re: #2 EiMitch

I’m on the “legalize it” side, except when it comes to street pimps. Those mind rapists (who are most likely literal rapists too) deserve to be locked away until they die of old age.

Overall, treating any kind of non-violent offender as a felon is wrong.* Its not just that the record keeps people from finding decent employment like the article says. There is also the stupidity of being “surprised” that they’re thinking like hardened criminals after being forced to live with hardened criminals for years.

If you don’t agree with legalization, at least support decriminalization. The difference is that decriminalizing means attempting some kind of rehabilitation and no mandatory minimum sentence.

And yes, that should go for drugs too.

But so long as society believes in “punishment as deterrence” despite every credible study concluding that it doesn’t work, the system will remain geared to produce career criminals.

…

* - I make exceptions for white-collar criminals and significant environmental ravishers. Either way, when you deliberately cause harm on such a large scale, then f*** you.

I propose another addition to that bolded portion. People who steal significant amounts, even if non-violently, need to be imprisoned. Ditto for people who make or sell certain kinds of especially dangerous drugs (not including Cocaine or Heroin, but Meth would definately be on the list of ‘especially dangerous’).