Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum sent

[Nilly]

Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum sentences - LA Times

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has ordered federal prosecutors to return to tough policies against drug abusers, ending a push by the Obama administration to clear prisons of lower-level criminals serving long, mandatory minimum sentences.

He rescinded two policy memos signed by a predecessor, former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., that told prosecutors to be cautious in their use of methods that can produce dramatically harsher jail terms.

In a memo released Friday, Sessions instructed Justice Department lawyers to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense."

By definition, he added, the most serious offenses “carry the most substantial guidelines sentence, including mandatory minimum sentences.”

Derp. How about a mandatory minimum sentencing for lying to congress??

Anyway, let's see just how much more money we can waste on the war on drugs.

What's a little surprising to me is that now that drug abuse is becoming an issue for white people as well as black people (primarily through opioid addiction), we have seen far more of those on the republican side of the aisle take up the stance that drug addiction is a medical rather than criminal issue. More and more of the political or rich class know or knew someone with a drug issue, which has seen us frame the latest opioid issue as an epidemic with drug victims rather than a war against drug abusers.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/4/4/15098746/opioid-heroin-epidemic-race

LEAD - About LEAD

I would have hoped that this turnaround would extend to our justice department, but with Sessions (who has historically been very tough on drugs) I guess not. We've made good strides in the last few years towards a much smarter approach to drug addiction. Looks like we'll be set back a few.

 

[Blue_State]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Oh ffs. We lost this "war". Fix the policies and this **** can go away.

 

[MrPeanut]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Sessions is really crazy when it comes to weed.

Jeff Sessions’ Coming War on Legal Marijuana - POLITICO Magazine
As a U.S. Attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, Sessions said he thought the KKK "were OK until I found out they smoked pot.”

 

[Cigar]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Yea because that worked so well before.

 

[Geoist]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

As if enough lives haven't been ruined thanks to bulll**** drug policies.

 

[Mach]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Well that is conservatism isn't it? Doing everything and anything to delay progress and learn from mistakes. Doing it "the old way" just feels right to some people...

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

The DOJ does not make the laws but they are expected to enforce them (as written). The goofy idea that if law X is not to their liking then it is OK to simply not enforce law X is (likely) what got Comey fired. It seems that prosecutorial discretion is applauded if it means letting "small" drug law violators slide yet if little or nothing is done to inhibit illegal drug possessors or "small" sellers then it increases the profits and power of the "big" sellers.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Oh ffs. We lost this "war". Fix the policies and this **** can go away.

What is the correct policy for drugs like heroin, meth or cocaine?

 

[Mach]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

What is the correct policy for drugs like heroin, meth or cocaine?

Fill up the jails, it gets to the root problem, costs very little, and is very humane. Right?

 

[Nilly]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

What is the correct policy for drugs like heroin, meth or cocaine?

Treatment.

They should be medical issues, not criminal.

“Society has tried to reduce addiction and the devastating problems that occur. They’ve tried punishments. They’ve tried to legislate. They’ve tried religion. They’ve tried lots and lots of things. The best by far so far is treatment. We’re gonna continue to pay the price for thinking of this as a lifestyle issue, a personality disorder. We’re gonna pay that price for a very long time, because it’s standing in our way of medical progress, of public health progress.”

 

[TheGoverness]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Sessions is really crazy when it comes to weed.

Jeff Sessions’ Coming War on Legal Marijuana - POLITICO Magazine
As a U.S. Attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, Sessions said he thought the KKK "were OK until I found out they smoked pot.”

Weed is his trigger.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Fill up the jails, it gets to the root problem, costs very little, and is very humane. Right?

Letting users sell a portion of their "stash" to anyone (including your kids?) in order to financially support their desire for (or addiction to) heroin, meth or cocaine is very humane - right? The root of the problem is that highly addictive poisons are readily available 24/7/365 and are a great source of tax free cash often under the control of violent street gangs working for organized crime cartels.

BTW, telling me what is not a good solution is not, in any way, telling me what is a good solution.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Treatment.

They should be medical issues, not criminal.

OK, what is the proper treatment of someone (a street gang member?) selling highly addictive poisons to get tax free cash? In many cases the opioids are prescribed and sold (legally?) by medical professionals - what treatment would you recommend for that?

 

[Mach]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

BTW, telling me what is not a good solution is not, in any way, telling me what is a good solution.

It wasn't intended to be. Sessions is going for a bad solution, he shouldn't.

He would want to get some current expertise in a room and and hear what they have to say, or research it himself, or have others do it and present it...a near infinite number of ways to chose a solution other than doubling-down on dumb. But just as importantly, what's the Republican position on drugs, and why do they have that opinion? Death penalty for kingpins? More killing? More jail, more prisons, more broken homes leading to more poverty leading to more welfare...they aren't the sharpest pencils in the box. He won't do a thing unless Republicans get educated, and with right wing media, this will likely never occur until media/news is solved.

The root of the problem is that highly addictive poisons are readily available 24/7/365

If that's true, then give them legal alternatives, and treat it like the psychological issue it is. So we fund prisons, divert what money would be going to more prison cells, to treatment. Shun them and its underground and the stakes are high (threat of jail, death, etc.), that's always been the case.

Or build a wall around Manhattan and just stuff them all in there. I learn from watching TV, just like how Trump claims he knows about the Military.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Treatment.

They should be medical issues, not criminal.

What if they won't take treatment ?

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

It wasn't intended to be. Sessions is going for a bad solution, he shouldn't.

He would want to get some current expertise in a room and and hear what they have to say, or research it himself, or have others do it and present it...a near infinite number of ways to chose a solution other than doubling-down on dumb. But just as importantly, what's the Republican position on drugs, and why do they have that opinion? Death penalty for kingpins? More killing? More jail, more prisons, more broken homes leading to more poverty leading to more welfare...they aren't the sharpest pencils in the box. He won't do a thing unless Republicans get educated, and with right wing media, this will likely never occur until media/news is solved.


If that's true, then give them legal alternatives, and treat it like the psychological issue it is. So we fund prisons, divert what money would be going to more prison cells, to treatment. Shun them and its underground and the stakes are high (threat of jail, death, etc.), that's always been the case.

Or build a wall around Manhattan and just stuff them all in there. I learn from watching TV, just like how Trump claims he knows about the Military.

You are going in circles here. If you want the law(s) changed then blame congress critters for not doing whatever it is that you think that they should. Session's (being the AG) does not make the law(s) (which is a good thing) he only enforces said law(s).

 

[<alt>doxygen]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum sentences - LA Times



Derp. How about a mandatory minimum sentencing for lying to congress??

Anyway, let's see just how much more money we can waste on the war on drugs.

What's a little surprising to me is that now that drug abuse is becoming an issue for white people as well as black people (primarily through opioid addiction), we have seen far more of those on the republican side of the aisle take up the stance that drug addiction is a medical rather than criminal issue. More and more of the political or rich class know or knew someone with a drug issue, which has seen us frame the latest opioid issue as an epidemic with drug victims rather than a war against drug abusers.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/4/4/15098746/opioid-heroin-epidemic-race

LEAD - About LEAD

I would have hoped that this turnaround would extend to our justice department, but with Sessions (who has historically been very tough on drugs) I guess not. We've made good strides in the last few years towards a much smarter approach to drug addiction. Looks like we'll be set back a few.

Does Sessions have investments in the Prison Industrial Complex or is he just crazy and stupid? The "war on drugs" is an excuse to grow government and give it often unconstitutional power.

Interesting if "Constitutional" conservatives support this insanity. 80 years of abject failure isn't enough to convince Jeffy this is a dumb idea.:doh

 

[<alt>doxygen]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

You are going in circles here. If you want the law(s) changed then blame congress critters for not doing whatever it is that you think that they should. Session's (being the AG) does not make the law(s) (which is a good thing) he only enforces said law(s).

You are technically correct. However, Sessions can prioritize department resource utilization. He's proving to be very bad at that.

 

[Praxas]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

What is the correct policy for drugs like heroin, meth or cocaine?

It should be up to the person. Why do you love big government so much?

 

[<alt>doxygen]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Weed is his trigger.

He saw Reefer Madness back in the day and still has nightmares. Poor old Jeff. Someone should slip him an edible or something...

 

[Tanngrisnir]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

What is the correct policy for drugs like heroin, meth or cocaine?

Legalize them.

 

[DA60]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Great. Some useless dinosaur who wouldn't know the first thing about illegal drugs if his life depended on it.

Okay...so this moron wants to do what...throw people in jail for life for being caught smoking a joint a few times? Oh that's id you useless prick...take harmless people who just want to get a little high and ruin their entire lives (at taxpayer expense) and then probably turn them into hardened criminals.
Yeah, that is a great use of precious law enforcement resources. Forget about stopping murderers and rapists...let's get the 18 year old pot smoker.

:roll:

Hey you dufus...shut the hell up and recuse yourself from this as well.

Idiot.

 

[Erod]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Oh ffs. We lost this "war". Fix the policies and this **** can go away.

Yep, and half of New Hampshire is heroin dependent, so thanks, liberals!

Sessions wants to get tough on crime, and liberals protest. Shocking.

Illegal immigration is down 70 percent, by the way. You're losing on every front.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

You are technically correct. However, Sessions can prioritize department resource utilization. He's proving to be very bad at that.

His priorities differing from your own seems to be the main issue - your having a difference of opinion with someone's priorities does not make them bad and you good.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Sessions orders return to tough drug war policies that trigger mandatory minimum

Legalize them.

You are more than welcome to support candidates that share that idea, meanwhile, it remains the job of the DOJ to enforce current law.