More on Laws & Criminals, and Some on People Who TICK ME OFF

[father of 4]

As most of you can tell I have way too much time on my hand to think.

I spent almost 11 years of my life working for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
I was reading in a letter to the Editor in the Amarillo Newspaper the other day that stated that the Death Penalty should be abolished and we should work more on reforming the inmates (notice the lack of capital letters on inmates). Thats the part about people that TICK ME OFF. Back in the early 1980's Texas had approx. 8 prisons. Time was hard and if an inmate acted up, another inmate they called a building tender was sent in to, well lets just say make his heart right. The inmates worked in the fields wheather it was freezing or burning up.
Then in the late 1980's these bleeding hearted people started saying that inmates were treated too harshley. They were allowed 3 meals a day, a bed, and free medical and dental. Now the State of Texas has over 20 prisons. The inmates also dont have to turn out to the fields if its too hot or too cold, but the recreation yards are still opened for them to play. The average inmate costs the State approx. $45.00 a day. This includes the guards, food, medical, electricity, etc. If we abolish the Death Penalty (notice the capital letters we will house an inmate for at the least 30 years. that adds up to $492,750.00 Now if we were treating these inmates too harsh and making them into more harsh people when they were released in the early 1980's and before, can anyone tell me why we only had approx. 8 prisons in the state of Texas then?? Kind of funny when they cant figure that out. Our Laws have gone way out of whack.

[SwampHunter]

I worked in corrections for a good while. I was a Housing Sgt for 3 years. Some are reformed by just being in the joint and others are not. It's always been this way. Those that want to change will change and those that don't want to change won't. I do believe that you could change most if you break their will to do things that are against the laws.
I would love to be a warden of a prison and run it the way I want to run it. The cells would be 4' by 7' stainless steel with a stainless bed being 2' wide. There would be a stainless basin for washing in and a stainless steel toilet that flushed once a week. There is a small drain in the floor to let any water in the cell out.
You would get a suicide blanket and underwear. You won't need anything else because you won't be going anywhere else in the facility to use it.
Each inmate is on 24/7 lockdown.
All three meals would be Bologna sandwiches. Might have a fruit and a vegetable for dinner, but it would be the same fruit and same vegetable each day.
There would be no contact with other inmates..... in fact you won't be able to hear or see other inmates. Contact with officers is very limited.
There would be no commissary.
There would be no mail call, no writing letters home.... in fact there would be no form of entertainment in the facility or any contact with the outside world.
There would be no greviences.
If you should happen to find a way to break any of the rules, you and your cell will get sprayed down with water. I just hope you like sleeping with a wet blanket and no way to dry off. Probably going to get cold since there will not be any heat pumped into the cells.
There would be no rec call, school call, or any other kind of call. Medical would be a privledge and if abused would be taken away. If you broke a rule and was sprayed down with water and caught the flu or a cold from it, this is just part of your punishment and will have to suffer through it that is unless you die from it.
The full term will be served. No possibilty for parole.

Of course this would have to be in a perfect world to make something like this work. If it was a perfect world though we wouldn't need prisons.

[kamikaze82]

Now if we were treating these inmates too harsh and making them into more harsh people when they were released in the early 1980's and before, can anyone tell me why we only had approx. 8 prisons in the state of Texas then?? Kind of funny when they cant figure that out. Our Laws have gone way out of whack.

there where less people then. 80's around 14,200,000 in 2000 20,800,000

by saying that we could save money by killing a person is just wrong. you can't put money on a life! if you had a friend or family member on death row would you still think so? murder is murder now matter how you word it.

[crap-king]

I disagree Murder is not murder - in fact carrying out the death penalty is not murder - I have investigated these crimes and now I insure that inmates are cared for humanly - no I don't agree with the ideas of others have posted - but I will agree inmates have way to many rights that one does not get until they break the law - but when a capital offense is committed then capital punishment must be carried out - as one that has wittnessed a death sentence carried out I have much different way of thinking of the death penalty but I still think it is a needed thing - I have been in the business of preserving life and property most of my life and intentionly watching a man put to death was a life changing experience for me - but when a man kidnaps 3 college cheerleaders - locks them in the trunk of his car - and takes the first two out one at a time and rapes them and then bashes there head with a cinder block and while going to get the third one out of the trunck she had the tire iron out and hits him between the eyes with it and stuns him to where she can escape - I think the death penalty is the only sentence he should receive - If I had a family member on death row would I feel different - I don't think so - I would be like any other family member and more than likely beg for his life to be spared - but I have had family members get in trouble and have to pull time - but I do not think they should change the laws because they had to be punished for it - this is my opinion just like others hve expressed there opinion on how prisons should be run - and I do not agree with what was posted on this thread but I will respect his right to his opinion - but I teach Correction and Detention Professionalsaccross the country and I always tell them to remember the golden rule - and to take it a step further - is this how you would want your child or mother treated? we all are humans now if we all could just act like humans

[frydaddy]

I used to be all for the death penalty.An eye for an eye and the like.About a year ago i read where a man was on death row for 17 years before they executed him.He claimed for 17 years that he was innocent,but nobody wanted to hear it.3 years after they executed him, with new evidence and all the new DNA tests, he was exonerated.How do you tell a dead man you executed your sorry, that we were wrong to kill you?He was basically tortured for 17 years then put to death for a crime he did not commit.I don't know the answer.But even if one person is executed then found innocent later, how can we justify the death penalty.Is a mans life worth so little that we should overlook these type of mistakes? I should hope not.Like i said earlier i don't know the answer.I do know that on the day of our Judgment as we stand before our God, we will be judged by Him on our actions and deeds.I don't want the blood of innocents on my hands.

[Glowgood Jigster]

Just remember that an innocent person who dies is going where God intends every time. We are human and we will always make mistakes, always have.
So kill them all, and let God sort them out. Or let them kill us all, and let God sort us out. Justice served, either way.
Things have gotten way too ridiculous in this world to have anything make much sense when it comes to criminal justice anymore. Especially in this country. Oh, you want to come into the USA? No problemo. We won't do a thing to stop you or send you back most likely. Free everything until you get on your feet financially. Count on a pardon from our governmento. Don't learn English, we'll learn Espanol just for you. We're just a bunch of a** kissers waiting to do your bidding. And you know what folks? That's how they think of us gringos! AArrrrgggg!!!

[reelcrappie]

A eye for an eye. I feel for the families of people on death row but let's not forget about the family of the victims. Some crimes definately warrent the death penalty.

[father of 4]

I was not meaning that I think we should kill everyone. I meant that the ones that are sentenced to death should be put to death. The DNA is so advanced that a man on death row will not go to his death without absolute proof. The ones who are not sentenced to death should have to serve harder time. I worked there, I saw how much easier they had it than I did. If it was too cold, they didnt have to go to work in the field, as well as too hot. All of the Officers under me had to stay at their posts, even on the recreation yard when the temp got over 105 and below 32 also. The inmates were allowed out there to play and they were the same ones that were complaining that it was too hot or too cold to work. What I mainly mean is time is too easy and people who have a mindset to commit a crime do not really have a deterent because they know that time is easy. Plus an inmate who is about to finish his full time is the hardest on the officers. he does not listen, curses you, refuses the orders to the point that there is almost justification for a use of force. What are you going to do to him, lock him in his cell. he dont care he is going home anyway. If there were some federal law that when sentenced, and as part of their sentence, that if he or she receives a major disciplinary, they will have 30 days added to their sentence. Not just good time taken away. As to the death penalty again, I do believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. What happened to Moses people who were worshiping the idols. If my memory recalls from the Bible, the earth opened up and they were in a form, "Executed" Yes I believe in forgiveness. I have been to EMT school and sometimes I help the Ambulance here in our very small town. Mostly I drive for them. In March I reported to the scene where there had been a shooting. I waited for Law Enforcement. When they went in, I went in behind them. When I walked in the door, there lay a young man (Lucas Taylor) that I have known since before he was one year old, with a hole in his chest and taking what they call agonal breaths (last breaths). He has been to my house many times and grew up with my oldest Daughter. I conducted CPR on this young man all the way to the Hospital. He did not make it. I believe that the one who shot him should be punished..... You can take that to the bank!!!!

[DRPEPPER]

Build an island from the trash of the major cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas, etc.
Put all of the murders and theives on them and let them police and govern themselves.
DP

[magnum500]

As I stated in another post twelve years ago a close friend of mine was murdered. At trial the jury gave the murderer the death penalty. It was the sentence that we wanted.

Last year the murderer was put to death and I had feelings that I was not prepared for. At the time of his execution I was in tears knowing that he was about to die. I felt sorry for his family for their loss but I still knew that we too had this same loss. I never thought that I would have the emotions that I had but I still knew that justice had been served.

We all know going in what the consequences of our actions can be, so if we take a life so may ours be taken. This young man paid the ultimate price for his crime but it was the ultimate crime.

With every murderer that is executed there is one less chance that another innocent life might be taken .

IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME DON'T DO THE CRIME!!!!