Sen. Tom Cotton; "If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem,"

[Origanalist]

Tom Cotton Says U.S. Facing an 'Under Incarceration' Problem, Slams Criminal Justice Reform as 'Criminal Leniency'

Ed Krayewski|May. 19, 2016 9:19 pm

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) delivered remarks at the Hudson Institute today slamming criminal justice reform efforts as "criminal leniency," re-enforcing myths about the imagined "war on cops" and the link between aggressive policing and lower crime.

Cotton dismissed concerns about the U.S. prison population—the highest in the world—by pointing out that most property and violent crimes go unsolved. "If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem," he declared.

"Law and order in our communities doesn't arise spontaneously," Cotton said at the beginning of his remarks, noting it was police week and the "high cost" public safety comes with. "Men are not angels, after all." Except maybe cops. "Police officers put the badge on every morning, not knowing for sure if they'll come home at night to take it off," Cotton insisted. Law enforcement actually doesn't crack a list of the top 10 most dangerous occupations in the U.S, and cop killings were down in 2015 despite the "war on cop" rhetoric.

Later, Cotton said he had spoken to (an undetermined number of) police officers about (an undetermined number of) police brutality incidents, and "can report that they feel about abusive cops the way most soldiers feel about misconduct in the ranks: they're among the first who wish to see them disciplined." Military service members actually have to operate under stricter rules of engagement than police officers. Cotton served active duty army from 2005 to 2009. Other veterans are shocked by police abuse and the "domestic enemies" it might suggest.

"No officer wants to be involved in a justified use of force proven unnecessary after the fact, any more than soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan wanted to make what proved to be the wrong decision in a shoot-don't-shoot situation," Cotton insisted, continuing the tellingly inappropriate analogy. "Those decisions, even if justified, live with you forever, believe me."

Cotton claimed the drop in crime over the last twenty years was thanks to tougher sentencing, like mandatory minimums, and aggressive policing, like "broken windows." The causal link is far from clear, and higher incarceration rates may have actually slowed the drop in crime.

Cotton mentions the drug war only when marveling at how remarkable it was that crime dropped after the "drug epidemic" of the 1980s. "That epidemic turned streets into literal battlefields, teenagers into foot soldiers, and too many citizens into casualties of the drug wars," Cotton insisted. Drug use is an essentially non-violent behavior—its violent trappings are introduced by the government's prohibition on it. Cotton complains that the sentencing reform effort led by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), applies to far more than just those imprisoned for offense like "mere drug possession."

In Cotton's world, a non-violent felon is more likely to plea down from a more serious offense ("Believe me," Cotton said, "most of them did) than to have been caught up by overzealous prosecutors or police officers.

Cotton's world: "Dedicated prosecutors toil long hours in our courts. Corrections officers and other professionals do the thankless work of administering punishment and, hopefully, providing a path for redemption." It's an aspirational view more than one rooted in reality, a view that leaves no room for prosecutorial misconduct or crooked or abusive prison officials, problems that criminal justice reforms seek to address and that the kind of rhetoric that calls such effort "criminal leniency" seeks to wave away.

continued..http://reason.com/blog/2016/05/19/to...an-under-incar

[timosman]

I am surprised he did not say anything about the white collar crime.

[erowe1]

Mind boggling.

[Origanalist]

I am surprised he did not say anything about the white collar crime.

I think you're fibbing...

[pcosmar]

This kind of garbage is what is wrong with the GOP.

and don't forget for a second that it is teamed up hand in glove with the Democrats Disarmament program.

[FindLiberty]

U.S. prison population—the highest in the world

WANTS MORE? that's sick

[Henry Rogue]

Sen. Tom Cotton; "If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem,"

Yeah, not enough politicians in jail.

[GunnyFreedom]

Logically, from his position, either he legitimately wants to imprison more ordinary people than any other country on the planet, or the nation he has helped to create produces more criminals than any other country on the planet. Either case makes him a hypocrite.

[timosman]

Logically, from his position, either he legitimately wants to imprison more ordinary people than any other country on the planet, or the nation he has helped to create produces more criminals than any other country on the planet. Either case makes him a hypocrite.

+rep

[ligant]

Logically, from his position, either he legitimately wants to imprison more ordinary people than any other country on the planet, or the nation he has helped to create produces more criminals than any other country on the planet. Either case makes him a human trash.

Small fix.

[anaconda]

Since Cotton himself not in prison then he may have a valid point.

[Mani]

Tom Cotton Says U.S. Facing an 'Under Incarceration' Problem, Slams Criminal Justice Reform as 'Criminal Leniency'

Ed Krayewski|May. 19, 2016 9:19 pm

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) delivered remarks at the Hudson Institute today slamming criminal justice reform efforts as "criminal leniency," re-enforcing myths about the imagined "war on cops" and the link between aggressive policing and lower crime.

Cotton dismissed concerns about the U.S. prison population—the highest in the world—by pointing out that most property and violent crimes go unsolved. "If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem," he declared.

"Law and order in our communities doesn't arise spontaneously," Cotton said at the beginning of his remarks, noting it was police week and the "high cost" public safety comes with. "Men are not angels, after all." Except maybe cops. "Police officers put the badge on every morning, not knowing for sure if they'll come home at night to take it off," Cotton insisted. Law enforcement actually doesn't crack a list of the top 10 most dangerous occupations in the U.S, and cop killings were down in 2015 despite the "war on cop" rhetoric.

Later, Cotton said he had spoken to (an undetermined number of) police officers about (an undetermined number of) police brutality incidents, and "can report that they feel about abusive cops the way most soldiers feel about misconduct in the ranks: they're among the first who wish to see them disciplined." Military service members actually have to operate under stricter rules of engagement than police officers. Cotton served active duty army from 2005 to 2009. Other veterans are shocked by police abuse and the "domestic enemies" it might suggest.

"No officer wants to be involved in a justified use of force proven unnecessary after the fact, any more than soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan wanted to make what proved to be the wrong decision in a shoot-don't-shoot situation," Cotton insisted, continuing the tellingly inappropriate analogy. "Those decisions, even if justified, live with you forever, believe me."

Cotton claimed the drop in crime over the last twenty years was thanks to tougher sentencing, like mandatory minimums, and aggressive policing, like "broken windows." The causal link is far from clear, and higher incarceration rates may have actually slowed the drop in crime.

Cotton mentions the drug war only when marveling at how remarkable it was that crime dropped after the "drug epidemic" of the 1980s. "That epidemic turned streets into literal battlefields, teenagers into foot soldiers, and too many citizens into casualties of the drug wars," Cotton insisted. Drug use is an essentially non-violent behavior—its violent trappings are introduced by the government's prohibition on it. Cotton complains that the sentencing reform effort led by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), applies to far more than just those imprisoned for offense like "mere drug possession."

In Cotton's world, a non-violent felon is more likely to plea down from a more serious offense ("Believe me," Cotton said, "most of them did) than to have been caught up by overzealous prosecutors or police officers.

Cotton's world: "Dedicated prosecutors toil long hours in our courts. Corrections officers and other professionals do the thankless work of administering punishment and, hopefully, providing a path for redemption." It's an aspirational view more than one rooted in reality, a view that leaves no room for prosecutorial misconduct or crooked or abusive prison officials, problems that criminal justice reforms seek to address and that the kind of rhetoric that calls such effort "criminal leniency" seeks to wave away.

continued..http://reason.com/blog/2016/05/19/to...an-under-incar

Brought to you by....The Prison Industrial Complex!

[tod evans]

Brought to you by....The Prison Industrial Complex!

Nay, the entire "Just-Us" Department...

The profits reaped by these ticks are astronomical...

[Slave Mentality]

Go $#@! yourself Tom Cotton.

[otherone]

Logically, from his position, either he legitimately wants to imprison more ordinary people than any other country on the planet, or the nation he has helped to create produces more criminals than any other country on the planet. Either case makes him a hypocrite.

The obvious solution is to imprison the entire country...and make Mexico pay for it.

[CaptUSA]

The obvious solution is to imprison the entire country...and make Mexico pay for it.

Not the entire country. Just the plebes. It's much better that way for the elite. Out of sight, out of mind, you know.

[tod evans]

WTF?

Imprison Mexico!

[acptulsa]

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.--Martin Niemöller

[specsaregood]

This Tom Cotton guy is a special sort of $#@!.

[Working Poor]

I bet he is not including the criminals in DC amongst the ones who need to be incarcerated....

[Brian4Liberty]

Cotton dismissed concerns about the U.S. prison population—the highest in the world—by pointing out that most property and violent crimes go unsolved. "If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem," he declared.

There is a spike right now in property crime. Burglary, break-ins, theft, auto-theft, vandalism. It's most likely the economy. Young people with no jobs.

[GunnyFreedom]

There is a spike right now in property crime. Burglary, break-ins, theft, auto-theft, vandalism. It's most likely the economy. Young people with no jobs.

Nevermind that something like HALF of all prisoners are there for nonviolent drug "crimes."

[Brian4Liberty]

Nevermind that something like HALF of all prisoners are there for nonviolent drug "crimes."

Preaching to the choir here, but feel free to give Cotton an ear-full.

The criminal justice system in the US needs major reform. Eliminating the drug laws is a good first step. Throwing a young person in with hardcore criminals for a petty crime should also be a high priority for reform. What we have right now for "reform" (juvenile and county jails) is essentially a criminal training and networking program, where kids and young adults learn to be criminals from criminals.

[TheTexan]

If the whole "three felonies a day" thing is true,

then we really need more prisons and start enforcing that better.

[JK/SEA]

prison planet....

[CaptUSA]

Later, Cotton said he had spoken to (an undetermined number of) police officers about (an undetermined number of) police brutality incidents, and "can report that they feel about abusive cops the way most soldiers feel about misconduct in the ranks: they're among the first who wish to see them disciplined."

Exactly! Which, of course, is why they're always turning each other in every time they notice something...

[Ronin Truth]

Is Tom referring to the CONgresscritters?

[Suzanimal]

He's a sack of $#@!.

[Suzanimal]

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (SRCA) that promised to slash sentences for federal prisoners, from which drug traffickers would largely benefit, has died in the Senate, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Thursday.

The Senate bill “would drastically reduce mandatory minimum sentences for all drug traffickers, even those who are armed and traffic in dangerous drugs like heroin,” as chief opponent Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions warned.

Cotton stressed that future criminal justice reform efforts must place the needs of a functioning society and victims of crime before the individual criminal.

“As for the claim that we should have more empathy for criminals, I won’t even try to conceal my contempt for the idea,” he said. “I empathize first and foremost with the victims of crime and their families. We ought to give criminals a shot at rehabilitation and redemption, but primarily because it’s in our interest as a society, not because they deserve more empathy.”

...

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm..._medium=social

[tod evans]

Cotton stressed that future criminal justice reform efforts must place the needs of a functioning society and victims of crime before the individual criminal.

Wonder who this kid thinks the victims are in drug crimes?

The sheer ignorance abounds.