you can have glands removed, but they still smell. Mine run around the house and use a liter box, but they still smell
One of them would get kind of pissy and would bite sometimes. They looked funny running around though. Her's are house broken and I think had the glands removed, but yeah they smell.
I was being facetious. They do have computers though as part of the continuing education programs in state prisons. The pay is actually between .50 and .75 an hour and you get to pay for that with your taxes, makes me sick personally? Remember Jefferey Dahmer(sp) http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/caseclosed/dahmer1.shtml That happened in general population, which he requested and was granted. General population is exactly what I said above.
Jeffrey Dahmer, given to our state by people like Crazy Rob, those damn Illinois folk Those are exactly the type of people I'm for being put to death!
I understand street violence and drugs and gangs and prisons better than most people in this forum... because I've worked face to face with it all as a Social Worker. To give you some indication, someone I know personally has died every four months because of this shit for the past decade. So hopefully you will read my longish post given I might have something to say on the matter. I have written parole applications (appealing for a prisoner's release) and Court Reports (sentencing is done by Judges in Australia and they consider such reports very seriously when determining sentencing). There is a language used between people like me who write these reports and Judges and Parole Boards that allows me to say something and they can read between the lines and ways I can convey either the strength of a claim on a subtle level or the weakness of it while still sounding like I'm gunning for their application. Long story short - I've been faced with the task ... for example ... of writing a parole application for an inmate who was imprisoned for the rape and murder of a 12 year old girl. In that case he had done artwork while imprisoned that auctioned for $45,000+ all of which he donated to charity support groups for victims of child abuse. So there were some positives in how he had chosen to 'live out his sentence.' I have been extremely successful with the reports and applications I have wanted to be successful in... and failed in cases I didn't see merit in. [the rape murder guy is still locked up btw]. I've held that power in my hands: to pose an argument - have it read by a decision maker - and had power over what is decided. Sometimes it has meant prisoners get released or people get non-custodial sentences (don't serve time) or serious offenders have been released. Quite often I've had defence lawyers praise me with jaws dropped as to how I got someone a sentence of rehab not prison and respect from prosecutors for other scenarios. So believe me when I say I've done some soul searching and considered very carefully all the points raised.... throwing chairs around the f'n room type soul searching... almost getting sacked for arguing against more senior Social Workers. Yes I'm a Social Worker, but I deal with the victims of crime more than the perps and am not a f'n bleeding heart f'wit like some Social Workers are. Here is what I'd like you to consider regarding this person: 1. Once a person has killed or raped or molested or committed a very serious offence they should be locked up for a long time. There is no denying this. How prisons are run and what they achieve or don't achieve is another matter. 2. The only thing that should be considered when determining their future beyond that lengthy sentence is their potential further impact on the community. I don't care if they admit to the crime, are sorry for it or any other lame bullshit. They did it... that's it. Here is what really needs to be determined: a. if they are released will they harm another person again? Realistically, you also need to take into account how f'ed up they are going to be from the experience of being imprisoned... what have they suffered while inside, and how have they treated others and them self while inside. I've had prisoners tell me 'ok, fine I had to be locked up... I've endured hell while inside... please don't let me out - what do you think I'm going to do with all this f'n anger?' On face value (without looking more closely at his file) would I release this guy right now? YES. He has demonstrated in no uncertain terms: 1. he is of no danger to the community 2. will not re-offend Further: a. he can achieve more positives out of prison b. he can prevent more crimes of even more significant evil out of prison That argument would be balanced (scales of justice) against opposing arguments. Local laws probably wouldn't allow him to be ever released from prison. So I would pose the argument knowing that. In terms of the death penalty (regardless of my personal views on this [I'm against it] - if I had to make a recommendation) I would argue for him not to be executed for one reason: a. his awesomely positive impact on the community, especially young offenders. Given his cultural significance in the gang scene / drug scene, he is a very powerful identity and he has demonstrated over significant time he is passionate about using that influence to: 1. deter others from making the same mistakes 2. advocate against gang membership 3. advocate against drug use 4. advocate against criminal activity Q. Is he responsible vicariously for the after effects of founding the Crips gang? A. Legally no... and realistically no... plenty of gangs have been started over time and a gang would have been formed anyway if he didn't start the Crips. In all reality he played a very insignificant part in the gangs success and while in prison has done nothing but argue against people joining the very gang he started or any other gang. If I supported the death penalty, there would be plenty of inmates I would put forward ahead of him in the line. But I don't support it... if a prisoner has committed crimes worthy of life without parole (and is justly tried) - let the MF rot to death.
Capital punishment is a very important discussion so given he is scheduled to die in a matter of weeks it's great people are at least talking about that. I don't support capital punishment because once an offender is contained in prison they are no longer able to harm members of the community. I've visited people in several prisons and let me tell you... rotting away till you die in a cement box is much more harsh a penalty than a quick and painless death.
Anothe political thread capital punishment I am all for it. Dominic you are wrong. iIt isn't simply keeping the prisoner confined. it is about vengencve for the ultimate crime, which is to take someones life. If I were the familiy of the victim I would only have peace of mind If I knew the killer was executed.
Dominic, While reading the beginning of your post I was thinking to myself you were going to say he should be executed etc, when I read you felt he should be let go I was quite surprised. While I don't think I could ever justify in my head releasing a person who has committed murder I can see why others might. But then again, we have to raise the issue of wether this guy is actually guilty or had a fair trial, on top of the fact that he has served 26 years in prison already. I agree with almost all the rest of your post and am glad to see another person that thinks level-headed
Ned, that's a nice opinion... has a member of your family been murdered? I have worked since 1994 with homeless people and have raised homeless children in my own home off the streets. Some of the people I have loved and fought for and cried with through their steps forwards and backwards and loved like members of my own family have been murdered. I have been in a position, on the streets / in prisons to step aside and allow street justice to deal with these matters. In some cases I'm not allowed a say, it is simply dealt with. In the cases I do have a chance to argue for the life of someone who has killed a member of my 'extended family' I've chosen not to take vengeance, I've chosen to beg people who would otherwise murder in vengeance not to kill the person. Why? It's called emotional intelligence. An emotionally competent person does not need vengeance. An emotionally incompetent person is more likely to take vengeance... a+b= geez, I wonder why some emotionally incompetent vengeful people are in prison for murder.
I'm all for decreasing the sentence for life in prison without parole. He's done a lot of good work, and killing him just doesn't seem like the right thing to do anymore in this case.
I admire the literary work he has done for kids, but if he indeed murdered 4 people, the law is the law. He still has to pay the ultimate price for his crime. Yes, I do support the death penalty, in the most extreme cases. No one has the right to take the life of anyone else unless in self defense, and some of the crimes commited these days(especially by serial killers) that society has not choice but to get rid of them.
I think that the judgement should lie in the hands of the ones whose family member has been killed. They are the ones who have to live with the pain, none of us do. It's easy to say "they should just let it go", but how do you make that decision for another person.
So emotion instead of reason and logic can rule? Once again, what if this guy is actually innocent (not saying his is) and the family had got to have him executed 26 years ago... what then?
Well, if you believe that having a talk with the families of the victim will make things better, then go right ahead. You must have some gifts of healing If he is innocent, that is the question here. That goes to be tried and his lawyer is working on it. I believe he has done something good with his life after he killed the people. That is something that is worth mentioning - but whether it pays for the lives he once took, that's very hard to say. Maybe he is innocent of the crime he is supposed to die for, but he has killed before. I bet you the family of those people wouldn't mind to see him fry. It's not an easy thing to judge.