California's death row inmates relocating The wheels of government move slowly sometimes, not unlike the wheels of the publishing world. (My Privileged Killers is finally out.) I've not been posting about California's death row, but been posting about rehabilitation and other prison matters for some time now. This recent story about the speeded up emptying of California's death row is a case in point (my summary and headings based on LA Times story): According to California’s … [Read more...]
Celeb arrest & release weakens Justice System’s credibility
When we watch TV, go to the movies, or attend concerts (admittedly before Covid), we enjoy watching our favorite stars. But despite being role models for millions, celebrities sometimes break the law. The justice system's credibility then takes a hit when it all too often looks the other way. Of course, stars weaken the justice system's credibility because of their talent, charm, good looks, or wealth which shines so bright it often dazzles judges and juries. When judges and … [Read more...]
Celebrity privilege. See who are among DUI royalty?
Celebrity privilege is a type of "Special treatment!" We know the latter phrase if we grew up with a sib or if nursery school or kindergarten teachers used it. Parents in the U.S. and early teachers drilled it into our heads—no special treatment, wait your turn, share toys with others. So, it's not surprising that Americans talk about privilege, discrimination, preferential treatment a lot. Preferential crim justice treatment for celebrity privilege? Celebs have long been ordered to … [Read more...]
Throw the book at certain rapists in this #meToo era.
Amber Rose Carlson wrote a piece about her rapist and his sentence for the New York Times recently. Besides dealing with rapists and sentencing, she covers many other timely topics in this #meToo era. Life without parole for rapists. These topics include injustice, male privilege, life without parole, and several others. I've blogged and written about many of them (for instance, in my forthcoming book, Four Murders and a Funeral). I include Ms. Carlson's piece here in its entirety. … [Read more...]
Rape, male privilege, sentencing, and punishment.
An essay about rape and male privilege that's been widely circulated lately got my attention for sure. Not because so many women have been Weinsteined by Harvey who had gatekeeping power or raped by everyday men who were intimidating. But because I've been addressing similar issues in a book I'm writing. Several of the real-life murderers in my memoir got away easy just as Amber Rose Carlson's rapist did. Amber Rose Carlson is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Vanderbilt University who … [Read more...]
Prison life is hard. Outside can be harder. CSP revisited.
Prison life gone bad? I've known, and been a victim of, someone who has reoffended (relapsed, recidivised. Recidivism refers to committing a crime after being "rehabilitated" in prison and released. When it comes to prison life, recidivism is a big "No No." It is to everyday taxpayers, to new and old victims, to ideologues supporting prison reform, and to criminologists like me who study this sort of thing. Recidivism is a sign of corrections failing to "correct," a sign that … [Read more...]
Prison life 101: Help adjusting to life outside.
Despite America's current turn to the political right, there is still momentum in the US to reduce the number of inmates in prison—for financial as well as "fairness" reasons. That means a lot of inmates—mostly nonviolent offenders—will be soon confronting life outside cell bars and perimeter walls. They often falter making the adjustment from prison life to "freedom." We can expect a good deal of recidivism in the future in the US.. We're also entering a new era of Federalism where … [Read more...]