Pulaski

Surely you mean all democrats are criminals?

Pulaski

And risks reducing the pool of future "clients"

Octang Frye

Just to follow up, you must all remember hearing about the time slavery was legal in the United States?

Well, it still is. In 2012. I give you, the 13th Amendment.

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

JRG67

Building a prison seems like a profitable business venture. I wonder if Trump and Romney will build on together somtime soon in the near future?

Pulaski

It's much worse than that, I learned a couple of years ago that when a prisoner is released on parole/ probation they have to pay a monthly fee to cover the cost of their supervision. Given that they have a criminal record and finding paid employment is next to impossible, where do the politicians who passed such a dumb law suppose the releasees are gonna get the money for the supervision fee? Oh, and the penalty for not paying? ... You get hauled back to the lock-up, of course!

This idea is so dumb that I presume it is not unique to NC.

Hiro11

Incarceration rates up, violent crime rates at record lows. Coincidence?

Hiro11

Yes, not being able to smoke or have an open container in CP makes the US a "police state".

kimilseung

Almost certainly so, given that at least one million people in the nick are not violent.

JRG67

Ha ha! Trying to be provocative? I was talking about NYC and the fact that the police have a much stronger presence now under Bloomsberg. Things are becoming much more regulated and bureaucratic there. I don't know anything about the rest of the States.

sir_eccles

You need a history lesson about NYC riots, zero tolerance policing and Giuliani.

Giantaxe

I think we should incarcerate 99% of the population. I guarantee you it will reduce violent crime to a record low.

JRG67

Yes, I agree- I don't know much about the history of the place. I just found the city a lot more restrictive than I thought it would be... The police cars patrolling Central Park seemed intimidating, as did the cops' uniforms. However on the plus side it appears to be a safer place than it used to be.

Giantaxe

... to put it mildly. Otoh, an elderly woman was raped in Central Park recently.

Sally Redux

What about the rates within LA though?

JRG67

In Japan the yakuza walk about freely, the people live in cramped spaces, the police are not in anyway intimidating, one can drink a can of beer while walking down the street, and yet it is a much safer place (apart from earthquakes and potential nuclear meltdowns) than America. I find this puzzling.