Crime & Punishment
The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. As of December 31, 2010, the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS) at King's College London estimated 2,266,832 prisoners from a total population of 310.64 million as of this date (730 per 100,000 in 2010). In comparison, Russia had the second highest, at 577 per 100,000, Canada was 123rd in the world as 117 per 100,000, and China had 120 per 100,000. A recent article by Fareed Zakaria also shows that Japan has 63 per 100,000, Germany has 90, France has 96, South Korea has 97, and ­Britain has 153. In the same article it states that in 1980, the US had 150 per 100,000, so why the increase - the war on drugs. Drug convictions represent half the inmate population. Some have said that the US had more people in prison than Stalin had in his gulags. Watch out for extremist rhetoric like this. Stalin reported killed 20m people, so you wont find them in his prison population numbers. There is also much written today justifiably about wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence years later. According to the Innocence Project 292 convictions have been overturned by DNA evidence. While each one of these wrongful convictions is a travesty and the causes must be corrected immediately, it represents only .0001269% of the total prisoner population. Some wild extrapolations estimate up to 20,000 wrongful convictions, or about 1%. So the much maligned American justice system gets 99.% right in the worst case extrapolation. Though I could find no statistics, this is probably the #1 effectiveness rate in the world, too. Anyone would like a 99% winning percentage, but we can and should still do better. Also, within three years of their release, 67% of former prisoners are rearrested and 52% are re-incarcerated, a recidivism rate that is alarming. Plus, African Americans are imprisoned at a rate roughly seven times higher than whites, and Hispanics at a rate three times higher than whites, giving rise to racial profiling accusations and poverty as justification, but interestingly no other reasoning for this high percentage is publicly debated. More than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities. For Black males in their thirties, 1 in every 10 is in prison or jail on any given day, and some say it is a higher rate than were slaves in 1850. These trends have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of the "war on drugs," in which two-thirds of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color. There is clearly much to do in this country to improve our criminal justice system. Below and in the sub-category of cyberattacks, you will see both sides debate the issue. The Gray Area believes the "Right on Crime" Statement of Principles is the best blueprint we have seen to reform the American Criminal Justice system. Also, the Overcriminalization guide prepared by The Heritage Foundation is an eye opener.
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Rittenhouse case & verdict - a parallel universe exists for some, because political narratives must be served

11/19/21
from The Gray Area:
11/19/21:
Some people defy common sense, facts & reality on everything political. Today's verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is another opportunity to see those people in action. First, the President of the United States. "Look, I stand by what the jury has concluded," he said. "The jury system works, and we have to abide by it."    Yay! What a surprise. But, wait, there's more. In a statement later Friday afternoon, ... the verdict in the trial "will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included." He said that everyone "must acknowledge that the jury has spoken." This is is the part that aired on MSNBC. Biden also encouraged protesters to "express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law." "Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy," the statement adds. [He] has also spoken with the Wisconsin governor this afternoon and "offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety."  Ok, good as far as it goes, but, there's still more. Psaki in response to a question said " What I can reiterate is the President's view is that we shouldn't have, broadly speaking, vigilantes patrolling our communities with assault weapons. We shouldn't have opportunists corrupting peaceful protest by rioting and burning down the communities they claim to represent anywhere in the country." What double talk from both of them! The jury system works, yet we are angry & concerned. The rioters were violent and burning communities, but those who are attempting to protect same are attacked for violence and burning communities.  You can't make this stuff up. Next, Gov. Tony Evers, in a statement, called for peace on the streets and said the trial has "reopened wounds that have not yet fully healed." The families of those Rittenhouse shot.  Apparently they have no acountability for their actions. -Huber's family said in a statement "there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son." "It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street," the statement said of the verdict. "We hope that decent people will join us in forcefully rejecting that message and demanding more of our laws, our officials, and our justice system." They make a particularly important distinction in this case and others. Who was it that actually "showed up, incited violence and then used the danger they created to justify" hurting people and destroying property in the streets? Was it the protestors, rioters and looters who "showed up" for that purpose? Or, those who "showed up" later to defend against the mobs? -Huber's girlfriend, Hannah Gittings, was not surprised by the verdict. "We know that this system is a failure," she said. -Rosenbaum's fiancée, Kariann Swart, said, "In this case, the victims' lives don't matter." -Kimberley Motley and Milo Schwab, attorneys for Gaige Grosskreutz and Rosenbaum's estate, said they will continue to seek justice. "While today's verdict may mean justice delayed, it will not mean justice denied," they said in a statement. "We are committed to uncovering the truth of that night and holding those responsible to account."  Is that a threat? Next, the ACLU is concerned about protecting protestors The events in Kenosha stem from the deep roots of white supremacy in our society’s institutions. They underscore that the police do not protect communities of color in the same way they do white people. “The situation also represents an outrageous failure to protect protesters by the Kenosha Police Department and the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.

Next, Democrat politicians refuse to accept the verdict and mislead shamelessly about the shootings. Mr. Maloney says in his statement that Jacob Blake was unarmed & killed. Both are untrue. Another example of where fact is irrelevant to the political narrative.

Next, protestors in NYC & Chicago say "stop the war on black America". Yet, this case was not about one black person. So why the protest? The political narrative must be served whether truthful or not, and even though they have nothing to do with the case! Next, left wing media. Kyle Rittenhouse trial was designed to protect white conservatives who kill Maya Wiley on Rittenhouse verdict: 'We're in more danger today than we were yesterday' Rittenhouse verdict exposes how America's more comfortable with violence Where the case wetn wrong, according to a civil rights lawyer ‘Sad Day for Justice in America': Jacob Blake's Family Responds to Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict Cop that was fired for donating $25 to Rittenhouse defense wants his job back!

Finally, judge Bruce Schroeder said this: "I couldn't have asked for a better jury to work with, and it has truly been my pleasure," ... "You were a wonderful jury to work with," Schroeder said. "You were punctual, you were attentive." ... "Without commenting on the verdicts themselves — just in terms of your attentiveness and cooperation that you gave to us, justifies the confidence that the founders of our country placed,".

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