Here I will post a response to an article you have selected from Room for debate. I have chosen to write "keep those out of jail who don't need to be locked up", written by Julia M. Stasch. I choose this topic because of the personal feelings that I have on the issue. I know people and I have also been a victim of a imperfect law system where people who do serious crimes get lighter sentences then those who sell drugs. Non-violent offenders is my main reasoning. The main reason for jail and the use of jail itself has significantly changed. When it was first conceived, it was made for violent individuals who should not walk or streets and for persons who were labeled as "flight-risks", or people who police would believe would run from their charges. Now, it's simply a cage for anyone who can't afford bail and has a major trail for any reason. Almost 75 percent are held for nonviolent offenses, such as traffic violations or drug charges. Many of these individuals are often held in prison for weeks, months, or even years waiting to have to case resolved, despite the fact they are presumed innocent. The author of the article is Julia Stasch. She is the President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Formerly, as Vice President of U.S. Programs, she was responsible for US grantmaking. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked for the the City of Chicago, first as Commissioner of the city's Department of Housing and then as Chief of Staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Kent Scheidegger is the legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. He believes that jails are important part of our society. Local jails occupy an important place in the range of sanctions available in our penal system. At the low end are the alternatives to incarceration, at the upper end is state prison, and county jail is in the crucial middle. These parts do not operate independently. They depend on each other. I side on the previous in that I believe that people deserve a second chance and that some people don't necessary need incarceration, just be fined. That should only apply to nonviolent offenders however.
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Bryan A. Brown
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