http://www.miller-mccune.com/blogs/news-blog/the-rampant-growth-of-life-without-parole-3573/ Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:00:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.miller-mccune.com/blogs/news-blog/the-rampant-growth-of-life-without-parole-3573/#comment-507 Anonymous User Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:14:50 +0000 http://blog.miller-mccune.com.s72010.gridserver.com/2009/07/22/the-rampant-growth-of-life-without-parole/#comment-507 Lisa Connelly is serving a 25 year to life sentence under California’s Three Strikes Law. Her prior convictions came out of one case. 10 year later she was found to have less than a gram of meth, yet that earned her a life sentence. The DA used her 3 prior convictions that came out of one case to portray her as a habitual offender; Truth is she had a drug problem. Not a criminality problem. California treats all prior convictions the same which produces an unconstitutionally arbitrary system. How is it we can compare the same sentence we met out for 1st degree murder with a drug user? Fortunately there was great public outcry and those types of egregious convictions are rare today. But what about Lisa? Well the law has not changed so she and about 4,000 others remain in prison for life. Not one will even be eligible until 2019. Cost to the taxpayers about $ 49,000 each every year! Lisa Connelly is serving a 25 year to life sentence under California’s Three Strikes Law. Her prior convictions came out of one case. 10 year later she was found to have less than a gram of meth, yet that earned her a life sentence. The DA used her 3 prior convictions that came out of one case to portray her as a habitual offender; Truth is she had a drug problem. Not a criminality problem. California treats all prior convictions the same which produces an unconstitutionally arbitrary system. How is it we can compare the same sentence we met out for 1st degree murder with a drug user? Fortunately there was great public outcry and those types of egregious convictions are rare today. But what about Lisa? Well the law has not changed so she and about 4,000 others remain in prison for life. Not one will even be eligible until 2019. Cost to the taxpayers about $ 49,000 each every year!

]]> http://www.miller-mccune.com/blogs/news-blog/the-rampant-growth-of-life-without-parole-3573/#comment-505 Anonymous User Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:49:07 +0000 http://blog.miller-mccune.com.s72010.gridserver.com/2009/07/22/the-rampant-growth-of-life-without-parole/#comment-505 I was wondering when someone was going to catch on that the penal system is draining the state of all its assets. Why are residents allowing politicians to manipulate them into paying for their campaign promises? The three strikes law that we have now was originally brought before the senate and rejected as it was written. When recommendations for changes were brought to the attention of Bill Jones he pulled it off the floor because he did not want it changed. Michael Reynolds used Polly Klaas to feed his own personal agenda when no one paid attention to his daughter Kimber Reynolds death. He appealed to the residents fear and emotions in order to get this law passed. We now have inmates serving unwarranted life sentences for non-serious, non-violent crimes. We should not be resentencing an individual for a felony crime which they have already served time for just because that individual does something menial offenses. A drug offense by a substance abuser should not warrant the state to have to pay the prisons in excess of $80,000 per year. Third strikers are placed in maximum security prisons with special supervision which cost more than the average $40-$60,000 per annually per inmate. Remember wome of these inmates are serving time for a victimless crime. The state is saying that they are the victims for someone being under the influence of a control substance. But I guess they are correct...we are the victims. But the criminal is the judicial system. I was wondering when someone was going to catch on that the penal system is draining the state of all its assets. Why are residents allowing politicians to manipulate them into paying for their campaign promises? The three strikes law that we have now was originally brought before the senate and rejected as it was written. When recommendations for changes were brought to the attention of Bill Jones he pulled it off the floor because he did not want it changed. Michael Reynolds used Polly Klaas to feed his own personal agenda when no one paid attention to his daughter Kimber Reynolds death. He appealed to the residents fear and emotions in order to get this law passed. We now have inmates serving unwarranted life sentences for non-serious, non-violent crimes. We should not be resentencing an individual for a felony crime which they have already served time for just because that individual does something menial offenses. A drug offense by a substance abuser should not warrant the state to have to pay the prisons in excess of $80,000 per year. Third strikers are placed in maximum security prisons with special supervision which cost more than the average $40-$60,000 per annually per inmate. Remember wome of these inmates are serving time for a victimless crime. The state is saying that they are the victims for someone being under the influence of a control substance. But I guess they are correct…we are the victims. But the criminal is the judicial system.

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