U.S Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) seeks to allow ex-felons to vote.

[minionofmidas]

Good stuff from my Congressman in a short time.

I was always under the impression that the purpose of releasing people from jail is to signify that their punishment has ceased.  It always confused me that they'd restore all of their liberties save for the ability to vote, as a result.

Well you could bring up examples of guns and driver's licenses which can be restricted, but that example doesn't really work since those restrictions only happen if your crime was related to those things in some way. It's really just a dumb way to look "tough on crime".

No - these restrictions are mostly older than "tough on crime" dumbness. It's 100% aimed at keeping ns and the non-respectable working classes out of polling booths, really.

As to the part about "sentence is up" etc (in other posts), that's a bit misleading since nominal sentences are typically twice as long as periods actually served. (In the US. Here in Germany, 50% longer. In some European countries, identical.)

[minionofmidas]

Possession without intent to sell.

[minionofmidas]

How many people have been mugged for drug money?

Wouldn't this decline if drugs were no longer associated with criminal activity? A drug addict may feel less inclined to obey the law on other issues now because they already break the law buying and selling drugs.

If they need money to buy the drugs (they're hardly going to get them in Medicaid, are they?), they've got two ways to go. Get a job or commit crime. Since no employer would hire a drug addict, they end up committing crime.

I beg to differ. Most drug addicts do have jobs. They have menial or low-skill jobs, but they're still employed. If they weren't, unemployment would be far higher.

Few heroin or cocaine junkies have menial or low-skill jobs, as these are usually too demanding to hold on to with a heroin habit. Lots of successful white-collar people with one, though.

[minionofmidas]

How many people have been mugged for drug money?

Wouldn't this decline if drugs were no longer associated with criminal activity? A drug addict may feel less inclined to obey the law on other issues now because they already break the law buying and selling drugs.

If they need money to buy the drugs (they're hardly going to get them in Medicaid, are they?), they've got two ways to go. Get a job or commit crime. Since no employer would hire a drug addict, they end up committing crime.

I beg to differ. Most drug addicts do have jobs. They have menial or low-skill jobs, but they're still employed. If they weren't, unemployment would be far higher.

Few heroin or cocaine junkies have menial or low-skill jobs, as these are usually too demanding to hold on to with a heroin habit. Lots of successful white-collar people with one, though.

I was thinking more of marijuana, LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. You're right about heroin and cocaine being more "high-class", and, hence, they rarely cause robberies to pay for drugs.

More like more socially crunchy. And no, I would assume that heroin "causes" (really, it's the artificially inflated price level, not the drug itself, that's doing that, but nvm...) more theft and robbery.

[minionofmidas]

How many people have been mugged for drug money?

Wouldn't this decline if drugs were no longer associated with criminal activity? A drug addict may feel less inclined to obey the law on other issues now because they already break the law buying and selling drugs.

If they need money to buy the drugs (they're hardly going to get them in Medicaid, are they?), they've got two ways to go. Get a job or commit crime. Since no employer would hire a drug addict, they end up committing crime.

I beg to differ. Most drug addicts do have jobs. They have menial or low-skill jobs, but they're still employed. If they weren't, unemployment would be far higher.

Few heroin or cocaine junkies have menial or low-skill jobs, as these are usually too demanding to hold on to with a heroin habit. Lots of successful white-collar people with one, though.

I was thinking more of marijuana, LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. You're right about heroin and cocaine being more "high-class", and, hence, they rarely cause robberies to pay for drugs.

More like more socially crunchy. And no, I would assume that heroin "causes" (really, it's the artificially inflated price level, not the drug itself, that's doing that, but nvm...) more theft and robbery.

We're back to the same point: artificially high prices resulting from illegality are the true culprit.

Yeah, we're not debating the main point at all, as we agree on that. We're debating about marginalia.