it's not a solution and the higher ups in the Department of correction have no new, creative ideas on how to work out this problem...true, when a judge signs a mitt it orders that person to the commissioner of corrections untill that person's next court date, or bond, which ever comes first...is there a "silver bullet solution" nope, are there many little solutions that working all together help, maybe...do we have a problem, yes, and it's busting at the seams/bars... one idea is to take a european tack on drugs, possessing drugs, and using drugs is not illegal, but selling them is illegal...but while you using don't look for any of my tax money!!! besides drug use/abuse is a medical problem, not a law enforsement problem... ( i just doned my kevlar and flack jacket)

If you really want to curb prison over crowding the state needs to open up more mental health hospitals. When Reagan implemented deinstituionalization the prisons ended up becoming the mental health institutes. Those who commit crimes because of a preexisting mental illness like schizophrenia end up in jail not getting the help they truly need. This state went from 4 large institutions to just 1 and there is just not enough room to help those who need it. And for all of you who are going to say big deal..you put on a pair of head phones that plays nothing but a continuous loop of insults aimed at you for 24 hours a day and see if you wouldn't snap. Thats schizophrenia. There are a ton of others that I could get into but I would be writing a novel here.

Stop jailing people for non-violent, non-victim crimes such as drug use, prostitution, etc, etc. The violent offenders should NEVER be offered parole...they should remain locked-up where they belong....

Mark,

I agree with the title of your blog. I get very upset when people say that people with my views want to coddle criminals. It doesn't help the conversation and the debate about the problems and solutions.

I agree with what has already been said about changes for drug use and more help for the mentally ill.

I think what needs to happen is a complete overhaul of the system. As it is now, we are keeping offenders in prison for increasingly longer sentences, and it serves to make prisoners even more hardened criminals than they were to begin with.

I would love to see a system where an offender was evaluated, especially young offenders, to be placed in rehabilitation, education, mental health and those types of programs. Maybe some people, especially the young, can really be "corrected" and we could stay true to the name of the "Corrections" system.

Then I think that those who are simply locked up, they have way too much time on their hands. They should be required to work, HARD. They shouldn't have the time or the opportunity to further their gang activities behind bars.

We also need to stop with the mandatory sentences. We should not be tying the hands of judges. Judges should be able to have the discretion to impose sentencing terms they see fit. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances and it is inappropriate for someone to have to have a very long sentence because of some draconian sentencing rule. On the other side of it, a judge should be able to sentence a person to a maximum and specify "no parole", or at least set the bar very very high for parole.

We have some of the highest incarceration rates in the world, in terms of percentage of population behind bars. It is not working, and the answer is not more prisons and even longer sentences. I think the answer lies in a return to a philosophy of "corrections".

Otherwise, can we at least stop lying about it and call it the prison system, or penal system again?

Mabe John Cameron MacDonald will be home for Christmass afterall.There are more criminals running around lose in this Nation now a few more will just blend in.There are more sinners than saints,and the battle is great,sometimes you figure "can`t beat em join em",but there is always hope.it`s a monster the system.(FOLSOM PRISON) the correctional officer is getting payed to seduce Melisa on this blog,mabe he ought to be doing somthing.What kind of job is that,unless he is setting a NBC trap for predators.It`s wierd.I am powerless to do anything...I don`t know all the facts to make a decision one way or the other.if i were in a position to see what the whole picture was,I am sure I could find a solution.~Peace glenna~

I think Jay hit the nail right on it's head.......

I agree that victimless crimes should notnecessarily go to jail, unless they are repeat offenders. Felons should be warned that after three felonies you die! It would be cruel and unusual punishmnet to the good people of Connecticut to allow a three time felon to commit another. Depending on the heinousness of the crime you might get exectuted right away. It has been said that the death penaly is not a deterrant, but I say a dead man commits not crimes.

They may say the death penalty is not a deterent probably because they take 20 years to execute anyone. I bet if someone was given death penalty and within 72 hours they were actually executed.....the death penalty would be a deterent. Those two creeps would did the Chesire thing are prime candidates for the death penalty.........
They will probably outlive me though.

Prisons may be overcrowded because some of the inmates probably don't belong there. Instead of incarcerating those with minor drug and alcohol abuse problems, send them to a rehab to get their lives back on track.
Serious crimes that include capital punishment, prisoners should be kept there without parole until their sentence expires. Too many are paroled, only to return, because they cannot get a job or just like living a criminal's life. The government has to do a better job of keeping illegal drugs from being available.
To curb the incarceration of DWI's, the government should set up a system where a purchaser of alcoholic beverages would scan a card wherever a purchase is made. The system could be programmed from setting a limit on a purchase and over a month's time. Each time a purchase is made a photo id must be shown with all personal information. Neighboring states should adapt the same system, so no alcohol is bought across state lines.
This may not get done, because of the tax revenue going into the state's kitty. But if the state really wants to cut down on alcohol related fatalities, this is one way to do it. Also, eliminate the selling of alcoholic beverages on weekends, like the old days when I was a toddler.

Geez, my grammer and spelling are deadly....LOL kidding folks.

John Nolan,
I think the gov. and such already know plenty about people's personal lives without keeping track of their every move. Plus, if you did that there would be a "after hours" type place right quick and it would be the same as buying illegal drugs....
You would also have to close all entertainment places. I dunno seems like there is a better way than that.

I have to agree with alot of the posters, putting minor offenders in with "real" criminals is half the cause. Some of these folks do need mental help, not tossed in a jail.

Really don't know the solution, but something needs to be done, or we are going to have released people who should NOT be out with the public.

As far as carrying out the death pnealty, I agree with CJP, half of these people will out live me as well while waiting to be executed. Our legal system needs a MAJOR overhauling.

No one ever stopped to think that if if you stop releasing violent offenders maybe that house invasion that occured a few months ago, could have been prevented.
Stop jailing non-victim crimes dui/drug use. Releasing violent offenders, to make space for D.U.I's/drugs etc., is not the solution

The prison overcrowding stories ARE about coddling prisoners IMHO. Build more prisons. That's the solution. Sorry Mark.

hmmmm..Well, it seems to me, that if the whining is about how there aren't enough corrections officers, then perhaps this state can use some of its funds to hire more.

There are a lot of people that need good paying jobs, I think that this might be a great opportunity for them.

AND we will have the added benefit of keeping the creeps behind bars for as long as they should be.

Why is this even a question?

Wils Concurs! (with John Nolan's comments)

And now the friggin ACLU stuck thier worthless nose in all this, I hear????????


Lets just let em ALL out arm whoever wants to armed and everybody for thier damn selves.....

Drugs is a "minor offense"? You've got to be kidding me. Putting them into rehab is the answer?
I guess the blinders are on here folks! Drug addicts are going to remain addicts and are a threat to every one of us. DUH - who commits the most robberies? DRUG ADDICTS!
Guess how many folks enter ONE REHAB PROGRAM and are successful? Hardly any!

We keep going the way we are and America will make the holocaust seem like a blip on the radar of mans cruelty towards each other. All too many animals in this society,who is to blame? And we havent enough laws yet to fill our prisons with even more people.

America is on the path of the Romans and we all can be witness to its downfall. I give this country 20 years at best.

Mark my Words!

I agree ftec..........to bad most are to ignorant to see what is comming.........

I agree with that, ftec, the empire is in decline. Most definitely.

Drugs is a "minor offense"?

Yes INDEED, when it's a "light" drug
like marijuana....why don't they make
alcohol illegal while they're at it, at
that rate....these folks do not belong in
a jail, taking room away from those who really belong there.....

To comment further on the overcrowding of jails and the comments I made before, I remember as a young kid when package stores were closed on weekends. As a teen, I remember when drinkers would drive to other states to buy liquor. Eventually, Connecticut set up a stopping point along routes so cars can be checked for illegal purchases of alcoholic beverages. Back then there weren't as many accidents related to alcohol consumption as there are now.
As far as after hours are concerned, unless they abide by the law, they will be raided and shut down.
I hope some of the state's politicians read this blog. If they are, please enact legislation as I mentioned in my earlier comments above and see a big improvement in safety on our state's highways.
Unless other states follow suit, intoxicated drivers from outside of Connecticut will put others at risk.

I think that these dead beat dads should be put in prison either. make them find a job you would not believe how many people are in jail for non-payment of less then $1000 but the ones that owe more te are the ones not seeing any time. If these guys are in jail how the going to pay any way.and on a second note you would not believe how many peoples bonds are under $1000 some one needs to monitor these judges also because they are the ones puttting these non violent offenders in there when a person comes to jaul with a $50 bond thats just crazy and the worst part is they can't even make the bond so lets put the real crimanals behind bars and let the petty ones have there day in court and do there time then and also the judges sentecing people to 2 days in jail is another crazy idea have them pay a fine and be done with it take this from someone who knows its our court system that is causing the over crowding.

to glenna from run the train. please for your
sake as well as ours, check yourself into a
mental health facility. you are running your
train run off the tracks.and one more thing, stop telling us that your have a brother stored at whiting
when we all know that your brother is a
dangerous person to society. if you do in fact
have a brother, whiting is there to help your
brother with his mental defect. otherwise he
might end up locked up at garner ci in newtown
and he wouldn't like it there. the c/os and the
mental health staff there aren't no one to
play with. garner is like the old roach motel
roaches check in but they don't check out.
may the lord bless you and may the lord
help you face reality.

run the train:You don`t sound too shure of yourself,mabe you derailed this morning? What danger? and His Name is John Cameron MacDonald,look up Macdonald of Sleat on your computor thats us.You can`t handle my knowledge and you are having a anxioty attack because of what I say.I suggest you calm down we have been here in Connecticut foe many generations...No reason to get excited.~Peace Glenna~

johnny boy, stop it with your stupid non-sense.
let me give you a figure that may suprise you, the police depts of this state hold 10,000 arrest
warrants to be served upon criminals once they
are caught. a few hundred inmates on parole is
nothing compare to the 10,000 warrants. get
your head out of your donkey's rearend.
i applaud ACLU involvement in the mess
created by the state of connecticut. over-
crowding could only bring very hostile in-
mates to cause riots and we have real people
working the prisons and jails. teachers, kitchen
supervisor,medical and mental health staff
and then we have our first line of correctional
officers who have families at home waiting
for them to come home in one piece, the same
way they went to work.
why don't you take the c/os test and i hope
you pass it to see for yourself what the
correctional officers face day in and day out.
i take it that you are a boy who is scared
of his own shadow. grow up and be a man for
once in your life.

to glenna,please get a hold of yourself
you appear to be spinning out of control.
your brother will not be released from
whiting any time soon. now live with that fact.
beside this forum is not about your brother.
create your own forum if you want people to
pay you any mind. as of now, no less seems to care about your brother who lives only in your mind.

You addressed me first,I am only replying in a sound mind fasion.You appear to be having illousion about me in some form of a spinning hallusination.Stop drinking coffee now.~Peace Glenna~

you violate the law non- violent offenders
or violent offenders do indeed need to be
locked up. otherwise the crooks would own the
streets. nolan your suggestion is a pipe
dream,the smoking coming from a crack pipe.
what we need is a governor and the general
assembly with ideas to come up with to help
the parolees walk a straight and narrow line.
we need job for ex-offenders and i mean real
jobs. as i see it now, companies are moving
out of state, so even a law abiding citizen
is assed out with finding a well paying job.
why are so many companies in connecticut going
out of business or moving out of state ?
tell you what might happen in the future
without me reading palms, law abiding citizens
are going to wind up as criminals because
they have families to support and without a
job, they turn to become criminals.

glenna, why do you spend all your time
blogging non-sense. create your own blogsite.
nobody wants to hear your fake sob story about a brother who exist only in your mind. and what
are you talking about a corrections officer
is being paid to do what ? seduce a woman
via this forum. you are in some serious need
of help. you have insurance from the feds and
this state. isn't it about time you used them ?
i think you are the woman who is trying to
pick up a corrections officer. but if that
flows your boat go for it.

Go fouk yourself train,you addressed me firstand this is old news from november 27th your coming in the gate late.I am a shrink ahole.~Peace Glenna~

deadbeat fathers rather be locked up then to pay
child support because the jobs they get, don't
pay to live in a decent apt. they figure,while
they are locked up, they get 3 meals a day.
free rent and board. all the recreation they
want plus, they are happy just to be locked
up with their home boys, and deadbeat fathers
don't spend many days locked up for non-
payment of child support.and a drug offense
is not a minor offense. innocent lives
have been taken due to as you called it, minor
offenses. i don't buy that arguement in the
least bit. drug dealers and drug offenders
are very violent criminals. a drug dealer
would shoot and kill you if your shorted
them in terms of money. if you want to buy
10 pounds of weed, you better have the money
to pay for 10 pounds of weed,if not, s bullet
in the head. not only that, an innocent bystander might get shot and killed by drug warlords.

oh my god !!!!!!! profanity from a god fearing
christian . i shall pray to god to forgive
your sin ,you sinned using profanity.
god, our almighty lord, please find it in your heart
to find glenna, for she know not what she say.

I never said I was a Christian.Useing the Lords name is not good.I am speaking in a tongue yuo will understand,I see I found one.Ask God to forgive you,and forgive me you will feel better,i already forgave your ignoramous atempt to defame my charecter.I am not afraid og God,I am afraid of disobeying Gods laws of the land.Thats why I have never been arrested.So stop stalking me now,before I put on my State Police Hat.~Peace Glenna~

well woman the tongue you are talking about,
i clearly do not understand. what does it mean
when you advised me to screw myself ? i can't do that.if i could i certainly would.
so please enlighten me.
glenna

Please yourself.Be your own righthand man.My friend just got off the phone with me crying that she lost her 10 year boyfriend he was only 58 and I was short fused.She wants me to councel her on the whereabouts of the dead.All I know is where they are from what it says in the Bible,she was crying and I didn`t need an insult lets bury the hatchet,I don`t like to play games.~Peace Glenna~p.s. lick your hand wih your tongue like a dog does if you don`t have soap.

glenna, you aren't a woman of god. you speak
like a woman from satan's love nest. how dare
you talk to me the way you are doing now.you
have no room to speak. how could a woman of
god bear false witness to an allegation
you had made that a certain professional is
being paid to seduce a woman on this blogsite.
i pity you for coming out with a foul mouth
and a wild imagination. god doesn't like
ugliness. you must repent for sinning
several times today and god will cleanse
your foul soul,foul mouth and foul mind.

run the train:I need to elaborate,Jesus sitteth at the right hand of God,and if I were you I would wash my hands before I picked up the Bible to enlighten yourself,and please your own desires from the Bible.You spoke of satan,so it came from you,not me.Your imagination of God is out of whack.stop useing your imagination and you will see what God is at face value.I am Spiritual not Religious.You can`t understand the thigs I say a the breath of my mouth(words)destroy mine enemys.~Peace Glenna~

GLENNA..i was wondering what you were trying
to inply when you wrote something about myself
and folsom..are you jealous???sounds like it to me.
maybe you should hit the local bar and get you
a nice man..but you know what i found here on this blog??DO YOU GLENNA?i found a nice friend and i am
sorry you didn't..PEACE OUT GIRL SCOUT

Melissa,How do you know my gender?And folsom said he was married,and if I were married to someone and they were talking that way,I would consider it a divorce,I am Spiritually Married.Jealous is an attribute of God,humankind is not capable of the wisdom of Jealous,tho they try to be God,all mankind is capable of is ENVY.~Peace Glenna~

GLENNA..if you read those blogs..he said he wasnt married..guess you cant read either..and if i am mistaken..i dont care if hes marreid because so am i and he is my friend..so glenna i am sure there must be something better to fill your time rather than talking jibberish all the time..maybe folsum has a friend for you..i feel so sorry for you glenna.
PEACE OUT GIRL SCOUT

Melissa,That topic is from November 27th and I have moved on,you need to forgive me you will feel better.I don`t need a correctional officer to find me someone,reread what I said about me marital status.~Peace Glenna~

YOU GLENNA brought it up..and yes u r right..it was awhile ago so why exactly are you bringing it
up??why is this so important to you??i agree
with run the train..you are a wack job that should be in whiting..your brother is there for a reason..DUH.you want to sound intelectual but you cant spell and you tend to ramble..so i will tell folsum you say hello..he will enjoy that..heres my advice to you..get some mental help because you are in need of some..and dont worry about other people because it only gives you grey hairs..PEACE GLENNA

Melissa,I understand how you feel with your husband in prison on trumped up charges,my brother the same story,I was protecting you from him,he took you for a ride he has been a correctional officer for 18 years.And he said he would like to trade me for your husband,thems fightin words.I was not trying to come against you.He appeard to be preying on you.You said some nasty things about our Govornor,and then he streched you out in front of all of us,got sick on thanksgiving and told you the whole time he was a corrections officer.i am trying to see thru the prison mess too,I am powerless because I am not the Governor.I was taught to introduce myself,name and titles if nessesary when questioned on where I get my Athority.He introduced himself after he diceted you in front of us.It tick me and others off,read the others.If I make a few mistakes,I am cool,it`s like down dressing around a bunch of envous ones,or dumbing down around arroget rocet scientist,because your at their mercy for a ride to the bus stop.Sleep sweetly and accept my Apoligie if I offended you.~Peace Glenna~