Freedom's Just Another Word

Check out this book review of Life on the Outside:The Other Lockup in today's New York Times: It nicely outlines the sheer insanity of this nation's drug laws. Cops rely on rats, who continue to deal contraband while first time offenders are sentenced to ridiculously long prison terms. Once convicted, these offenders find themselves shut out of numerous opportunities to lift themselves out of the conditions that led to dealing in the first place. Talk about a revolving door.

Conservatives show their true nature when it comes to issues like this. Prisons are the epitome of big government, yet they seem to have no problem with spending insane amounts of money to lock up mostly drug offenders. Indeed, drug offenders often face longer sentences than those who commit violent crimes.

A society that incarcerates such a large number of individuals--not to mention the conditions under which they confine them--runs a tremendous risk.