Originally Posted by notorious:
I'm shocked the governor wasn't stupid enough to do this the week leading up to the Superbowl.
Reid should stay behind bars for a long time for what he did to that girl.
I mean…I’m all for punishment but keeping him and others like him in prison is just taking up space and tax payer dollars. I think prison should be more about violent offenders, there are other ways to punish without prison that are more productive for society as a whole. He could be sentenced to 1000’s of hours of service etc. I just don’t think prison is the right answer. Now, jail is another thing. In CO you can only sentence up to two years in jail - probably the same in MO - but prison typically does not rehab people it makes them worse. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DenverChief:
I mean…I’m all for punishment but keeping him and others like him in prison is just taking up space and tax payer dollars. I think prison should be more about violent offenders, there are other ways to punish without prison that are more productive for society as a whole. He could be sentenced to 1000’s of hours of service etc. I just don’t think prison is the right answer. Now, jail is another thing. In CO you can only sentence up to two years in jail - probably the same in MO - but prison typically does not rehab people it makes them worse.
I generally agree with this in philosophy, as long as you have enough of a punishment for the offender to cause them to never do this behavior again. I'm not sure that public service is enough, especially for a guy who leads a comfortable life due to family wealth. I don't know what punishment you'd add, but it needs to be equal or greater to the hardship that the family now has with a disabled child. Maybe you brand "Drunk Driver" into his forehead or something.
I think the bad look is that it was commuted for a "celebrity child". Would it have been commuted if he had been small-town barber Rufus McGinnity who had done the same thing? Did the sentences get commuted of everyone who has committed the same crime and is now in prison? I doubt it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I generally agree with this in philosophy, as long as you have enough of a punishment for the offender to cause them to never do this behavior again. I'm not sure that public service is enough, especially for a guy who leads a comfortable life due to family wealth. I don't know what punishment you'd add, but it needs to be equal or greater to the hardship that the family now has with a disabled child. Maybe you brand "Drunk Driver" into his forehead or something.
I think the bad look is that it was commuted for a "celebrity child". Would it have been commuted if he had been small-town barber Rufus McGinnity who had done the same thing? Did the sentences get commuted of everyone who has committed the same crime and is now in prison? I doubt it.
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I generally agree with this in philosophy, as long as you have enough of a punishment for the offender to cause them to never do this behavior again. I'm not sure that public service is enough, especially for a guy who leads a comfortable life due to family wealth. I don't know what punishment you'd add, but it needs to be equal or greater to the hardship that the family now has with a disabled child. Maybe you brand "Drunk Driver" into his forehead or something.
I think the bad look is that it was commuted for a "celebrity child". Would it have been commuted if he had been small-town barber Rufus McGinnity who had done the same thing? Did the sentences get commuted of everyone who has committed the same crime and is now in prison? I doubt it.
100% agreed. This is a very political decision based upon the “who” the offender is related to. But I generally don’t disagree with the decision as relates to any other person situated similarly. Except maybe we should change sentencing rather than leave it up to the executive to make a “political” decision. [Reply]
My great great grandfather got a 3 year hitch for assault with intent to kill in 1889 in Steelville, MO. The story in the Crawford County newspapers said he was drunk when he did it and warned readers about the downside of consuming alcohol. He served 18 months and the governor commuted his sentence.
Granted, it was roughly 150 years ago but that man had no connections, money or anything. Lots of prisoners don't serve their full sentence. [Reply]
Originally Posted by phisherman:
My great great grandfather got a 3 year hitch for assault with intent to kill in 1889 in Steelville, MO. The story in the Crawford County newspapers said he was drunk when he did it and warned readers about the downside of consuming alcohol. He served 18 months and the governor commuted his sentence.
Granted, it was roughly 150 years ago but that man had no connections, money or anything. Lots of prisoners don't serve their full sentence.