cannabisnews.com: Focus on Human Rights!





Focus on Human Rights!
Posted by FoM on May 18, 1999 at 10:07:16 PT
Source: Human Rights Watch
In the past decade, the U.S. Congress and many state legislatures have established harsh criminal penalties for a wide range of drug offenses, often using the vehicle of mandatory minimum prison sentences.
As a consequence, drug offenders in the United States face sentences that are uniquely severe among constitutional democracies. Supporters insist that severe mandatory sentences guarantee serious drug offenders are put behind bars, offer prosecutors leverage for securing cooperation from drug traffickers, deter prospective offenders, and enhance community safety and well-being. Opponents point to data showing the laws have had little impact on the demand for or the availability of drugs. Instead, they have resulted in the unnecessary confinement of low-level nonviolent offenders (most of whom are poor African-Americans and Hispanics), a staggering growth in prison populations, and a waste of public resources. Judges decry the excessive and unfair sanctions that mandatory sentencing laws can require in individual cases. Missing from the debate over drug sentencing laws, however, has been a critique of their human rights impact. Click the above link to read the whole article!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 18, 1999 at 12:44:34 PT
What they need to do is more community service
Thanks oldlady#420, It seems that news run in cycles from medical issues to reform issues to mandatory minimum issues. They are all connected and play a big part in helping us to change these laws, I think! I'm dodging thunder storms today so I'll answer here for your other posts too! Thanks for your comments! I always appreciate them!Peace, FoM!
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Comment #1 posted by oldlady#420 on May 18, 1999 at 11:56:00 PT
What they need to do is more community service
and less or no prison time depending if they found guns or what. You know there isn't enough jails in this country for the number of people out there, and they will never arrest all of us, but reform er change needs to happen. I am enjoying this sequence of related news articles thks-ol#420
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