Revolving Doors? That’s not what the Statistics show! – Rant

Those “revolving doors”, don’t seem to be revolving quite as often as they would like you to believe. I just read a statistic issued by the State of Washington that indicated that only 15.4% of released inmates returned to prison. The same statistic showed that only 6% returned if they attended a work release or vocational program in the community, prior to being released. Interesting statistic when considering the National and State-wide call for more police, prosecutors and tougher legislation on crime.
There seems to be no slowing of the construction of new institutions designed to incarcerate citizens. Even more so, all we hear from political candidates is the same old “TOUGH ON CRIME” tag line. It’s great to preach from the podium, but somebody needs to inform these people that crime is NOT growing. At least not Nationally, nor in my home, the State of Washington. Yet time and again we hear the call for more police, more deputies, more state police, more jails, more prisons. Law enforcement has become the most popular job in America. Perhaps due to the low requirements to obtain a position of that nature and the “BIG GOVERNMENT” venue hear in Washington means there is plenty of positions available. Though, that in and of itself has become the biggest problem of all. In my opinion.

We all know that there is no such thing as “rehabilitation”. That’s political smoke that blows out the behinds of any bureaucrat or politician in the public eye. So perhaps what the new statistics indicate is not that they are doing a better job of rehabilitating incarcerated citizens, but that they have over saturated our community’s with too many police officials and as a result, they are arresting people that they never use to arrest. Why do you ask? Because they think that they need to do so and quite likely, for certain in some cases, they get their jolly’s from it.

Therefore, they are making felons out of people that shouldn’t be given the lack luster title of felon. Coupled with the Court TV craze and America’s love of watching unintellectual shows such as COPS, prosecutors are gunning for every case they can get. Why not? They know that the individuals they officially charge with a crime are represented by public defenders (or what we call “public pretenders”) that are going to recommend a plea bargain for every case that they are assigned. There are individuals serving 3 consecutive 1 year sentences in the county jail for driving on a suspended license! This is insanity at the very least.

For Gods sake. I’m sorry. I understand that there must be “checks and balances” and that there must be repercussions for violations of the law. I think we all comprehend that line of you know what. But, TRAFFIC OFFENSES!! First, let me say this. 99.9% of the time, when a person’s license is suspended, it’s because they could not afford to pay a ticket yet and are still saving or working to put themselves in a position to pay it. Contrary to popular opinion, not everybody has access to public transportation. So if the person doesn’t, they still need to drive to work in order to receive a pay check, to pay the ticket.

In case you are wondering, my license is active and valid. But, the point is anybody can have their license suspended. There is not a person alive who could ever convince me, that being cited for Driving on a Suspended License in whatever degree, is worthy of THREE YEARS OF SOMEBODY’S LIFE. Tell me where the threat to public safety is. Where’s the rehabilitation in that? If the person was a hazard, they would have REVOKED the license, not suspended it. Whatever treasonous Judge that sentences people to such cruel and unusual punishment, ought to be brought before the people in the public streets and dealt with. Period.

It’s all psychotic in it’s essence. Though, whatever you may consider it to be, it’s only progressing down it’s socialistic, totalitarian, pop culture road. Tell me how this is beneficial for the economy? 3000 more people incarcerated equates to 3000 less taxpayers. Unless, of course, the federal reimbursement for inmate housing at $36,000 a year equates to more money that what they make on taxes. OH, WAIT! IT DOES! When considering that the national average income is sitting at around $30k a year. Why take a percentage of their earnings, when you can hold them captive and have Uncle Sam pay you what they would have made if they were able to work. Of course the actual cost of housing is a small percentage of that $30k. Very small percentage.

They are all liars, con men and traitors against our country. That is, if you ask me.