3 strikes law passes in Legislature

[Miulang]

Gov. Lingle yesterday signed into law the "3 strikes law" which requires a mandatory 30 years-to-life sentence for repeat violent offenders convicted of 3 felonies.

One result of this new law could be more overcrowding of jails and prisons as more violent offenders are put away for longer sentences. If no additional secure facilities are built, where will the hardened criminals be housed? Will they be shipped to the Mainland? Where will people convicted of nonviolent offenses be put? Will certain crimes now punishable by incarceration be "decriminalized" and those violators (for things like possession of marijuana) be let loose on parole? While this may give pause to offenders who commit violent acts, will this prevent "white collar" criminals from continuing to do what they do to victimize others?

Lots of times laws are enacted to try to solve one problem, but it ends up causing other problems down the road: the "law of unintended consequences".

Miulang

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

They're talking of shipping'em out to the mainland.

[timkona]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Prisoners don't need blankets, hot food, or clothing. It would be easy to bunk rack 4 to a wall in a 9 foot room, and hot rack them like submariners. You can let each group sleep in a rack for 8 hours. The rest of the time they gotta stay out in the yard, or sit calmly in the cafeteria, reading or something.

Rehabilitation is highly unlikely for a 3rd time failure.

This is just another thread about CHOICES. Some criminals CHOOSE prison because it's lot easier than being homeless on the streets. Some civilians CHOOSE to give prisoners civil rights, hot food, and movie nights.

Civilians should stop feeling sorry for prisoners. And prisoners should stop complaining about their situation.

[Miulang]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Prisoners don't need blankets, hot food, or clothing. It would be easy to bunk rack 4 to a wall in a 9 foot room, and hot rack them like submariners. You can let each group sleep in a rack for 8 hours. The rest of the time they gotta stay out in the yard, or sit calmly in the cafeteria, reading or something....

Civilians should stop feeling sorry for prisoners. And prisoners should stop complaining about their situation.

Yup. And let's do away with the Geneva Conventions while we're at it...

[kaneohegirl]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

ya know in many other countries if you get to 3 violations of certain laws you get a bullet.... now maybe this is not the answer and this could become a hot topic really quick but why the hell do we let them sit in a cell?

they should be out there working their butts off 8-10 hours a day. cleaning the roads, the beaches, breaking block I dont know but if we arent gonna save some money and shot them why not work them? and if they run its shoot to kill.

Make the criminal REALLLY AFRAID of breaking the law. they were once upon a time back in the day... but not any more there is a "I dont care" attitude with many criminals.... they know they'll be housed and fed and receive medical care.

yea yea I know controversial.... my opinion... and yea I have family that could be in that situation if they dont straighten up really quick esp. now with the law passing there in Hawaii. maybe...maybe this will be the thing to straighten their okoles up.

[kaneohegirl]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

This is just another thread about CHOICES. Some criminals CHOOSE prison because it's lot easier than being homeless on the streets.

as I get older(Im only 35) I find myself with less and less empathy for ppl that choose the obvious wrong path in life. I mean really think about it you learn from a child that if you hit you sibling that its against the rules... stay out past your curfew thats against the rules. laws are nothing more than rules to live by and when you CHOOSE to ignore them because they dont suit you then hey you just CHOSE to be a criminal.... so just like hitting your sibling you got punished you as a adult will be punished but hey you're an adult now so when before you got the whopping with the slipper now you get 20 whacks with a cane. dont complain you CHOSE to break that communities rules.

[lurkah]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Make the criminal REALLLY AFRAID of breaking the law. they were once upon a time back in the day... but not any more there is a "I dont care" attitude with many criminals.... they know they'll be housed and fed and receive medical care.

I think a little substitution really works here...

Make kids REALLLY AFRAID of breaking the law. they were once upon a time back in the day... but not any more there is a "I dont care" attitude with many kids.... they know they'll be housed and fed and receive medical care.

[Miulang]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

I think a little substitution really works here...

Make kids REALLLY AFRAID of breaking the law. they were once upon a time back in the day... but not any more there is a "I dont care" attitude with many kids.... they know they'll be housed and fed and receive medical care.

Better yet, put the PARENTS or guardians of errant kids also at risk of being put into jail or fined heavily for their lack of parental guidance.

Miulang

[lurkah]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Better yet, put the PARENTS or guardians of errant kids also at risk of being put into jail or fined heavily for their lack of parental guidance.

I don't think that would work. With the kind of attitudes and peer pressure kids, especially adolescents, have today, they'd create pilikia just to spite their own parents' "meddling" with their lives.

What good would me going to jail do for something my kid did if it was my kid who wanted that to happen to me in the first place? Who would be the one in control? It's not the same, Miulang, as when we grew up. It's a totally different and scary world out there when it comes to raising kids.

[Miulang]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

I don't think that would work. With the kind of attitudes and peer pressure kids, especially adolescents, have today, they'd create pilikia just to spite their own parents' "meddling" with their lives.

What good would me going to jail do for something my kid did if it was my kid who wanted that to happen to me in the first place? Who would be the one in control? It's not the same, Miulang, as when we grew up. It's a totally different and scary world out there when it comes to raising kids.

But Lurkah, who has the responsibillity for teaching kids right from wrong? Society? the schools? Government? Or should it really start with the parents? Why have parents abdicated their primary responsibility if they decide to have kids at all, which is to teach their kids to obey the rules and be respectful of others? When we were small kids, how many times did our parents swat us when we misbehaved? How many parents would do that today, knowing that they might get their okoles thrown in jail for "child abuse"? When Panzo was growing up, he used to break bones all the time because of a genetic condition. He wasn't diagnosed with OI until he was in his teens. Can you imagine the pilikia his mom would face today if she took him to a hospital with a broken femur but no one realized that he had brittle bone disease? Immediately the hospital would call the police to investigate for child abuse. All his mom did was have the misfortune of marrying someone who carried the OI gene. She never spanked him or did any of that, and yet he still broke bones.

We talk about positive role models for kids. Hell, if parents can't be positive role models, do we really want a nation of Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton clones? Because if parents abrogate their responsibility, then that's the kind of role models the kids see today and will emulate. They see the beautiful people in Hollywood who are coked out bigamists and say, "that's cool". They see sports stars who make megamillions get hauled into court on DUI charges or worse. They see teachers sexually preying on students. Yeah, those are the kind of people I really want to see the next generation grow into.

Miulang

[1stwahine]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Civilians should stop feeling sorry for prisoners. And prisoners should stop complaining about their situation.

As a Civilian, I don't feel sorry for "Prisoners!" However, who gives you the right to say "prisoners should stop complaining about their situation."

It is a proven fact that many who are incarcerated are innocent of their crimes. Proven with the new technologies of today as DNA Testing. There is also the Inmate who knows and accepts his punishment and incarceration. He wholehartedly pays back his dues to Society.

Not all "Prisoners" are complainers as you so think and condem so easily. Yes, choices were made and mistakes were done. Do they have to be condemed even after paying back Society? I think NOT.

For the rest of those who continue to menace Society -- I say BRAVO for the 3 Strikes Law! It's about time. I am sick and tired of the same old same old BS on the Street. I am sick and tired of the ugliness that stares me in the face everyday.

Auntie Lynn

[lurkah]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

But Lurkah, who has the responsibillity for teaching kids right from wrong?

Parents do. But that does not necessarily mean that the kids will always do right instead of wrong. You can hope your kid will do the right thing, but ultimately it will be their choice under whatever peer-pressured circumstances that choice will be made.

Why have parents abdicated their primary responsibility if they decide to have kids at all, which is to teach their kids to obey the rules and be respectful of others?

Who said anybody abdicated responsibility? Not me. Like I said, you can teach them the rules and about respect until you're blue in the face, but ultimately...

When we were small kids, how many times did our parents swat us when we misbehaved?

That worked for me then, but like you stated, that won't work for today's kids.

We talk about positive role models for kids. Hell, if parents can't be positive role models, do we really want a nation of Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton clones?

Who said we parents cant be positive role models? We try the best we can. My wife and I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs, but parents have no control over the Brittany Spears or Paris Hiltons of the world or what effect they have on our kids. It's like my mom telling me as a kid that Beatles music was stupid, and now we know she was wrong.

They see the beautiful people in Hollywood who are coked out bigamists and say, "that's cool". They see sports stars who make megamillions get hauled into court on DUI charges or worse. They see teachers sexually preying on students. Yeah, those are the kind of people I really want to see the next generation grow into.

There you have it, Miulang. Welcome to the real world of raising kids today. Parents can try the best they can...they can do all the right things that YOU think they should be doing...but they cannot control the environment that kids live in today.

Want to take a peek into my kids' world? Kids at my girl's middle school think nothing much of other young girls at the back of the school bus "covertly" giving their guy friends blow jobs — and their parents probably think they're model students. How screwed up is that? How hard do you think that was for my brain to wrap around?

They're going to emulate, not their parents' ideals, but whatever they and their friends think is cool.

Think this happens only here where I live? Thanks to things like MySpace.com (which I blocked on my kids' computers), better think again.

[Miulang]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

Parents do. But that does not necessarily mean that the kids will always do right instead of wrong. You can hope your kid will do the right thing, but ultimately it will be their choice under whatever peer-pressured circumstances that choice will be made.

Who said anybody abdicated responsibility? Not me. Like I said, you can teach them the rules and about respect until you're blue in the face, but ultimately...

That worked for me then, but like you stated, that won't work for today's kids.

Who said we parents cant be positive role models? We try the best we can. My wife and I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs, but parents have no control over the Brittany Spears or Paris Hiltons of the world or what effect they have on our kids. It's like my mom telling me as a kid that Beatles music was stupid, and now we know she was wrong.

There you have it, Miulang. Welcome to the real world of raising kids today. Parents can try the best they can...they can do all the right things that YOU think they should be doing...but they cannot control the environment that kids live in today.

Want to take a peek into my kids' world? Kids at my girl's middle school think nothing much of other young girls at the back of the school bus "covertly" giving their guy friends blow jobs — and their parents probably think they're model students. How screwed up is that? How hard do you think that was for my brain to wrap around?

They're going to emulate, not their parents' ideals, but whatever they and their friends think is cool.

Think this happens only here where I live? Thanks to things like MySpace.com (which I blocked on my kids' computers), better think again.

And that's why I chose NOT to have kids! P.S. whatever happened to sitting down with kids and showing them over and over the difference between right and wrong instead of lecturing them and only letting it go in one ear and out the other, which is how kids will typically react? Repetition seems to be about the only thing that works, and you can't wait until they're teenagers to try to enforce house rules. I blame it all on Dr. Spock and childrearing of the "enlightened" 1950s and 60s.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

One result of this new law could be more overcrowding of jails and prisons as more violent offenders are put away for longer sentences. If no additional secure facilities are built, where will the hardened criminals be housed?
Miulang

Well if 18 people (including children) can live in a 2-bedroom apartment and not get the sympathy of the ACLU then I don't see a problem with hardened criminals being jammed shoulder to shoulder in a prison cell. If the DOE can serve a water and starch lunch to school children, then I don't see a problem with a similar diet for hardened criminals.

What I do see is that when you do a crime and get sent to jail, you should lose some of your rights including the most important one...freedom. Criminals are bad people yet we feed, clothe, medicate and educate them better than we do our own homeless or even the very ones that pay for all of this...the taxpayer and ironically...the victims! When prisoners complain about their living conditions, I'm sorry but the violins stay in the closet cuz there's no tears of sympathy coming from me...they hurt someone, they should also FEEL YOUR PAIN as President Clinton once said.

If it takes more of our tax dollars to keep our homes and streets safe then let's build prison cells with nothing more than a place to rest your butt after a long day of hard labor. Heck Boot Camp for all of us veterans and active duty military was no cake walk...why should prisoners get it better? Prison time should always be hard labor and if we don't have enough prison space, oh well, someone's gotta sleep on the floor tonight. A lot of Hawaii's residents have to make that decision with large families and small homes.

If a criminal doesn't like the conditions of a prison...then that should make anyone think before doing the crime.

[Dale]

Re: 3 strikes law passes in Legislature

But then if you do that, then going be like Singapore ... very clean, very safe with lots of very cute girls walking around by themselves at night. That's fine with me.

But, forget to flush a public toilet, and that's S$1000 fine!!! (about USD$639.14) For spitting on the sidewalk (or just anywhere), that's S$500!!!

Police are everywhere, some undercover just to bust people. That cute chick you trying to ask out might be an undercover cop!!!