From: mykes@amiga0.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Crime (Re: Perot ?
Date: 19 Aug 92 21:41:38 GMT
Organization: Amiga makes it possible
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16f (beta) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith

In article <1992Aug18.180211.18389@usl.edu> das9674@usl.edu (Stephenson Daniel A) writes:
> In article <92231.023450MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> Norman St. John Polevaulter <MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
> >In article <1992Aug17.223817.17281@usl.edu>, das9674@usl.edu (Stephenson Daniel
> >A) says:
> >>I'd rather an alternative to the death penalty...
> >
> >I look at things and see a perfect alternative to the death penalty --
> >life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole. It's just as
> >nasty if not nastier (you want to live your life out in a prison cell?) it's
> >cheaper than our current death penalty system, it keeps the criminals
> >off the streets for good just like the death penalty does, but most important
> >of all, if it turns out that the suspect was innocent after all, they can
> >be freed from jail! If the unfortunate person has been executed, on the
> >other hand, making it up to them is rather more difficult.
> >
> >So how's this sound? You asked for an alternative...
>
> The implementation of the death penalty is not the same thing as the principle
> of the death penalty.  Life in prision w/o parole *would* be the next best thing
> , but I don't think it would have the same effect as outright DYING.
> For example, some people whine about nuclear power being wasteful, cost
> way to much.  I'd argue that those issues would not exist if it were not
> for the 'whiners'.  See?  So what I am saying is the the death penalty
> would have 'balls' if it was enforced...just like any other broken law/
> punsihment situation.
>

It is my opinion that without any factual information, any arguments on this
subject are pure speculation and moral opinion.  Prinicipals are a great thing
to argue for...   So, I drag out my 1992 Universal Almanac (book of facts) and
what do I find:

Total US Jail Expendatures (1988): $4.5 Billion
Avg. Daily US Jail Population (1990): 408,075
Operating Expediture per inmate (1988): $10,639
Total Arrests, 1989: 8,495,179

Adult prisoners under correctional supervision (1989):
	Probation 	2,520,479
	Jail		  393,303
	Prison		  683,367
	Parole		  456,797
	TOTAL		4,053,946 (2.2% of US population > 18 years old)

Incarceration rate: 293 (1 year+ sentences) per 100,000 US population

Violent Crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) for 1989: 427,620
Property Crime (burglery, larceny/theft, auto theft, arson) for 1989: 1,391,376

Prisoners executed, by race, 1930-1989
1930-1989:  1822 (45.8%) white, 2115 (53.2%) black
1977-1989:  71 (59.2%) white, 49 (40.8%) black
Total from 1930-1989 = 3,979 executions

Homicide rates by sex, race and age (1986, per 100,000 population):
Age 16-19: white males 8.7, black males 54.3
Age 20-24: white males 15.0, black males 100.0
Age 25-34: white males 13.6, black males 104.3
Age 35-49: white males 10.1, black males 71.6

Total murders, 1989: 14,110

(source: US Bureau of Justice Statistics)


> >[Your blood pressure just went up.]       Mark Sachs IS: mbs110@psuvm.psu.edu
> >       DISCLAIMER: If it ain't money, Penn State doesn't care about it.
> >   "Ladies and gentlemen, I've suffered for my music! Now it's your turn!"
>
>
> --
> Dan Stephenson das9674@usl.edu
> "Is it that Blake has a genius for leadership, or merely that *you* have a
>  genius for being led?" -Avon, from Blakes 7

--
Amiga programmer of: GRn, MailMinder, Budokan, Beyond Dark Castle, Dark Castle
Sega Genesis programmer of: Dick Tracy and Marble Madness.
Mike Schwartz  (ames!zorch!amiga0!mykes or mykes@amiga0.sf-bay.org)
1124 Fremont Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94024