4 ms·

For many people in the US prisons it must be fun to realize that theyve spent half life behind bars for something that's become legal.

by akomtu 5y ago

systemvoltage 5y ago
For many people in the world - weed is still illegal including most of EU, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Australia. We're making progress. No point in looking back except for the fact that we should learn from it.
- tdeck 5y ago
  I think OP was alluding to the fact that people are still in prison for possession that would now be legal.
- kube-system 5y ago
  There are apparently a couple of countries that put people to death for cannabis offenses. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_for_cannabis_trafficking https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_for_canna...
  - actuator 5y ago
    Singapore always amazes me. Incredibly well developed with high per capita income but too much of a nanny state. Maybe the people there are happy with some advantages that come with being a nanny state and don't wish to change that.
    - vmception 5y ago
      Like most jurisdictions, they don't know anything else Alot of people in Singapore arent happy with it
    - cies 5y ago
      Being a nanny state and killing people for possession of a plant with recreational and medicinal value is quite a stretch.
    - pjc50 5y ago
      It was a British colony that after freedom became an electoral one party state. While opposition politics isn't exactly suppressed, there's very little room for it .. socially? As you say, strange place.
wyldfire 5y ago
As US states legalize weed, they tend to free prisoners and expunge records regarding former drug use/possession crimes.
- yurishimo 5y ago
  That doesn't give any of those people the years they missed behind bars that time back. I think monetary compensation isn't out of the question for the vast majority of those "offenders". I'm not saying you gotta pay them a million bucks each, but $10-20k for each year behind bars would go a long way to helping them get back on their feet. That's a downpayment on a house and less stress on finding a job as fast as humanly possible upon release. If you don't pay them directly, then setup some sort of fund as a category under the unemployment system to provide resources.
  - tomcatfish 5y ago
    Realistically, this might stop some jurisdictions from freeing them, since there is now a large cost attached to each person who is un-crimed. Unfortunately, it seems like this a trap that should be sprung AFTER everyone is out of jail, not while groups are still deciding.
    - varispeed 5y ago
      They messed up and they should pay. In my eyes people who keep this going are the real criminals and in our interest should be that those people are held accountable for what they done. If they don't pay, they should do time.
      - username90 5y ago
        Its taxpayers who are paying, not the officials who created and perpetuate the policy.

For many people in the US prisons it must be fun to realize that theyve spent half life behind bars for something that's become legal.

by akomtu 5y ago

For many people in the US prisons it must be fun to realize that theyve spent half life behind bars for something that's become legal.

systemvoltage 5y ago

For many people in the world - weed is still illegal including most of EU, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Australia. We're making progress. No point in looking back except for the fact that we should learn from it.

tdeck 5y ago
I think OP was alluding to the fact that people are still in prison for possession that would now be legal.
kube-system 5y ago
There are apparently a couple of countries that put people to death for cannabis offenses. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_for_cannabis_trafficking https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_for_canna...
- actuator 5y ago
  Singapore always amazes me. Incredibly well developed with high per capita income but too much of a nanny state. Maybe the people there are happy with some advantages that come with being a nanny state and don't wish to change that.
  - vmception 5y ago
    Like most jurisdictions, they don't know anything else Alot of people in Singapore arent happy with it
  - cies 5y ago
    Being a nanny state and killing people for possession of a plant with recreational and medicinal value is quite a stretch.
  - pjc50 5y ago
    It was a British colony that after freedom became an electoral one party state. While opposition politics isn't exactly suppressed, there's very little room for it .. socially? As you say, strange place.

wyldfire 5y ago

As US states legalize weed, they tend to free prisoners and expunge records regarding former drug use/possession crimes.

yurishimo 5y ago
That doesn't give any of those people the years they missed behind bars that time back. I think monetary compensation isn't out of the question for the vast majority of those "offenders". I'm not saying you gotta pay them a million bucks each, but $10-20k for each year behind bars would go a long way to helping them get back on their feet. That's a downpayment on a house and less stress on finding a job as fast as humanly possible upon release. If you don't pay them directly, then setup some sort of fund as a category under the unemployment system to provide resources.
- tomcatfish 5y ago
  Realistically, this might stop some jurisdictions from freeing them, since there is now a large cost attached to each person who is un-crimed. Unfortunately, it seems like this a trap that should be sprung AFTER everyone is out of jail, not while groups are still deciding.
  - varispeed 5y ago
    They messed up and they should pay. In my eyes people who keep this going are the real criminals and in our interest should be that those people are held accountable for what they done. If they don't pay, they should do time.
    - username90 5y ago
      Its taxpayers who are paying, not the officials who created and perpetuate the policy.