Justice Resumed?: Bill Mears at CNN has this story on post-Baze executions scheduled in Georgia and Mississippi next week.

Intelligent Life at a College Newspaper
An editorial in San Diego State University's paper, The Daily Aztec, suggests that "America's tough and distinct approach to crime and punishment" has driven crime rates down. Columnist Holly Wells also notes that when comparing the cost of incarceration with the cost of leaving criminals on the streets, "prison is a bargain." She also compares U. S. sentencing policies with those in England, concluding that "when America got tough...crime rates dropped. When England got soft on crime, rates increased."

Hispanics lead in cocaine convictions: An AP story reports that according to government data, Hispanics now make up the overwhelming majority--60%--of federal offenders facing powder-cocaine charges. Part of the reason is that most of the powder-cocaine entering the U.S. has been coming through Mexico since federal law enforcement cracked down on trafficking through Florida. Another factor is the dramatic shift in focus from users to suppliers. The story notes that cocaine possession represented less than 4% of federal convictions in 2007, while 96% involved drug traffickers, manufacturers and distributors. No Virginia, the prisons are not full of non-violent folks caught using drugs.