Why does the USA have so many people in jail?

I guess I needed to put a smilie legend so that your humor detector would at least recognize it. Sorry.

No problem dude... My humor detector usually works... but it was broken yesterday !

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if their crimes aresomething other than being illegal, why are they in our jails in the first place?

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The Federation for American Immigration Reform also turned to the Justice Department to get statistics on criminal aliens. They report:"In March 2000, Congress made public Department of Justice statistics showing that, over the previous five years, the INS had released over 35,000 criminal aliens instead of deporting them. Over 11,000 of those released went on to commit serious crimes, over 1,800 of which were violent ones [including 98 homicides, 142 sexual assaults, and 44 kidnappings].Citing an Urban Institute study, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies Steven Camorata noted in 2004: "Roughly 17 percent of the prison population at the federal level are illegal aliens. That's a huge number since illegal aliens only account for about 3 percent of the total population."

that's okay. the cia factbook lists the black population as 12.9%. but they make up 40% of our jails. is this because they're evil? should we send all blacks to liberia? or maybe just the criminals?i was watching the bullshit episode on prostitution last night. they made an important point. prostitution is a dangerous and violent job because it's illegal. because they're afraid of getting caught, prostitutes can't call the cops if they get beaten up or raped or shot. i imagine it's the same with illegals. so they make their own law. and then they get caught.abe:
According to the National Center for Immigration Law, one in ten U.S. soliders who have DIED in Iraq have been immigrants. Five percent of those serving in our military are illegal immigrants.The first soldier to die for the United States in the current war in Iraq was Marine Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.This message has been edited by brennakimi, 04-11-2006 11:06 AM

Hey brenn, do you have a link for that? Scary. Even the Feds look the other way.

I just said "illegal aliens". That could mean any race.
You are the one bringing race into the picture, when that is not the issue at all.
I suspect most black prisoners are citizens of USA and therefore have those rights that illegals have not earned.Based on your avatar, you seem to want to bend over backwards to help illegal aliens from south of the border. So, if 450,000 cross the Mexican border into USA illegally, then should we allow the same number from each of India, China, Africa, Cuba, etc.?

and our citizens earned this right by what exactly? you were lucky enough to be squirted out of some broad that lived here. these people came here through great travail and have made a life from nothing. you (since you obviously have internet) were born with a silver spoon in comparison. i just thought i'd counter your ridiculous statistic with one equally meaningless. i notice you ignored the idea that maybe our police aren't able or interested in protecting these people. i'd bend over backwards to make anyone's life better. i was lucky enough to be born into favourable situations. but i'd rather improve the situation in mexico. but instead of seeing that, conservatives just want to shove developing countries into a box, shut the lid, and ignore it. oh yeah, and call me a communist because i take the time to care about another person who can't give me money.abe:
please reply here
immigrants threadThis message has been edited by brennakimi, 04-11-2006 11:47 AM

404
there's a link to a story on gutierrez.the only source i can find (with much unaimed googling) is alisavaldesrodriguez.blogspot.com
i will look for more...npr.
Non-Citizen Soldiersamerican immigration law foundation
Immigrants Fight for an Adopted Homeland i tried looking at the dod site but yeah... i gotta go to work.***OFF TOPIC***
please reply at the immigration threadThis message has been edited by brennakimi, 04-11-2006 11:48 AM

Actually I have had the idea for some time that there should be a massive movement of young Americans into Mexico to help them build up their economy. Plenty of rich Americans go down there to retire. I don't know if that contributes anything to the economy or not, but I'm thinking of things like helping to develop farmland, not just hire people but start farms or other enterprises and set them up so that the local people have a share in them. If Israel can do it with their desert beginnings, so can Mexico, but it takes commitment and foresight.I know plenty of church groups from all over America go to Mexico on a short-term basis to help out local communities, but that's just a drop in the bucket. My own church is sending a group for a week next week. They will help with the needs at an orphanage, are taking supplies of all kinds. Sometimes building projects are part of the help they offer. Sometimes it's a medical mission where doctors give their time to the locals. But again, it's very brief, and only a drop in the bucket of what is needed.To help Mexico would take a massive movement of people young and energetic enough to work hard to do something to improve conditions overall. If something along those lines got started I'd guess that a lot of the would-be illegal immigrants would be attracted to the projects they developed. It could be a profit-sharing arrangement or even something kibbutz-like so that all the workers have a reward from their labor. They should start new communities with schools. Practicalities are not my strong suit so I don't know how this would work out in reality, but if great numbers of dedicated energetic people were involved I'd think much is possible.Moved to new thread on immigration.This message has been edited by Faith, 04-11-2006 12:31 PM

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conservatives just want to shove developing countries into a box, shut the lid, and ignore it

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you are jumping to false conclusions... typical

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call me a communist because i take the time to care about another person who can't give me money

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Your angry-filled ranting and raving seems to indicate (although not stated explicitly by you) that you resent Americans having so much money, and that is not fair, and it should be taken from us and given to the billions of poor folks around the world.
So, until you actually state something like that, I am not really calling you a communist (my statement was a jest in response to the "L" word response of someone else).

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To help Mexico would take a massive movement of people young and energetic enough to work hard to do something to improve conditions overall.

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Go for it!The Catholic Church has some programs, but not much participation, from what I understand.

I think it should and could start with the churches, but I think it would take a lot of people -- and it probably would have to be a lifetime commitment for at least some basic core group. I guess if the great wave of emigrants could be diverted to the project that could supply the numbers right there.But you understand, I'm just an armchair daydreamer, I'm no activist. And I'm not young and energetic. But I can preach up a storm. Maybe that's worth something.Anyway, this topic has been moved to new thread on immigration.This message has been edited by Faith, 04-11-2006 12:46 PMThis message has been edited by Faith, 04-11-2006 12:47 PM

Edit: Delted, posted to wrong threadThis message has been edited by SuperNintendo Chalmers, 04-11-2006 12:47 PM

You know, I agree this Debra LaFave thing has a hollow ring for justice seekers. So, as a token of my intention to be a strong and a law abiding citizen, I have offered to allow her to be on her house arrest at my house.

A huge percentage of people are in jail for non-violent drug offenses.Each person in jail does not pay taxes. In addition we also have to pay $50,000+ a year per prisoner to keep them there.Once people enter jail they lose all their rights and are subjected to beatings, rape, etc. Many non-violent petty criminals come out of jail as major violent criminals because of what happens there.Our criminal justice system is a joke. It's a HUGE cost to taxpayers and does virtually nothing to reduce crime