[lbo-talk] gov sez prisons aren't full of potheads

[Steven Gotzler]

Funny.  They are right.  They have just cooked the numbers.  People are 
rarely in prison on just possession of pot charges.  There is usually an add 
of charge of some sort.  Perhaps obstructing, or some such nonsense.

Mr Adams is right.

Steve Gotzler

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Adams" <jadams01 at sprynet.com>
To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 10:03 AM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] gov sez prisons aren't full of potheads


> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: NewsFromNCJRS at ncjrs.org
> Subject: Prisoners and pot: debunking the myth
> Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 07:22:58 -0400
>
>> The Office of National Drug Control Policy announces the release of a
> publication that debunks the myth that America's prisons are filled
> with low-level, nonviolent marijuana users.
>
> <snip>
>
>>--  Just 1.6 percent of the state inmate population were held for
> offenses involving marijuana only;
>>--  Less than 1 percent (0.7 percent) of state prisoners were
> incarcerated with marijuana possession as the only charge; and
>>--  Only 0.3 percent of all state prisoners convicted for marijuana
> possession and no other crimes were first-time offenders.
>
> Okay, this is people in the state pen, right? So we can assume that the 
> numbers for county and local lockups don't support their claim--otherwise, 
> they'd've been in there.
>
> Further, it's almost unheard of for a simple possession charge not to be 
> augmented with something else, like possession of an instrument of crime 
> (lighter, papers, and so on). That's very technically not just a pot bust, 
> but still a dishonest argument.
>
> Like I expect honesty on the drug issue,
>
>     John A
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>