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Record Number of 'Lifers' in U.S. Prisons, Study Finds

A record number of criminals are serving life prison sentences, and in Florida, two of them are juveniles with their cases under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mon, Jul 27, 2009 1:51 pm

TALLAHASSEE -- Tougher sentencing laws and restrictions on parole in Florida and other states have resulted in a record number of criminals serving life sentences, according to a new national study.

The report by the Sentencing Project found 140,160 individuals serving life terms in state and federal prisons, including 6,607 juveniles, two of them Floridians whose cases are under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Florida, the report said, 11.3 percent of prison inmates are serving life, and 53 percent of them are African American and 19 percent Hispanic. Also, 6,424 Florida inmates are serving life without parole.

"They ought to be raising questions about the rising number of violent felons,'' said Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, a Republican running for attorney general in 2010 on a platform that emphasizes public safety. ``These people are in prison for a reason,'' he said.

The state with the highest percentage of lifers is California at 20 percent.

As of Thursday, the Florida prison system had a population of 100,816. The system is close enough to capacity that legislators have given the Department of Corrections the option, for the first time, of exporting criminals to other states with empty prison beds.

Nearly two decades ago, Florida enacted mandatory minimum sentencing laws, such as "10-20-Life'' and "three strikes,'' that increased the number of life felons in the nation's third-largest prison system and sharply reduced inmates' ability to win early release or parole.

"There was a hue and cry to put people in prison and keep them there,'' said state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, a Tampa Democrat who opposes such measures, saying they remove a judge's discretion. "The message to people in public office was, if you're soft on crime, you're going to lose your election. Now the prisons are full of people and the numbers are ever increasing.''

Joyner recalled her frustration at filing a bill last session that would have changed the definition of petty theft by increasing the amount of stolen money from $300, which it has been for more than two decades, to $600. "But they wouldn't hear it in the House,'' Joyner said.

Juveniles also are increasingly being sentenced to life, the report noted, following a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that prohibited juveniles from being executed.

Last May, the nation's highest court agreed to review the case of Joe Sullivan of Pensacola, sentenced to life without parole at age 13 for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in 1989. Sullivan, who is mentally disabled, admitted burglarizing the woman's house on that day but has denied committing rape.

He is housed at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton. His lawyers want the Supreme Court to rule on whether Sullivan's sentence violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

According to the Equal Justice Institute, Sullivan is one of only eight people in the world serving a life sentence without parole for a crime that occurred at age 13.

The Sentencing Project promotes reforms in sentencing, including "alternatives to incarceration,'' while focusing attention on what it calls disturbing trends and inequities in the criminal justice system.

» add a comment

Jul 31 2009, 10:09 am

All true HU210, the contempt thing is a big one & gets bigger w/the time spent. I could have axed a year w/the fed drug program but it made no sense as I had no drug issues. On the flipside, when they hand out time like candy to kids people will grab for any straw they can, as you & I know, DESPERATION can take a whole new overwelming form when FREEDOM is Gone.

THE MOST NOBLE, WORTHWHILE ORGANZATION YOU CAN FIND- http://www.famm.org/ -

HU210

Jul 31 2009, 7:20 am

And breeding contempt for the law rather than breeding respect for law.

Not to mention the damage caused for those who actually attempt stopping an abusive drug usage. Because non-abusers are compelled to participate in "treatment programming", because they get arrested for merely possessing an unapproved substance. Thus squandering valuable resources.

Another thing that breeds contempt for the law, at least for me is. Allowing real criminals -robbery, theft, etc., to use drug usage as an excuse for their criminal behaviors. Then letting them out before a cannabis grower/ connoisseur commodity's broker. Using the rational that robbery and theft are "property crimes" and not against persons.

Well god damn. I've never felt victimized in my dealings with cannabis. Except being victimized by the cops , by being busted.
Sure did when house was robbed. Again victimized by pigs with accusatory question/statements the likes of" There must have been something in here that they wanted". No shit!

Jul 29 2009, 3:00 pm

thanks treeman, I forgot that one: Prison does- school inmates on any possible crime you can imagine. It is a learning ground where you can find the most capable, cleaver, cunning individuals that become knowledge icons. Its a place where a person is "hardened" to a point where interaction in mainstream society is almost humorous.

PRISON IS NOT THE ANSWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY- PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE AVENUES AND OPPORTUNITIES, STIMULATING GROWTH AND THE REALIZATION THAT "TIMES HAVE CHANGED" (OZZIE & HARRIET ARE GONE)or TRUTH IS WHATS NEEDED- WE GAVE THE WORLD WHAT IT NEEDED TO CATCH UP, AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR OWN PEOPLE- LETS NOT HAVE SAY WE GAVE AWAY TOO MUCH

tree

Jul 29 2009, 11:59 am

Fuck Bush! Why do you think I waited this long to visit HT?
Decmocracy!

Pay the Man!

tree

Jul 29 2009, 11:58 am

More drugs=less cops? Like they'll have nothing to do?Wrong. More laws restricting free trade crushes the economy, not making for a better society. The cops will be protecting us, cuz we'd be the next targets for criminals. But them wine drikers can rape the Sierra's? No fuckin way!

Pay the Man!

tree

Jul 29 2009, 11:54 am

B - You're so right. Locking some up, assuming they'll even make it out, means a smarter more ruthless criminal, not a better citizen. Whose now broke, and desperate, and alone. What do you think would be my next move?

tree

Jul 29 2009, 11:45 am

The Way It Was...that shit's old. There's no way Obama is gonna play that game. 30 years of MORE legislatin unlegislatin something which needs no regulatin?

tree

Jul 29 2009, 11:40 am

repramand a child? Shit, my mom was probably payin 'em to beat me, cuz she just said, "Good! You probably deserved it". Catholics play rough. And she wanted ME to go Jesuit? All-girls maybe, all-guys? Not on your life! Even the Navy quit that shit decades ago. I said pilot, they said nuc physice (I never even took Geometry), mom said, "blah, blah, blah blah, blah...blah. But they always got the best toys, and when the shit hits-the-fan? Where'dja rather be? With ME or MOM?

Jul 28 2009, 3:01 pm

Prison State = Democracy ??

There is no ‘rehabilitation’, that is a myth similar to ‘Devil Weed and Reefer Madness’. it’s a convenient catch phrase to obtain a desired result .(acceptance or non, by general public / masses)

SOME NEED PRISON- Such as Crimes of the body ex. Child molesters(esp. incest), murder, rapists, hate crimes, unwarranted physical assault, etc.. Repeat offenders that show a chaotic pattern. Evil or ill, w/no consideration for others, that break the written law.

PRISON SYSTEMS ARE INEFFECTIVE- Long sentences are useless unless the intention is to institutionalize the individual or remove from society. Anything over 5 years will create irreconcilable issues. A GOOD JUDGE should be determining whether the individual in front him/her is in the group above and act accordingly. IN 1987 FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES REMOVED FEDERAL JUDGES ABILITY TO ‘JUDGE’ AND LEFT THEM WITH THE OPTION TO PICK THE LOW OR HIGH END OF ASSOCIATED SENTENCING GUIDLINES- EX. 330 MONTHS OR 360. CONCURRENT OR CONSECUTIVE W/THE OTHER CHARGES.

SHORTER, MORE HARSH PENALTIES ARE BY FAR MORE EFFECTIVE. Do you really want to stop the crime??? Throw Johnny Reckless in the box for 60 or 90 days- he’ll think more than twice next time.

Prison Industry Creates Jobs- Yes it does, especially in rural, economically depressed areas. It also introduces its new workers into one of the darkest, nastiest environments that person will ever experience. Everyday. Please check alcohol abuse & suicide stats for corrections officers.

Did they really want to slow crime?- Probably should have given more consideration to ‘pay per child’ welfare & outsourcing jobs to foreign countries. (telemarketing jobs sent to India??) etc. Prevenative Measures Anyone??

Then there Is the DRUG WAR- THE WAR THAT STARTED WHEN WE HAD BEATEN EVERYONE ELSE - THE WAR THAT FULFILLED OUR ‘NEED’ FOR WAR- POLITICAL TRAMPOLINE OF THE 80’S & 90’S- SMOKESCREEN FOR $ DEBAUCHERY- THE IMPRISONMENT OF MILLIONS OF NON VIOLENT OFFENDERS, FOR MONEY CRIMES- MONEY, WHICH IS WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO ISNT IT? $$- BY THE 10’S & 100’S OF YEARS THESE PEOPLE GOT, MOST OF WHICH DIDN’T HURT A FLY..

FINALLY THE ADDITION OF THE MARIJUANNA CULTURE TO THIS WAR ON OURSELVES. BASED SQUARELY ON DECEIT AND LIES. BUILT THRU MORE DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION- EXPLOITED BY THOSE W/NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE HERB- CHEERED BY THOSE W/EVEN LESS KNOWLEDGE.

WAKE UP AMERICA, SMELL THE BONGSMOKE- GOTTA START TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THINGS- ONLY WAY TO PUT THE WHEELS BACK ON THIS CAR, WE ALL RIDE IN.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=4th&navby=case&no=945202p

Like it is

Jul 27 2009, 11:37 pm

Keep building jails and cells because there are going to be plenty of criminals to come, along with more laws, bet on the men with guns and there mouths on the tax payer tit to win!

gstlab3

Jul 27 2009, 10:30 pm

IF A PERSON BY THE AGE OF THIRTEEN CANNOT OR WILL NOT UNDERSTAND RIGHT FROM WRONG AND COMMITS RAPE AND MURDER AND THIEVERY WITHOUT REMORSE IT IS TIME TO PUT THEM AWAY FOR LIFE!!! I BELIEVE.,WE HAVE BECOME A SOCIETY WITH NO MORAL COMPASS DUE TO OUR SECULAR GOVERNMENT REMOVING AT EVERY TURN GOD FROM OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR GOVERNMENT SIMULTANIOUSLY. OUR GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION CAN ONLY WORK IF WE ARE A MORAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE FEAR OF GOD IN OUR HEARTS.,OUR FOUNDING FATHERS KNEW THIS WELL AND WROTE OF THESE THINGS WAY BEFORE WE EVER CAME ALONG TO SEE IT FOR OURSELVES., IN THE REPLACING OF THE OLD WAYS OF THINKING AND ACTING WE HAVE BEEN FORCED BY OUR OWN INABILITY OR WILLINGNESS TO TEACH AND BRING INTO THIS WORLD GOOD HONEST GOD FEARING PEOPLE AT THE EXPENCE OF HAVING LAWS AND THE POLICE ENFORCING MORALITY WITHOUT GOD. WE HAVE NOTHING TO GUIDE US AND KEEP US FROM DOING WRONG IF WE CANNOT TEACH AND REENFORCE THROUGH EDUCATION THE BASIC RULES OF MORALITY!! IF OUR SCHOOLS CANNOT TEACH IT BECAUSE IT MAY INFRINGE ON SOMEONES RIGHT NOT TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO BY A NON FAMILY MEMBER SUCH AS A TEACHER. A TEACHER CANNOT IMPOSE ANYTHING UPON A CHILD EVEN IF IT BECOMES DANGEROUS FOR THE TEACHER TO REPREMAND A STUDENT.,IT MIGHT LEAD TO CHARGES OF PHYSICAL ABUSE, MENTAL ABUSE etc..., IT IS ARE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH THESE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT RIGHT FROM WRONG AND HAVE NEVER SEEN CONSEQUENCES TO THEIR ACTIONS UNTILL IT IS TOO LATE!!! IT IS LACK OF PARENTING AND THE LACK OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND THE RIGHT OF OUR EDUCATORS TO ACT SWIFTLY TO CORRECT THESE LITTLE MONSTERS BEFORE THEY RAPE, MURDER AND STEAL FROM US ALL OUR FREEDOMS AT THE COST OF DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! WHAT IS THE FIRST PLACE?! THE FIRST PLACE YOU LEARN RIGHT AND WRONG IS USUALLY AT HOME WHERE WE WOULD HAVE A LOVING FATHER AND MOTHER AND EXTENDED FAMILY AND OF COURSE RELIGION TO REENFORCE THE TEACHINGS OF OUR PARENTS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.,AS YOU GREW UP YOU WENT TO SCHOOL WITH PEOPLE OF THE SAME MINDSET AND CULTURE AND USUALLY RELIGION TOO., NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS OBSURD IDEA OF MULTICULTURISM AND NO RELIGION IN SCHOOL AT ALL EVER.,WE CANNOT EVEN SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WITHOUT OFFENDING THE ATHEISTS AND THE AMERICAN HATING CROWD WE HAVE TAKING OVER OUR COUNTRY AND SCHOOLS!!! THE THINGS THAT DO MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT AND POWERFULL ARE BEING STRIPPED AWAY BY THESE SAME PEOPLE THAT LET THEIR CHILDREN RUN RUFFSHOD OVER THEM AND WHINE UNTILL THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT AND BLAME THE GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY FOR THEIR CHILDRENS BAD BEHAVIOR!!! I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS WHAT AND WHY WE HAVE 13 YEAR OLD MURDERERS AND RAPISTS AND THIEVES AND DRUG DEALING GANGBANGERS!!!! IT IS OUR FAULT? THAT THE CHILD YOU BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD HAD NO TRAINING?! NO GUIDANCE!? OR MORAL TEACHINGS!? OR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO A CHILD!!!??? YOU HAVE THEM AND DUMP THEM IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION AND VIDEO GAMES ALL DAY THEN SEND THEM OFF TO SCHOOL WHERE THE TEACHERS HAVE TO TRY AND RAISE THEM LIKE THE PARENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?! AND WHEN THEY TRY AND DO THAT AND LITTLE JENNY OR JIMMY HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD NO! THEY CRY ABUSE AND AND RAISE HELL AND SOMETIMES THEY GET VIOLENT WITH THE TEACHERS!!! FUCK THAT MAN!!! LET THE LITTLE BASTARDS ROT IN PRISON FOR THE MURDERS AND RAPES!! AND IF THEY HAVE STICKY FINGERS AND STEAL AND ROB I THINK YOU STILL HAVE TO BE REALLY TUFF ON THESE NEW BAD SEEDS AND LOCK THEM UP AT LEAST UNTILL ADULTHOOD AND THEY SHOULD NOT GET OUT IF THEY CANNOT PASS A GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND A PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING TEST TO PROOVE TO ME AND SOCIETY THAT THEY CAN BECOME PRODUCTIVE MORAL CITIZENS!!!! I DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO HAVE TO ROT IN JAIL IT IS AWFULL TO LOOSE YOUR FREEDOM BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE DIED AT THE HANDS OF THESE NEW TERRILBLE UNTRAINED IMORAL YOUTHS?!?!?! WE HAVE TO ACT AND ACT WITHOUT RESERVATION TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS AND THE BEST ANSWER IS TO GIVE US THE RIGHT TO KEEP SOME FORM OF MORAL TRAINING IN SCHOOLS AND GIVE PARENTS THE RIGHT AND THE TEACHERS THE RIGHT TO USE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING LABLED A CHILD ABUSER!!!! PUT THE FEAR OF GOD AND MOM AND DAD INTO THEM AT A YOUNG AGE AND YOU WILL NOT SEE THIS SORT OF SHIT BUT ON A RARE OCCASION!!! I HAVE SEEN IT A THOUSAND TIMES AND SOMETIMES IT FAILS AND LIFES HARD LESSONS WILL BE LEARNED EVENTUALLY TO WHAT END IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL. PEACE!! GROW YOUR OWN!! FUCK THE POLICE!!!!!

tree

Jul 27 2009, 9:52 pm

420 - booze, yes. weed, no. maybe cuz it doesn't kill as quickly?

richDowney

Jul 27 2009, 9:46 pm

yeah, eh was wenderin the same theng meself, wet readers of high times'ed be interested in hearin bout' is the nember of lifers and sech dew ta vocashens related teda lord's holegh gift, ay tis no sin te laber en wen's vocation, that's fer sure. Transport logistics management, tillin' the lend indoors or out, it's hard ta believe the intolerance, it's a demn shem, wet good is the lord's holegh gift en grace if ye ain't get freedem!

freedom420FTG

Jul 27 2009, 7:55 pm

OK,so how many for THIS WAR ON DRUGS,or should i say,WAR ON OUR FREEDOMS.Can understand child molesters,murders,rapist, ect.,but not drugs if you are an adult should have freedom to use as long as not harming anyone else or selling,giving to minors.This is LAND OF THE FREE i thought.

tree

Jul 27 2009, 4:03 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw9O89nVwm0&NR=1

tree

Jul 27 2009, 4:00 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RMBu9X1u2E

tree

Jul 27 2009, 3:53 pm

No shit, REFORM just solicited (gladly welcome from any stoner) ME to join, maybe go to NM to speak. Apparently your voices ARE being heard. It's not my voice, it's yours. I just react to it. So will Obama!

From the Street to the Seat!

Your voices are being heard. Keep blastin it at the Prez, direct, and your "legislators". Join NORML or REFROM OR CHANGE. Think I did 2 of 3.

Beaurocracy can be beaten, once we've taken a big-enough beating.

1 voice.
1 phrase or tag-line.
1 life to live.

tree

Jul 27 2009, 3:43 pm

oops, one minor note;
It's 'exorcised'.
PnT

tree

Jul 27 2009, 3:41 pm

sliff - Amen. More laws = less market!

spliffer

Jul 27 2009, 3:22 pm

freedom must be exercised,our forefathers had to earn their freedom in exchange for blood and we took that precious freedom squandered it and took it for granted, now we must do like an act of a scape artist and try to get back to the constitution under god, before they turn us into slave zombies, it will be no different than what our forefathers had to do, we took for granted our precious freedom, and one by one our rights were stripped away from us, take a good look around you, the government minions live and breathe among us, and they chuckle all the way to their council meetings knowing that their future depends on making the rest of us slaves,so they just tell us what we want to hear, like bringing the troops home,
they will charge us for the air we breathe.

tree

Jul 27 2009, 2:28 pm

GWC - MO, no go, bet there's many lifer's there. FLR for home design. But gwc got the monuments.

tree

Jul 27 2009, 2:21 pm

What a disgrace. I ain't even doin the math .001% of you popluation serving life (DEATH). How could any society handle having 30% of their poplulation dead or behind-bars?
Over a natural plant, 50% of which have already gone extinct. You ain't got enuf Cray's for that?
Send me to the Katabatic, if that's what you call society.