Slog - Comments on Oly Action: Democrats Continue Pushing Tough-on-Crime Agenda http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a I've already given some Slog to the the Democrats' election-year tough-on-crime kick. (Don't want those Republicans to think Democrats are softies.) Now this bill has come to my attention. The bill, co-sponsored by Seattle House Democrat Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36), broadens the definition of "gang member" and increases the punishments for crimes that are then considered gang related. Activists focused on the unfair treatment of African Americans by law enforcement are alarmed by the bill—which also puts $2 million into a grant program to help fight gang activity. (I've included an e-mail from Justice Works below the jump that highlights... Copyright 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:40:35 -0800 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:32:05 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Will in Seattle Who's going to pay for the jails?

We can barely afford paying over 50 percent of our county taxes for them right now, and this will just make it worse.

Knee-jerk jailing does not work.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945214 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945214 News Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:47:10 -0800 Comment by Emmett O'Connell Josh: please, please, don't ruin "Oly."

]]> Emmett O'Connell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945241 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945241 News Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:07:46 -0800 Comment by jamier Wow. First there was Jamie Pedersen's bill banning people with mental health issues from owning guns (affecting far more women and gays than heterosexual men). Now a bill to increase sentences against young minorities.

Can Pedersen and Dickerson just cut to the chase and introduce a bill declaring heterosexual white men to be the superior race?

]]> jamier http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945343 News Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:10:39 -0800 Comment by elrider When I worked in Olympia, we had a saying for the Democrats approach to crime "Never get passed on the right"

]]> elrider http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945386 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945386 News Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:36:47 -0800 Comment by exelizabeth Today there was an interesting piece in the PI about how hard youth offenders are finding it to find jobs and integrate back into society. Making it even harder sounds like an awesome idea.

Seriously, we complain endlessly about recidivism, and yet when it comes to addressing crime, the answer is always more punishment, so politicians can look "tough." It see once they've served their time leads to more crime, not less, and netting more people as convicts will just add to the problem.

]]> exelizabeth http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945522 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/oly_action_democrats_push_toughoncrime_a#c945522 News Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:32:05 -0800