From: andyrose@netcom.com (San Francisco Fractal Factory)
Subject: Re: Men and Women together
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:18:48 GMT

Jail overcrowding seems to be the new buzzword for
the Diobolical League for Punishment aka The 
Society for Social Enforcement and the Promulgation
of Cement Contracts, Continuance of Lawyer Survival,
and General Slacker Fund.

A radio show this morning has a guest from the Marin
County Board (elected legislators) defending the 
construction of a jail next to the Frank Wright 
designed Marin Civic Center.  A measure was put
before the voters of Marin Nov 3 which would have
required such construction to be approved by citizens.
This passed 62%.  Construction on the jail was
begun 6 weeks before the election and continues.

Several things came clear:

This man (legislator) stated that "Marin County
must build a jail."  This was after no discussion
of alternatives, although it was mentioned that most
of the people this building was to house were pre-trial,
and therefor, not guilty.

The primary objection to the jail voiced was that
Civic Center was historic architecture and building
a jail there was insensitive to the artful 
construction.

The State of CA (powers that have names) leveraged
the construction of this jail to the tune of $10 Mill.
Marin would need to put in $8 Million.  Without the
state funds the cost would have been $18Mill, and
as noted before "Marin has to build a jail."

Apparently the legislators were pressured by the
state to begin construction before the election 
time and by the fact that "Marin has to build
a jail."  

-digression-
I suppose the Fed also pressures States to build
jails much as Ronald Regan withheld highway
construction funds (the very lifeblood of 
prison builders (.3?)) until states raised
drinking age to 21. <This little buffoonery
caused me personal grief, but no matter>
Many more crimes were "prosecutable", 
youngsters "bustable", etc, because of this
foul deed.  Yes, NY State had an 18 year old
drinking age when I was a freshman in college,
and I watched it rise to 21 several weeks 
before my birthday each year for 3 years.
<have a drink>
 -- 

City of San Francisco was successfuly sued
by Esquire Parker and company, representing
people jail in County Jail 1, at 6th and
Bryant.    Fed Judge Orrick has required
SF to pay $300 per day per prisoner
over the limit, which amounts to some
2.7$mill, into a special fund to be used
to alleviate the overcrowding.  
Sherriff Micheal Hennessey , City 
Attorney Dennis Aftergut, and others have
presented a plan to the Board of Supervisors
which would house extra prisoners in 
Alameda (rent beds $60/day/prisoner).  So the
moeny would be given to Alameda county
and the problem would still exist. (The problem
being the circumstances which create overcrowding
and NOT overcrowding).  

Since the voters of SF voted against a 
$ 1 5 4 million dollar bond act for construction
(euphamisticaly called replacement) of
San Bruno Jail, our Sheriff and others cannot
claim that the problem is being taken care of
(This one would have taken 5 years to build,
which would of course not take care of
the problem, either).  

So Mike and Dennis and the rest of the entrenched
'public servants' sort of have there hands tied.
The matter has been placed before the public,
with Supervisor Terry Hallinan taking up
the standard.  The supervisors had a hearing
last Wednesday to let some light in.  People
(Committee for Juvenile and Criminal Justice,
etc) made public that on a given day, MOST
(like 80-90%) of people in CJ 1 are black 
(not hispanic, not asian, not white), and 
that only 25% of these people are found
guilty (statistically, on average, over
a number of years).    Further a number
of incarcerated people are drunk, mentally
ill, habitual people who should be elsewhere.

So I asked Shriif Hennessey to lighten up
and let people be, cause if a man's got no
place to sleep, and no money, he might
have to lie down somewhere.  And it's a 
big, cold city (sometimes) and your
stuff gets taken, and you get hungry and
you get mad, etc...

Go down to your county jail and see who they 
put in jail.  I swear it's an eye opener.
The nice Chaplain Ray Fox, when I was
asking him about starting Quaker meeting in
this place, asked me if I wanted to work
the 'drunk tank'.  This took me by 
surprise.  I really have no interest in
'working the drunk tank'.



So- The Fed (whoever they are who have names)
pressures the State who pressures the 
Counties and Cities to change laws, to increase
the punishable behaviors, to build prisons,
to hire lawyers, and to generally keep
the presure up on the poor people, requiring
people to work to escape the hand of
authority.  This is vital.  The rich are
wealthy off the backs and the sweat of the
poor.  (perhaps not in the software biz),
People are working 'cause they HAVE to,
not because they WANT to.  Some people
have nice jobs (probably you) and know
how much it sucks to be poor (or at least
fear being poor), making the brainwash
complete.

Nothing short of total, global, economic
and political domination is enough for
the ____.   Dissent is often crushed.  As
____ becomes more inbred, spiritless, and
blind to the world, the disparity
becomes greater.  The LA riots were like
prison riots, with the same result of the
Head White Man (Borge Gush) poking around and
promising some $, and pat the little ____
on the head and give him a sucker.


Lastly FOR EXAMPLE:
A man is put in prison for a year for possession
of marijuana (enough for personal consumption),
while the liquor store sells booze enough to
kill and maim and cigarettes to torture and
destroy.  Because marijuana is not 
politically correct (originally a black thing
and not well understood by whitey) it
carries stiff penalties.  

The focus given to Death Penalty and the 
insistance on (critical leftist theorists) to
ask the question 'what do we do with a 
violent offender' is maddening.  Until we
can affect change for the non-violent offender
how can we consider the discussion meaningful?

Note:The dealing of drugs goes on and the
cops take a share of it.  Just leagalize them
(all of them), tax it, and use the $$ for treatment,
ala AA.
STOP MAKING MONEY OFF PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS.

These cops, and judges and legislators all
want to keep there jobs.  The job of government 
has always included public safety and this has
been the excuse used to keep their jobs and
create more work.  Consider drug laws, drinking
laws, promiscuity laws, even tax evasion.

- - -

Like the plumber said today, "Why can't
the government get jobs?"




-- 
Andrew Rose andyrose@netcom.com FAX   end killing