May 17, 2004
New Report on Lifers
The Sentencing Project has released a new report, The Meaning of “Life”: Long Prison Sentences in Context, which finds that 127,000 persons — one of every eleven persons in prison — is now serving a life sentenceOf these 127,000, over a quarter — 33,000 — have no option for parole and will spend the rest of their lives in prison. The total number of lifers represents a growth rate of 83% since 1992, along with a rising number of sentences to life without parole and increased time served in prison. The report finds that the growth of the lifer population is due to changes in sentencing policy and not crime rates, and that the lifer population includes substantial numbers of mentally ill persons, juveniles, abused women, and sentences resulting from inadequate defense.
Here is the link to this recent report by the Sentencing Project.
May 17, 2004 at 03:45 PM | Permalink
Comments
I’m a private citizen with a son who is 55 years old with a 35 yr. sentence. As his attorney said, he is not in prison for what he did but for what he didn’t do. He is in prison serving a second sentence for a crime (marijuana) that he plea bargained and received a six year sentence, Half way through this sentence they charged him again for the same crime and becuase he had no money for an attorney, they “picked” him one who failed,unbelievably, to represent him at his trial.She did not call “not one” witness for him even though she had the names who she should contact, then she would not allow him to go on the stand on his own behalf.His case is now in the 5th Circuit waiting for permission to file an appeal. This man is a wonderful family man, never beat anyone out of a cent, paid his taxes on time, an unbelievably amount of taxes, he is a model citizen and I’m concerned he will be there for life. This is a terrible nightmare for us. It seems anything he has going for himself is concered “harmless error” I’ve looked all through the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and ever thing else and I have not been able to find anything about a “harmless error”. There is no such thing when it comes to ones right to freedom, no error is harmless. I’m sure the prisons are full of people just like our son who should be turned out immediately. NON VIOLENT MARIJUANA OFFENDERS SHOULD NOT BE LOCKED UP FOR LIFE, NOR 30, 40 OR EVEN TEN YEARS. WHAT CAN WE DO???
Posted by: Rachel Alburtis | Oct 2, 2005 7:18:19 PM
The report finds that the growth of the lifer population is due to changes in sentencing policy and not crime rates, and that the lifer population includes substantial numbers of mentally ill persons, juveniles, abused women, and sentences resulting from inadequate defense.
Posted by: My Blog | Feb 1, 2011 9:33:42 AM
This man is a wonderful family man, never beat anyone out of a cent, paid his taxes on time, an unbelievably amount of taxes, he is a model citizen and I’m concerned he will be there for life. This is a terrible nightmare for us.
Posted by: Robe de Cocktail Pas Cher | Dec 12, 2012 1:04:20 AM