home

Reason's July Issue: Criminal Injustice

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 07:15:41 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Yesterday I mentioned Radley Balko's new article at Reason on the number of wrongfully convicted Americans doing time.

Today I learned the entire July issue of Reason is devoted to Criminal Injustice and our country's over-reliance on prison and the failure of the war on drugs.

There's Prison Math, that asks what are the costs and benefits of leading the world in locking up human beings? Reason Editor Matt Welch writes The Ends Didn’t Justify the Means on our complicity in the devastating war on crime. Bruce Western writes Locked Up, Locked Out on the social costs of incarceration.

There's also an article on John Edwards, The Persecution of John Edwards, positing that "The only thing worse than Edwards’ ugly behavior is the government’s effort to put him in jail for it." [More...]

The article ends:

The Justice Department has no business trying to imprison someone for violating a law whose meaning is anyone's guess. Civilized government requires giving citizens clear advance notice of what constitutes a crime.

Edwards' conduct was so repellent that he enjoys little sympathy, making his prosecution politically safe. But the rule of law exists to protect sinners as well as saints. He may deserve to rot in hell. Just not in jail.

Jacob Sullum writes Ends and Means: Suicide is not a Medical Procedure.

One more compliment to Reason: You don't have to wade through annoying ads, clicking them to close to get to the articles.

< Blagojevich Defense: Client is a "Motormouth" Who Never Got a Dime | HAMP'd >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Reason's July Issue: Criminal Injustice | 5 comments (5 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    There's also an article (none / 0) (#1)
    by scribe on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 07:47:02 AM EST
    on snitches and their pervasiveness.

    Look forward.... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 08:44:58 AM EST
    to digging into the whole issue...sounds like required reading for every legislator, executive, and criminal justice public tyrant...err servant.  But seriously....tyrants.

    Where have I been? (none / 0) (#3)
    by sj on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 10:19:59 AM EST
    No doubt you have referenced their articles before, but somehow I have never even heard of Reason.  So...

    What kdog says.

    Reason is always... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:53:57 AM EST
    droppin' science and straight doubt...excellent publication.

    I'm sure you've read some of their sh*t before, without realizing.  Don't feel bad, I can't remember the source of half the stuff I read...its the internet, lot easier to remember when you read the actual publication on paper, in your hands.

    Parent

    Jesus... (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:54:21 AM EST
    Err...Straight Dope, not doubt.

    Parent
    Reason's July Issue: Criminal Injustice | 5 comments (5 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment