Neighbors, I hope you've been following the Inquirer series about our broken criminal justice system(I know it's frightening but important). Here is a link to the installment today.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/Violent_Criminals_Flout_Broken_Bail_System.html "Public safety" is a system that hums along bankrupting the city, but has nothing to do with public safety. We have large communities in the city that are terrified of the police and courts with one glaring exception, serious criminals. The jails are filled with innocent people, the mentally ill, and non violent drug offenders. The vast majority of cases are disposed via PLEA BARGAINS. While criminals simply flee, innocent victims rounded up by the incompetent, out of control, police are forced to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit. And the DA's office doesn't give a damn. It's all a system and show. Since innocent people are not career criminals, they can't just flee. But they can't get justice either as they are coerced by the system for a quick disposition. I'm still investigating the numerous arrests of our neighbors in Clark Park. Even though the police seem to be clearly violating the 4th and 14th amendments in Clark Park, our neighbors are showing up at "community court" and being transferred to humiliating indentured servitude under our beloved UCD. Not because they were drunk and disorderly or a threat to public safety, but because they looked like vulnerable working class people! Community court is another monstrous creation designed to jam people through the system with guilty pleas. It is designed to look like efforts based on research done during the crack epidemic to keep non violent drug offenders out of prison while getting them treatment. This community court thing that we have refuses due process and jams guilty verdicts on the mentally ill, kids, and neighbors in Clark Park. It does nothing to put at risk individuals on a better course. DOES THIS MAKE ANY OF US SAFER??? The public safety behemoth needs to be completely rebuilt. Instead of a weapon of intimidation over the poor to make the middle class FEEL safer; it needs to be a justice system dedicated to public safety! But the people need to want this as well! Glenn ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
