5 ms·

One horror is the length of sentence - 10 years for a non violent burglary.

by sgt101 6y ago

sleavey 6y ago
I agree, it's crazy to take away ~1/7th of someone's life - during their most productive years - for theft. Are we to believe that it takes 10 years to "fix" someone of their theft problem? Did it take 10 years for them to form it? I expect in most cases the theft problem would go away at the same time as the drug problem the writer explains they had.
- coffeemaniac 6y ago
  The point isn't to fix the problem, in fact they'll probably come out with more problems than they went in with. It's entirely punitive. The cruelty is the point.
- cm2187 6y ago
  I assume the first shorter sentences were meant to “fix” it. When they obviously didn’t the objective switches to protecting society.
glangdale 6y ago
It's not quite as simple as that. He appears to be serving his third sentence. I went looking for more of his writing and found this: https://www.publicpolicerecord.com/florida/doc-prisoner/MOSER_RYAN/D84878 https://www.publicpolicerecord.com/florida/doc-prisoner/MOSE... It looks like he's on his third go-around, and was probably jailed immediately on a parole or probation violation on his third offense (which explains how he's been away for 6 years despite his current sentence being 5 years). I don't know if he's also going to have to serve more time due to probably having violated his parole for earlier offences. I hope he gets his life together, for his sake and the sake of his family. It's a shame that he couldn't have been diverted into a first-offender program and rehab many years ago back at his first offense, rather than doing what looks like a 'revolving door' run through prisons.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
>10 years for a non violent burglary. There are two common ways to get a crazy prison sentence. Drug and/or gun possession often acts as a multiplier on sentencing guidelines for whatever the underlying crime is. Multiple contacts with the system (three strikes laws and parole/probation violations) tend to have compounding sentences so screwing up on parole or probation can net you an additional sentence than in addition to time served adds up to longer than whatever the longest sentence you would get as a standalone is.
- Clubber 6y ago
  Also fighting the charge typically results in a high sentence, i.e. not taking the plea deal. Prosecutors notoriously over charge and if you fight it, you typically get the over charge time. See Aaron Schwartz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz
  - sgt101 6y ago
    This is a particularly nasty thing; if you are innocent and plead your innocence you will be penalized. If a plea bargain is just why should it be withheld ? The answer of course is that it is cheaper for the system to get people through without a serious trial; what value does a society like that truly put on liberty?
- paganel 6y ago
  > three strikes laws The three-strikes law is pure abomination, I've first learned about it watching "Oz" (the TV series) in the early 2000s, couldn't believe that that was real (I don't live in the States). 15 years have passed and there is still no real conversation about abolishing it.
  - TechBro8615 6y ago
    Not only that, but the US just elected one of the law’s top advocates to the office of President. (And also elected one of its top enforcers as VP.)
  - 6y ago

One horror is the length of sentence - 10 years for a non violent burglary.

by sgt101 6y ago

One horror is the length of sentence - 10 years for a non violent burglary.

I agree, it's crazy to take away ~1/7th of someone's life - during their most productive years - for theft. Are we to believe that it takes 10 years to "fix" someone of their theft problem? Did it take 10 years for them to form it? I expect in most cases the theft problem would go away at the same time as the drug problem the writer explains they had.

coffeemaniac 6y ago
The point isn't to fix the problem, in fact they'll probably come out with more problems than they went in with. It's entirely punitive. The cruelty is the point.
cm2187 6y ago
I assume the first shorter sentences were meant to “fix” it. When they obviously didn’t the objective switches to protecting society.

glangdale 6y ago

It's not quite as simple as that. He appears to be serving his third sentence. I went looking for more of his writing and found this: https://www.publicpolicerecord.com/florida/doc-prisoner/MOSER_RYAN/D84878 https://www.publicpolicerecord.com/florida/doc-prisoner/MOSE... It looks like he's on his third go-around, and was probably jailed immediately on a parole or probation violation on his third offense (which explains how he's been away for 6 years despite his current sentence being 5 years). I don't know if he's also going to have to serve more time due to probably having violated his parole for earlier offences. I hope he gets his life together, for his sake and the sake of his family. It's a shame that he couldn't have been diverted into a first-offender program and rehab many years ago back at his first offense, rather than doing what looks like a 'revolving door' run through prisons.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

>10 years for a non violent burglary. There are two common ways to get a crazy prison sentence. Drug and/or gun possession often acts as a multiplier on sentencing guidelines for whatever the underlying crime is. Multiple contacts with the system (three strikes laws and parole/probation violations) tend to have compounding sentences so screwing up on parole or probation can net you an additional sentence than in addition to time served adds up to longer than whatever the longest sentence you would get as a standalone is.

Clubber 6y ago
Also fighting the charge typically results in a high sentence, i.e. not taking the plea deal. Prosecutors notoriously over charge and if you fight it, you typically get the over charge time. See Aaron Schwartz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz
- sgt101 6y ago
  This is a particularly nasty thing; if you are innocent and plead your innocence you will be penalized. If a plea bargain is just why should it be withheld ? The answer of course is that it is cheaper for the system to get people through without a serious trial; what value does a society like that truly put on liberty?
paganel 6y ago
> three strikes laws The three-strikes law is pure abomination, I've first learned about it watching "Oz" (the TV series) in the early 2000s, couldn't believe that that was real (I don't live in the States). 15 years have passed and there is still no real conversation about abolishing it.
- TechBro8615 6y ago
  Not only that, but the US just elected one of the law’s top advocates to the office of President. (And also elected one of its top enforcers as VP.)
- 6y ago