Wednesday, January 27, 2016

So President Obama just announced sweeping reforms of our prison system. Seriously, has nobody explained the term "lame duck" to this guy yet?

Here is President Obama's op-ed in the Washington Post explaining what he has done: 

As president, my most important job is to keep the American people safe. And since I took office, overall crime rates have decreased by more than 15 percent. In our criminal justice system, the punishment should fit the crime — and those who have served their time should leave prison ready to become productive members of society. How can we subject prisoners to unnecessary solitary confinement, knowing its effects, and then expect them to return to our communities as whole people? It doesn’t make us safer. It’s an affront to our common humanity. 

That’s why last summer, I directed Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and the Justice Department to review the overuse of solitary confinement across U.S. prisons. They found that there are circumstances when solitary is a necessary tool, such as when certain prisoners must be isolated for their own protection or in order to protect staff and other inmates. In those cases, the practice should be limited, applied with constraints and used only as a measure of last resort. They have identified common-sense principles that should guide the use of solitary confinement in our criminal justice system. 

The Justice Department has completed its review, and I am adopting its recommendations to reform the federal prison system. These include banning solitary confinement for juveniles and as a response to low-level infractions, expanding treatment for the mentally ill and increasing the amount of time inmates in solitary can spend outside of their cells. These steps will affect some 10,000 federal prisoners held in solitary confinement — and hopefully serve as a model for state and local corrections systems. And I will direct all relevant federal agencies to review these principles and report back to me with a plan to address their use of solitary confinement.

I have to say that this is incredibly good news.

Keeping kids out of solitary confinement seems like a no-brainer, and more treatment for the mentally ill, where prison is often the FIRST place they get diagnosed and receive the help they need, is always welcome news. 

I swear if this guy keeps this up he is liable to earn himself a place on Mt. Rushmore.

Boy won't the racists have a conniption fit then!

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:11 PM

    Such great news!
    Thanks for posting it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:20 PM

    self described *lame ducks* just breathlessly up and quit ..
    re: sarah palin

    sarah, tell us, why exactly you breathlessly up and quit your fake governorship - what were you threatened with,
    jail ? ... not buying yer lame duck bullshit ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:23 AM

      I think she chose to accept offers to make a lot of money and to have a tv career.

      Delete
  3. "Boy won't the racists have a conniption fit then!"
    ---------------------
    How will we be able to tell?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:00 PM

      Great point, Nefer!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:04 PM

      Ain't that the truth!

      Mildred

      Delete
  4. Anonymous12:23 PM

    Technically speaking, he is not a lame duck, as he isn't running for reelection and thus defeated. I think the GOP likes that term for him as they believe it makes him appear weak. He is anything but weak.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:06 PM

      How do you define lame duck? To me lame duck doesn't mean defeated it just means the President is term-limited out so I don't believe you can say technically speaking. The President is definitely changing the definition of what a "lame duck" can get accomplished.

      Delete
    2. Wikipedia:
      A lame duck, in politics, is an elected official who is approaching the end of their tenure, especially one whose successor has already been elected. ... Lame duck politicians result from term limits, planned retirement, or electoral losses.

      Delete
    3. The bottom line is that a lame duck politician can act without regard to catering to donors, worrying about re-election, pleasing the media, and so on.

      A lame duck can vote their heart, convictions, or principles (for good or ill) without fear of electoral consequences. A conscientious lame duck politician can accomplish great things (whether good or bad) before leaving office.

      Or there is the lazier than molasses in winter Sarah Palin who thought that being a lame duck meant you could sit on your lazy ass and do jack shit regarding the duties of your office because "What are you people gonna do about it? Not re-elect me? Neeneer, neener, suckers."

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:47 PM

    I've been saying this for awhile - President Obama is earning himself a place on Mt. Rushmore along side some other outstanding presidents!

    So love this man! How absolutely difficult it is going to be to replace him!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous12:55 PM

    "Technically speaking", the term has nothing to do with running for reelection. The term is used to describe an elected official whose time in an office or position will soon end, which is the case with Obama's presidency, so the term is used correctly. Every president starts getting labelled lame duck 18 months or so before their term ends, it has nothing to do with party affiliations.

    Good luck with the rest of your day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:08 PM

      Good response 12:55. I replied with a similar comment before I read yours.

      Delete
  7. Jump up and down, you guys! :)

    Turns out my pipe dream isn't mine alone, and I'm now seeing articles on Facebook feed about Hillz maybe putting Bamz on the Court, once we get to that place. Rejoice and stay healthy everybody that we live to see that little miracle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:54 PM

      You didn't read all the commentary regarding President Obama being named to the Supreme Court by Hillary Clinton should she be elected POTUS.

      It isn't a position he has ever expressed an interest in, although he's very well qualified for the position!

      As someone else said - he's young upon leaving the office of POTUS and has many other directions he could go in working for the good of our country and nation. I should say, his 'continued' working - - - with more flexibility and freedom!

      I can hardly wait to read the book he'll write and publish about his two-term presidency and life with the asshole Republicans in the United States Congress (although I know he'll be much kinder and level headed as to how I referred to them!).

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:00 PM

      great post :)

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:54 PM

      "Bamz"? :))

      I do think though he has big plans after his terms are up, at least that is what the emails from his foundation say. I do agree he'd be an asset to the court, but whatever this man does, it will be great!

      Mildred

      Delete
  8. Anonymous1:14 PM

    O/T Jeb Bush's super PAC runs ad featuring image of Terri Schiavo, because Jeb has no class at all

    Apparently the people surrounding Jeb Bush have looked at the rise of Donald Trump, looked at the rise of Ted Cruz, and concluded that the only way their candidate is going to make any inroads in the polls is to portray himself as just an amazing crapsack.


    The Right to Rise super PAC helping Jeb Bush is airing an ad in South Carolina that features a photo of Terri Schiavo, the brain dead Pinellas County woman, who died 10 years ago despite Bush's efforts to halt the removal of her feeding tubes. The ad features a picture of Mrs. Schiavo as well as an image of what appears to be someone at the vigil outside her hospice holding a Jeb! campaign sign.......

    http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/terri-schiavo-appears-in-jeb-bush-ad-and-her-husbands-calls-jeb-disgusting/2262826

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rather than "lame duck" … how about "Grand Finale!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:34 PM

      Perfect!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:59 PM

      Lap of honor.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:34 PM

      Agree

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6:47 PM

      Excellent! A new tradition

      Mildred

      Delete
  10. Anonymous1:31 PM

    Talk about racists, a CNN reporter was
    asking different people waiting for Trump
    to show up why they were voting for him.
    We all have heard the typical answers.
    An older , well heeled white lady (I am White) said,"why wouldn't we, the white
    people built this country." No lady, Slave
    labor built this country! Also slave labor
    not only from Africa , also China , Italy
    and more. Not all lily white, lady!
    Oh yes, brought up the birth thing about
    our President. Doesn't trust him but trusts
    Trump, and said Trump will give her , her country back the way it was before Obama.





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:39 PM

      Lord love a duck, that's all we need!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:58 PM

      So many news people enjoy trawling the Trump lines because his "people" will say the most stupid things, equally as stupid as those in line for Sarah Palin in her glory days.

      It's like "if you're thinking they couldn't be any more ignorant, just wait for the next one..."

      But most Republicans wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near Trump.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous1:48 PM

    Or that "only dead fish swim upstream"

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:24 PM

    Impeach the Muslim mulatto
    then imprison him for all his crimes
    No visits allowed for Reggie while in jail

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Still bitter, racist and homophobic, huh?
      hahahaha

      Delete
  13. Anonymous4:46 PM

    The New Yorker has a piece on the Koch brothers' attempts to get changes in the justice system -- a bill passed in the Senate, then the House added on riders that would shield CEOs from responsibility, and other benefits that were the real Koch goal. It's going nowhere, because Obama said he wouldn't sign it.
    Instead, he's getting it done by Executive Order. Their heads will explode.

    ReplyDelete

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