this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
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politics

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The letter noted that the US has disproportionately incarcerated people of color, low-income individuals, members of the LGBTQ+ community and those with disabilities, and that 90% of the federal prison population was convicted on non-violent offenses.

What are you talking about? If the rich and the powerful get justice why not the rest of us too? Since when has justice been too broad?

[–] AbidanYre 14 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

That's kind of exactly my point. 90% is still a lot of people and I doubt the database of federal inmates has an "unjustly prosecuted" filter. But there are some non-violent white collar criminals who absolutely belong in prison (including about half of Trump's advisors) so there needs to be something to focus on like marijuana possession or whistleblowers or something else that can narrow the scope.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Here you go.

Despite these actions, the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) notes in a statement that Biden “has yet to release a single person still incarcerated for cannabis through commutation.” Although the pardons granted relief to thousands of people with a conviction on their records, the president’s clemency actions did not address the approximately 3,000 individuals serving time in federal prisons for cannabis related offenses.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2024/11/26/nonprofit-group-calls-on-biden-to-pardon-cannabis-prisoners/

[–] Ensign_Crab 9 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

So all the "he pardoned weed offenses" was just as much of a lie as "he rescheduled cannabis."

[–] MutilationWave 0 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

No, it just means he didn't pardon all weed offenses.

[–] Alwaysnownevernotme 4 points 8 hours ago

cough of already released people cough

[–] Ensign_Crab 4 points 11 hours ago

Right. He timidly only pardoned the ones who were already out. Because incrementalism is about doing as little as you think you can get away with and demanding everyone act like you solved the whole problem.

Cannabis is still schedule I and these people are still in prison.

[–] AbidanYre 3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

That sounds like a great place to start; it also wasn't mentioned in the headline, summary, or original article.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

The article was about what Hakeem Jeffries thinks Biden should do.

[–] AbidanYre 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Yes. And I'm saying that a "case-by-case" analysis of "nonviolent offenses" is impossible in two months and if he wants anything to happen he needs to narrow the scope because non violent is not the same as victimless. The drug offenses you mentioned seem like a fine place to start.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

It's not impossible, but it would be interesting to know why you think that.

[–] AbidanYre 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Because 90% of 150,000 is still 135,000 individuals. How thorough do you want each of those "case by case" checks to be?

https://www.bop.gov/mobile/about/population_statistics.jsp

If you want a blanket pardon for everyone with just a possession of marijuana charge that's cool. But it's not what the letter is asking for.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

You think the US government can't do that if they want to? We have the technology. And the man power. And the ability to print money. What is the hold up?

Do as many as you can. But the US is capable of doing that with the time left. We're choosing not to.

[–] AbidanYre 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

You realize the money printing department and the releasing people from prison department aren't the same, right?

Having a lot of people and having a lot of people qualified to individually examine 135k federal cases are two different things.

You say it can be done, I disagree. It doesn't seem like there's much more to be said.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

You realize the money printing department and the releasing people from prison department aren’t the same, right?

I'm trying to guess what your reason for thinking the US can't do something is because you wont say.

Having a lot of people and having a lot of people qualified to individually examine 135k federal cases are two different things.

There are plenty of qualified people.

You say it can be done, I disagree. It doesn’t seem like there’s much more to be said.

Why do you disagree?

Regardless, in case you didn't know, the US can do this. There is no reason we can't and your argument doesn't provide any. edit: typo