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5 Years for Passing a Joint: Stop this Bill Now | 93 comments (93 topical)
Re: 5 Years for Passing a Joint: Stop this Bill No (none / 0) (#98)
by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 18, 2005 at 11:14:04 AM EST
BOP (Bureau of Prisons) is a growth industry. Follow the money, it'll take you to several interesting places. Since this appears to be about drugs, even Democrats vote for it so it "appears" they, too are tough on crime (when they KNOW the reality of the situation). That's how the original Mandatory sentencing bill got through the first time. Here's a realistic scenario about what happens: Stevie (the Feds' undercover 20 year-old scumbag) infiltrates himself into a group of college kids and plans a party at his house. As things get going Stevie opens up his stash (which the government gave him for this purpose) and rolls a couple of joints. He passes them around where some of the kids partake. Later that night the Feds bust in and arrest all of them (oh, except Stevie the guy who set it all up). AKA as a DRY CONSPIRACY! The prosecutor offers each kid a deal: If they give him/her the names of others at that party they'll reduce their "mandatory" sentence to 1 year. Scared to death, Joe gives up his roommate who left before 10pm. Suzie rats out her best friend... The Feds then give the mandatory sentences to kids who were there before the pot got passed while the ones Stevie set up got a year. In the meantime, the prosecutor has 35 drug convictions under his/her belt and doesn't give a flying flip what happens to these kids. (See antereas' highly knowledgeable post above). And last, Bush announces that he's making a differnce in the drug war because 20,000 more people went to jail on drug charges this month. True fact: Barbara Bush owns a company called Keefe Foods. Keefe Foods services most Federal prisons.

5 Years for Passing a Joint: Stop this Bill Now | 93 comments (93 topical)

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