jonriv wrote:Battle I am certainly not righteous. I actually agree that first time offendors(with some exceptions) should not have the book thrown at them and have a felony hang over the like some scarlet letter. However, my experience has been(at least here in CT and NY where I grew up) most times simple possesions are plead down to misdemeanors- many were givene several chances. The only one I new that got hit hard on a posseion for a first time was a guy I knew in college, but he had a peat moss size bag of pot in his trunk(and was passing a bong in his car with friends driving down the highway) I am just not sure I buy that all these people with these felonies hanging over them were first time offenders and victims of the system. Again, the cases I saw among those I knew either got off easy(many times) or had reached a serious level when they actually got in REAL trouble
It just doesn't make sense to me to send them to jail, put them in rehab in prison, make them pay the fines and restitution, tell them they will have to separate themself from drugs and a life of crime, release them to society, and tie them to the very thing that they should be trying to get away from where 20 years later they will still be answering as a felon. All because they bought something and induced it into their body. That's what people like you don't see. You don't see the ones that have learned their lesson and straightened up because the press doesn't run that.
The state does a good thing and then destroys it which is something else that the rightous don't see. Wouldn't it make more sense to let them live without prejudice after time served plus so many years of being clean? I'm not saying trust every felon you meet but give them a chance to clear their record at some point. Some states do that and some don't. Why not all? Personally I wouldn't want a felon in my neighborhood with no way to get ahead. That is a recipe for disaster and society creates that.
We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way!