Friday, March 19, 2010
first execution of the year
capital punishment is alive in virginia. last night, Paul Warner Powell faced the electric chair. no lethal injection for this guy. this case was especially trying. he first had beat the case, then bragged about it and was retried and convicted. you can read the account of what specifically happened here.
this is the first execution for virgina this year. even though VA executed only three people in 2009, the state still ranks second in executions overall (with 106, second to texas, of course).
this is the first execution for virgina this year. even though VA executed only three people in 2009, the state still ranks second in executions overall (with 106, second to texas, of course).
Labels: crime and social justice
Friday, March 12, 2010
bits
the new drug bill, the fair sentencing act, reduces the crack-cocaine sentencing disparity from 100:1 to 20:1. not good enough. why won't anyone listen to local bobby scott? he's got the answers.
no, lindsay lohan does not have a case. this lawsuit is crazy.
this is a nice idea: construction begins soon on a new townhouse complex near ODU marketed towards teachers, police officers, fire officials and ODU employees. the city hopes that having young professionals in the area will deter crime. the land was donated and is being built by ODU's nonprofit group. it's a win for affordable housing and for crime, it can't hurt.
no, lindsay lohan does not have a case. this lawsuit is crazy.
this is a nice idea: construction begins soon on a new townhouse complex near ODU marketed towards teachers, police officers, fire officials and ODU employees. the city hopes that having young professionals in the area will deter crime. the land was donated and is being built by ODU's nonprofit group. it's a win for affordable housing and for crime, it can't hurt.
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
yes, it's better, but not good enough
jessica from feministing spells it out for us. she writes that for women in America, equality is still an illusion.
Labels: crime and social justice
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
eliminate 12th grade?
that's what senator chris buttars is proposing in utah. he believes it is a financially strategic move to eliminate the fourth year of high school throughout the state, calling 12th grade a time for "nothing but playing around."
i do not have direct knowledge of the quality of education in utah,* but this is a bad move in my opinion. the worst case scenario is that this would become a trend for other states.
i will concede that for some students, senior year is a time for slacking off. but this is certainly not true for all students. some students take college prep classes, some strengthen themselves athletically, while still others use internships to prepare for both the workplace and college applications. some students are still catching up on fundamental principles.
i see a lot of students in college who i feel are unprepared for college. many lack even basic writing skills, let alone critical thinking skills. further, if senior year were eliminated, that would mean more 17 year old students in college. another bad idea. perhaps it is up for debate on how much a person matures and grows in one year, but from 17 to 18, it is considerable for most people.
* the article does note that utah "ranks 50th among the 50 states in per-pupil spending, according to the U.S. Department of Education."
i do not have direct knowledge of the quality of education in utah,* but this is a bad move in my opinion. the worst case scenario is that this would become a trend for other states.
i will concede that for some students, senior year is a time for slacking off. but this is certainly not true for all students. some students take college prep classes, some strengthen themselves athletically, while still others use internships to prepare for both the workplace and college applications. some students are still catching up on fundamental principles.
i see a lot of students in college who i feel are unprepared for college. many lack even basic writing skills, let alone critical thinking skills. further, if senior year were eliminated, that would mean more 17 year old students in college. another bad idea. perhaps it is up for debate on how much a person matures and grows in one year, but from 17 to 18, it is considerable for most people.
* the article does note that utah "ranks 50th among the 50 states in per-pupil spending, according to the U.S. Department of Education."
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
felony disenfranchisement
from washington state:
In a move that could see Washington inmates voting from prison, a federal appeals court has thrown out the state's restrictions on felon voting due to civil rights concerns.oh my. this will lead to an uproar, i'm sure.
Under the Washington law at issue, citizens convicted of a felony lose the right to vote until they are released from custody and off of Department of Corrections supervision. The 2-1 ruling by a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel puts those restrictions in doubt, the majority reviewing the voting rights lawsuit found that the state restrictions unfairly penalize minorities.
Attorneys for six Washington state prisoners, Circuit Court Judge A. Wallace Tashima wrote, "have demonstrated that police practices, searches, arrests, detention practices, and plea bargaining practices lead to a greater burden on minorities that cannot be explained in race-neutral ways."
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
lines from my dissertation proposal*
We have become increasingly dependent on the criminal justice system, evidenced by the quadruple increase in prison populations in America over the last 25 years (Travis 2005). Criminological attention has recently turned to examine the consequences of these actions, especially in the realm of offender reentry (Travis 2005; Urban Institute 2006). Research has found that two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested within three years (Langan and Levin 2002), over a million children have a parent incarcerated (Mumola 2000) and four million people are disenfranchised (Fellner and Mauer 1998; Urban Institute 2006).
Former inmates face a variety of risk factors including unemployment, low education, substance abuse, disease, and homelessness. “With limited assistance in their reintegration, former prisoners pose public safety risks to communities” (Urban Institute 2006:2). New legislation such as residency restrictions on sex offenders have made life increasingly challenging across the nation and in California. Although many believe that sex offenders are due these challenges, “there is good reason to believe that the real-world consequences of residence restrictions are actually decreasing public safety because the conditions associated with homelessness are directly associated with increased sexual recidivism” (Delson, Kokish, and Abbott 2008:2). The general consensus is that sex offender recidivism is quite high (Thompson 2006), although this is not actually the case. In addition, to say that sex offender recidivism is high implies that the commission of a sex crime is repeated, (as opposed to some other type of crime); this is not the case either. Successful reentry is impacted by a lack of social capital, education and work experience, and waning mental and physical health (Visher and Travis 2003).
* since this is all i have been working on [not just these lines, of course], this is what you get.
Labels: crime and social justice
Friday, December 04, 2009
death penalty update
as we are coming to the end of the year, here are the capital punishment stats. there have been 48 executions thus far in 2009 [six more are scheduled, with two likely], up from last year when there were 37.
an increase in the number of executions this year is somewhat surprising, given the movement in recent years for reform or abolishment of the death penalty in the US. the increase, though, may be an anomaly, as 2008 marked a 14 year low in executions. there were 42 executions in 2007, going back to a high of 98 in 1999.
an increase in the number of executions this year is somewhat surprising, given the movement in recent years for reform or abolishment of the death penalty in the US. the increase, though, may be an anomaly, as 2008 marked a 14 year low in executions. there were 42 executions in 2007, going back to a high of 98 in 1999.
Labels: crime and social justice
Thursday, November 12, 2009
tax cuts
for those making over $200,000 a year, your tax burden will increase in the coming years. but look at the cuts you have enjoyed in recent years. according to the chart, those making more than $545,845 a year benefited above and beyond the rest, getting a quarter of the tax cuts themselves. the chart also points out that it has cost the government $2.34 trillion.
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
it's execution day
here in VA. one of the beltway snipers is scheduled to die, unless a pardon from the governor comes in at the last minute.
this is VA (second to TX in executions). no pardons will come.
this is VA (second to TX in executions). no pardons will come.
Labels: crime and social justice
Monday, November 02, 2009
recidivism under scrutiny
news from cleveland: anthony sowell was convicted in 1989 and served 15 years in prison for rape. he was released in 2005. police have now discovered six badly decomposed bodies in his home, presumably raped and strangled to death. there is also some talk of a predatory myspace site that he used to lure women to his house.
i know there will be some sort of media frenzy following this story [very timely considering my dissertation topic researching sex offenders and recidivism]. people will call for reform to parole and/or sex offender registration, as sowell was registered and monitored [though obviously not closely enough; neighbors said the house smelled quite foul]. people are always more outraged by crimes committed by those who have previously served time in prison. popular opinion says that a crime committed by someone who was once incarcerated is then due to a failure on part of the system to protect the public. it will be said that these murders could have been prevented if he was never released from prison. of course, the question is how different he is from all the others who serve time and are then released.
i'm off to ASC in philadelphia so there will be no more posts from me this week.
i know there will be some sort of media frenzy following this story [very timely considering my dissertation topic researching sex offenders and recidivism]. people will call for reform to parole and/or sex offender registration, as sowell was registered and monitored [though obviously not closely enough; neighbors said the house smelled quite foul]. people are always more outraged by crimes committed by those who have previously served time in prison. popular opinion says that a crime committed by someone who was once incarcerated is then due to a failure on part of the system to protect the public. it will be said that these murders could have been prevented if he was never released from prison. of course, the question is how different he is from all the others who serve time and are then released.
i'm off to ASC in philadelphia so there will be no more posts from me this week.
Labels: crime and social justice
Thursday, October 29, 2009
bystander effect?
i've heard stories like this before, even talk about it in my classes sometimes. but it is still horrifying.
a 15 year old CA girl was gang raped by 4-10 men, for two and half hours, last weekend after leaving her high school homecoming dance. [i say 4-10 because i've read varying reports.] on top of this, as many as 20 people watched, twittering and taking pictures.
i understand that people do not want to get involved, but how hard is it to simply place a call from your cell phone?
a 15 year old CA girl was gang raped by 4-10 men, for two and half hours, last weekend after leaving her high school homecoming dance. [i say 4-10 because i've read varying reports.] on top of this, as many as 20 people watched, twittering and taking pictures.
i understand that people do not want to get involved, but how hard is it to simply place a call from your cell phone?
Labels: crime and social justice
Monday, October 19, 2009
great hoax of 2009
so this balloon thing was really a hoax. what makes people do it?
that aside, this is not something that is worth six years in prison.
that aside, this is not something that is worth six years in prison.
Labels: crime and social justice
Friday, October 09, 2009
collective action
earlier this week it was announced that the local mall will enact a new policy that anyone under age 18 cannot be in the mall upsupervised after 5pm. the reactions to this about town are flying. an article in yesterday's paper spotlights that several groups of teens are staging a sit-in as a form of protest.
if only young people could come together more often to rally for a common cause.
if only young people could come together more often to rally for a common cause.
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
no more kids in the mall
the kid's friends are featured in the paper today. the story is that the mall will be enacting a policy to not allow unsupervised kids. starting later this month, and before the holidays, anyone under 18 cannot be alone in macarthur center after 5 pm.
i get that 12 year olds should not be unsupervised in the mall, after all, the mall is not a babysitter. but what about 16 year olds? what about those kids who work in the mall?
i get that 12 year olds should not be unsupervised in the mall, after all, the mall is not a babysitter. but what about 16 year olds? what about those kids who work in the mall?
Labels: crime and social justice
Monday, October 05, 2009
criminology vs. [admin of] criminal justice
one of the things that i get asked so often is what the difference is between criminology and criminal justice. i ran across this interview with paul leighton, criminologist, and he sums it up nicely.
"There's a frequent misunderstanding is that all we do is train people to be FBI officers and police officers. There's confusion between what a police academy would do and what an academic criminologist would do. An academic criminologist is not just training people to be part of the criminal justice system, but researching fundamental issues about why people commit crime. Criminologists look at the workings of the criminal justice system, including getting more insight into why people are violent, and ask questions about the justice part of criminal justice."
though my program is of criminology and criminal justice, there is much much more of the former than the latter.
"There's a frequent misunderstanding is that all we do is train people to be FBI officers and police officers. There's confusion between what a police academy would do and what an academic criminologist would do. An academic criminologist is not just training people to be part of the criminal justice system, but researching fundamental issues about why people commit crime. Criminologists look at the workings of the criminal justice system, including getting more insight into why people are violent, and ask questions about the justice part of criminal justice."
though my program is of criminology and criminal justice, there is much much more of the former than the latter.
Labels: crime and social justice
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
the fight is over
susan atkins died. she was recently denied parole after appealing to die at home [brain cancer] rather than at the expense of the california prison system. i think the 40+ years she served in prison was punishment enough for her role in the Sharon Tate/LaBianca murders.
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
mad at the news story, mad at the news outlet
there was a story i heard the tail-end of this morning on the news and vowed when i came home to look it up. before i get to the story, let me repeat a rant from before. i don't know when, but i know i have complained about the news sites, eg., cnn.com, abc.com, regarding the lack of text stories. i wanted to find the aforementioned news story, but all i come across are video clips, eg. from the story on GMA this morning. nearly everyone knows my computer sucks right now and i cannot view video clips, but that doesn't mean i don't want to read the news! ugh!
moving on, here's the story. parents in had their children taken away and their names on the sex offenders registry because of bath-time pictures of their own kids! come on, who doesn't have these kinds of pics of their kids? but in this couple's case, when getting their pics developed, the authorities were informed, and the courts intervened. there may be more we, as the general public, are missing, but this is nonsense from what i can tell.
from the story linked above, the couple is suing walmart (where the pics where developed), which i do not believe in. the retailer notified the appropriate person when something questionable came before them. the worker was being careful, and there is nothing wrong with that. but did the state have to prosecute? nonsense.
moving on, here's the story. parents in had their children taken away and their names on the sex offenders registry because of bath-time pictures of their own kids! come on, who doesn't have these kinds of pics of their kids? but in this couple's case, when getting their pics developed, the authorities were informed, and the courts intervened. there may be more we, as the general public, are missing, but this is nonsense from what i can tell.
from the story linked above, the couple is suing walmart (where the pics where developed), which i do not believe in. the retailer notified the appropriate person when something questionable came before them. the worker was being careful, and there is nothing wrong with that. but did the state have to prosecute? nonsense.
Labels: crime and social justice
Thursday, September 03, 2009
who's above the law
there is no story linked to this poll [as there usually is], so i am not sure what inspired it, but today's pilotonline poll is:
Should city employees face fines if caught running red lights in a city vehicle by a camera?
the votes so far [it is still relatively early, so this is only 834 votes]:
No -- 5%
Yes -- 94%
No opinion -- 1%
no matter how one may feel about the validity of red light cameras, i think it unfair that city employees would be exempt from paying the fines incurred. if everyone else gets a ticket, they should get a ticket, too.
update: here's the story. a loophole in the law that says only a vehicle's owner can fined is how this works. the city is not going to fine itself.
Should city employees face fines if caught running red lights in a city vehicle by a camera?
the votes so far [it is still relatively early, so this is only 834 votes]:
No -- 5%
Yes -- 94%
No opinion -- 1%
no matter how one may feel about the validity of red light cameras, i think it unfair that city employees would be exempt from paying the fines incurred. if everyone else gets a ticket, they should get a ticket, too.
update: here's the story. a loophole in the law that says only a vehicle's owner can fined is how this works. the city is not going to fine itself.
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
some good news on the criminal justice front
Washington is rethinking its three-strikes laws, particularly for non-violent offenders. i still believe that if most people understood how these laws were going to be applied, that they would not have voted for them in the first place. [via]
Labels: crime and social justice
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
NFL-crime predictions
Michael Vick will play for Baltimore.
Plaxico Burress will serve too much time due to mandatory minimums.
Plaxico Burress will serve too much time due to mandatory minimums.
Labels: crime and social justice
you made it down here?
what? you want a reward?
