Wednesday, July 21, 2010
So Much For Rehabilitation
WISH-TV's Brad Edwards has a disturbing story about how a man convicted of attempting to kill two Indianapolis firefighters, who were working undercover back in the early 1990s on an arson investigation case, got released from state prison after serving only 15 years, notwithstanding his original 50-year sentence. Dwight Cobbs, a reputed member of the Haughville syndicate, opened fire on a car in which the two undercover firefighters were working (who he mistakenly thought were undercover police officers), leaving one of his victims partially paralyzed. Cobbs has been arrested again only a year after his release from prison for dealing drugs to an undercover police officer at a Kroger's store. This case just cries out for a truth in sentencing law. As Edward's explains in his report, 10 years of Cobb's original 50-year sentence was suspended. His sentence effectively was reduced in half for each day served, reducing his sentence further to 20 years. And then throw in five years for good behavior and he's out in 15 years. Unbelievable.
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4 comments:
I've always said the sentence should be the sentence and you ADD time for BAD behavior, not subtract it for good behavior.
How many gang members will be coming back to Indianapolis, from Iraq and Afghanistan, with military training? On July 17, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a story by Frank Main, about this country-wide phenomenon.
The politicians would rather have the judges hand out tough sentences and give the DOC officials discretion to widdle down the time served in order to save money. The same people go back out on the streets and commit the same heinous crimes. It's a vicious cycle.
There is no way to eliminate drug dealers of illegal substances and the violence that goes along with the illegal trade, except by decrimalizing the substances that they are selling, especially with the job market today.
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