Posts Tagged ‘Diane Dimond’s weekly crime and justice column’
When Parents Are In Prison, So Are Their Children
Women and children. Two segments of the population we cherish and try to protect. But, sadly, not if the woman is in the prison system. Now, don’t for a minute think that I’m soft on women who commit crimes because I’m not. But generational incarceration is a real thing and we are doing little as…
Read MoreCongress Steps Up to Control Court Ordered Guardianships
Finally, Washington is taking steps to protect older Americans who have fallen into an exploitation trap set for them by state courts. Federal officials will soon be empowered to go into states to investigate – and prosecute – unscrupulous court-appointed guardians and conservators who prey on their elderly wards. This is a really big deal…
Read MoreDrug Abuse Band-aids May Increase Addictive Behavior
Every action has a reaction and every decision has a consequence. Remember that lesson you learned early in life? A funny thing happened on the way to introducing naloxone to the world of drug addicts. Experts in the field decided this antidote to near fatal drug overdoses was a near miracle that would save lives…
Read MoreThe Religious vs Gays – Who’s Constitutional Rights Matter Most?
America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. What’s the phrase mean to you? To me it means every American who is brave enough to follow their dreams and find their own niche in life is free to live as they choose – according to their own principles – as long…
Read MoreNFL Players Deserve Government Protection Too
Football is proven to be dangerous to an athlete’s health. Why isn’t it regulated? Our government – both state and federal – has countless laws and regulations designed to keep citizens safe and healthy. From safety standards on the foods we eat and the cars we drive to laws governing workers in coal mines or…
Read MoreIn Times of Crisis (Like a Hurricane) Thank a Reporter
The woman’s face was contorted with anger as she thrust a finger at the media scrum covering a campaign event and yelled, “I hate you all! Liars! You should be in prison!” Memory fades. I can’t recall which presidential candidate this woman had turned out to support last year but I will never forget her…
Read MoreAmerica – The World’s Number One Jailer at a Cost of Billions Each Year
Let’s talk about the U.S. prison system, shall we? By that, I mean the whole shebang. Prisons run by the federal government, state and locally run jails and juvenile correctional institutions and let’s toss in immigration detention facilities, military prisons and the 76 jails on Indian lands. Altogether the United States of America’s criminal justice…
Read MorePartisan Politics Clouds Clear Thinking on Election Fraud
Reader reaction to my last column on voter fraud precisely proved my point. We have become so consumed with spewing political snark in this country that we’re often blinded to our problems. We’re so busy throwing darts at those who don’t think exactly as we do that we fail to see the unraveling of our…
Read MoreVoting Fraud Exists – It Just Does
Crimes are being committed in the United States every time there is an election. In states across America there are plenty of illegally registered voters on the rolls and a good portion of them are casting ballots. Some are not citizens of the United States. Others flaunt the law and vote in more than one…
Read MoreWith Summer Swelter, Prison Inmates Have Nowhere to Go
I received an unusual letter from Arizona recently. It was written by an inmate held at the Lewis prison complex in Buckeye, Arizona and signed by 39 other prisoners. Their complaint? That life inside the Buckley unit there is like living in hell. This summer’s record breaking heat there has them “baking in their cells,”…
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