that huge swaths of the population violate, and then use them to put subgroups you don't like in prison... it's not so "valid".
JshWright 7y ago
A) The laws have been specifically designed to allow targeting of certain populations (the "War on Drugs" has had a hugely disproportionate impact on non-white Americans). https://www.vox.com/2014/7/1/5850830/war-on-drugs-racist-minorities https://www.vox.com/2014/7/1/5850830/war-on-drugs-racist-min... B) Non-whites are way, way more likely to be arrested (despite similar rates of drug use), and receive harsher penalties. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432004578304463789858002 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432004578304... The list goes on and on... "Broken windows" policing results in targeting of minority communities. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly more likely to be targeted under "stop and frisk" laws, despite equal (or lower) hit rates for contraband discovery when compares to whites.
- kkwak 7y ago
  War on drugs. Is there a particular reason why weed is a necessity? Why isn't it fair to have banned it?
  - JshWright 7y ago
    That argument is nonsensical... Just because something is "not a necessity" it's reasonable to criminalize its possession? Eggs aren't a necessity, there are plenty of alternatives available. Should we ban them too?