An "Emerging Criminal War on Sex Offenders:" Corey Rayburn Yung maintains a blog called SexCrimes and has posted on his new SSRN article titled, The Emerging Criminal War on Sex Offenders. Yung's article reviews America's history of criminal wars, focusing primarily on the War on Drugs, and establishes three characteristics of a criminal war: marshaling of resources, myth creation, and exception making. He believes that federalizing sex offender policy through the Adam Walsh Act has "elevated law enforcement to a nascent criminal war on sex crimes." Doug Berman also has a link to the article at Sentencing Law and Policy.
Serving Life in Iowa: Yesterday, Doug Berman posted an article from the Des Moines Register on Sentencing Law and Policy. The article, by William Petroski, details how in Iowa "life means life." According to Petroski, and a Sentencing Project study, "Iowa is one of the most difficult states in the nation for an inmate serving a life sentence to gain release." Petroski contributes this to the "uneasy truce over capital punishment: Iowa lawmakers have repeatedly rejected the death penalty, but only because 'life means life' for the most serious crimes...." So, while many seek to decrease Iowa's population of lifers, Iowa continues to impose life sentences for its most heinous crimes. Iowa's growing number of lifers are apparently part of a national trend. Throughout the United States, more than 140,000 individuals are incarcerated with life sentences. In addition, state legislators have stepped up their fight against crime by expanding which crimes result in life sentences, restricting parole and increasing the use of life sentences without parole. Iowa is one of six states where all life sentences are imposed without automatic provisions for parole. Petroski writes that Iowa is considering changing the law to allow for parole. One state representative, Clel Baudler, a Republican and retired state trooper, has said he is willing to consider the possibility of having the Legislature expand parole provisions for lifers, but only if capital punishment is included in the debate.
CrimProf is Back With a Post on Peoria's New Crime Fighting Tactic: Thanks to Orin Kerr, Volokh Conspiracy, and Doug Berman, Sentencing Law and Policy, for alerting us to the return of CrimProf Blog, hosted by the criminal law faculty at the University of San Diego. In one of today's posts, CrimProf links to a Wall Street Journal article by Carrie Porter, reporting on Peoria, Illinois' "new, low-budget way to fight crime." Peoria's officers are parking the "Armadillo," an old Brinks truck covered with video cameras, in neighborhoods where drug dealing has made the area unlivable. Officers will drive the truck to the offending house, knock on the occupants' door, and inform them that a nuisance report had been filed. He will then leave the truck out front. Sometimes the occupants will move out within 24 hours of Armadillo's arrival. The Armadillo works simply because it is such an eyesore. Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, states, "A police car is not a particular stigma, but if people see that thing in front of your house, they know something bad is going on in there." More proof that public shaming can deter bad behavior....
"Don't Appoint a Special Prosecutor for CIA Interrogators:" That's the advice of Robert Alt on NRO's Bench Memos, and the conclusion of a WebMemo by Todd F. Gaziano and Robert Alt at the Heritage Foundation. Last Monday, the LA Times and our Blog Scan reported that Attorney General Eric Holder was expected to appoint a prosecutor to look into the alleged abuse of detainees during CIA interrogations. Alt and Gaziano argue that the President and the Attorney General should not "pass the buck" of the criminal investigation to a special prosecutor. Arguing for oversight and political accountability, Alt and Gaziano conclude: "[t]he Attorney General must be the one who personally authorizes any criminal investigation and subsequent trial. He, with the President, must also bear the responsibility for any direct or collateral results of such an investigation. Additionally, the Attorney General should be directly responsible for any negative impact such an investigation and trial will have on the intelligence community and the willingness of that community to carry out all lawful acts in support of America's defense."
More Discussion on Troy Davis: Orin Kerr discusses the Troy Davis case over at Volokh Conspiracy.
Serving Life in Iowa: Yesterday, Doug Berman posted an article from the Des Moines Register on Sentencing Law and Policy. The article, by William Petroski, details how in Iowa "life means life." According to Petroski, and a Sentencing Project study, "Iowa is one of the most difficult states in the nation for an inmate serving a life sentence to gain release." Petroski contributes this to the "uneasy truce over capital punishment: Iowa lawmakers have repeatedly rejected the death penalty, but only because 'life means life' for the most serious crimes...." So, while many seek to decrease Iowa's population of lifers, Iowa continues to impose life sentences for its most heinous crimes. Iowa's growing number of lifers are apparently part of a national trend. Throughout the United States, more than 140,000 individuals are incarcerated with life sentences. In addition, state legislators have stepped up their fight against crime by expanding which crimes result in life sentences, restricting parole and increasing the use of life sentences without parole. Iowa is one of six states where all life sentences are imposed without automatic provisions for parole. Petroski writes that Iowa is considering changing the law to allow for parole. One state representative, Clel Baudler, a Republican and retired state trooper, has said he is willing to consider the possibility of having the Legislature expand parole provisions for lifers, but only if capital punishment is included in the debate.
CrimProf is Back With a Post on Peoria's New Crime Fighting Tactic: Thanks to Orin Kerr, Volokh Conspiracy, and Doug Berman, Sentencing Law and Policy, for alerting us to the return of CrimProf Blog, hosted by the criminal law faculty at the University of San Diego. In one of today's posts, CrimProf links to a Wall Street Journal article by Carrie Porter, reporting on Peoria, Illinois' "new, low-budget way to fight crime." Peoria's officers are parking the "Armadillo," an old Brinks truck covered with video cameras, in neighborhoods where drug dealing has made the area unlivable. Officers will drive the truck to the offending house, knock on the occupants' door, and inform them that a nuisance report had been filed. He will then leave the truck out front. Sometimes the occupants will move out within 24 hours of Armadillo's arrival. The Armadillo works simply because it is such an eyesore. Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, states, "A police car is not a particular stigma, but if people see that thing in front of your house, they know something bad is going on in there." More proof that public shaming can deter bad behavior....
"Don't Appoint a Special Prosecutor for CIA Interrogators:" That's the advice of Robert Alt on NRO's Bench Memos, and the conclusion of a WebMemo by Todd F. Gaziano and Robert Alt at the Heritage Foundation. Last Monday, the LA Times and our Blog Scan reported that Attorney General Eric Holder was expected to appoint a prosecutor to look into the alleged abuse of detainees during CIA interrogations. Alt and Gaziano argue that the President and the Attorney General should not "pass the buck" of the criminal investigation to a special prosecutor. Arguing for oversight and political accountability, Alt and Gaziano conclude: "[t]he Attorney General must be the one who personally authorizes any criminal investigation and subsequent trial. He, with the President, must also bear the responsibility for any direct or collateral results of such an investigation. Additionally, the Attorney General should be directly responsible for any negative impact such an investigation and trial will have on the intelligence community and the willingness of that community to carry out all lawful acts in support of America's defense."
More Discussion on Troy Davis: Orin Kerr discusses the Troy Davis case over at Volokh Conspiracy.
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