ctv_will: Welcome to Court TV Online chats.
We're going to be talking today to Monica Pratt.
She is the director of communications for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM).
The site is www.famm.org.
The idea behind her organization is that American prisons are overflowing with people who don't need to be in jail but are there because of mandatory minimum sentences.
I think in large part what is blamed for these sentences is the "War on Drugs"
Is that supposed to be capitalized? I'm not sure.
Yesterday, Court TV showed a documentary about girlfriends of drug dealers who were arrested as co-conspiritors and because of mandatory minimums, some of them are serving longer sentences than the drug dealing boyfriends.
So what, you say?
They're criminals anyway right?
Well, the other reason we're doing this chat is that today the announcement was made that there are 2 million people incarcerated in the US.
That's a lot.
I've heard stats like that's the population of Houston.
And that it's 1/4 of the total people in prison in the world.
(our guest Monica Pratt will have the definite stats)
What happened to the land of the free?
That's something I'll be interested to hear as well.
What are we supposed to do with criminals if not put them in jail?
Of course, one solution is to not make so many things illegal.
Should we relax our drug laws to ease prison overcrowding?
Many of you may have heard that a whole new industry is growing- the prison industry.
Hey, if putting people in prison is good for the economy, do we want to stop?

dylan_uk_2000 asks: How is it that people don't always get along?
ctv_will: That's a pretty big question Dylan.
Although it does lead to the question of why we started this war on drugs in the first place--or this war on crime.
There were a lot of gang wars right?
And criminals were getting off at every turn right?
Wasn't there a public outcry for someone to take a stand, and so politicians rose to the occasion and now there are 2 million people in prison?
If there are any historians out there please enlighten us. Send your comments through the ask box so I can put them on the list.

One thing that I didn't mention earlier is how all these people in prison makes us look to other countries.
What do you think of us criticizing other nations when we have the equivalent of half their population behind bars?
(I just made up that "half the population" thing, but you know what I mean.
Good point babie, I forgot to mention that we're putting them in prison younger and younger now too.
We're charging 11 year olds as adults. It seems that when we can't figure out what to do with someone, we put them in prison.
Here's one for you guys, is the prison population growing because crime is growing?
Are we better at catching them?
Are there more laws?
Are the ciminals less skilled at their trade?!!? :)

cmax424 asks: what does a minor have to do in order to be tried as an adult
ctv_will: Usually kill someone max.
Hi etmom, long time no see. That's a good point too, that there are just more people, so naturally there are more behind bars.
We'll see what kind of explanation our guest can give us.

Ok, we're set to go.
ctv_will: Welcome Monica Pratt from Families Against Mandatory Minimums.
Monica Pratt: Thanks for discussing this important issue.

twilight_eyes_ca asks: yes, but how many of these people are violent offenders, and how many are there because of petty crimes?
ctv_will: How do those 2 million behind bars break down?
Monica Pratt: Tonite the nation's prisons and jails hold two million offenders, more than any other time in the nation. Most are nonviolent offenders.

crazyb0804 asks: with so many repeat offenders don't you think they should punish people according to their crime?
Monica Pratt: Yes, the facts of the case should be considered in all cases. Unfortunately, in cases involving mandatory sentences, judges cannot consider any factors except drug weight.
Mandatory sentences were designed to catch high level drug kinpins and get rid of the drug problem. Instead, they have packed our prisons with low level offenders -- addicts, girlfriends, minor dealers.

ctv_will: Speaking of drug laws....
billymountain asks: if marijuana were legalized how would it affect the rate of people being arrested?
Monica Pratt: Consider these facts: nearly 1 in 20 people in America is in prison or jail. Legalization is an issue, but what we really need to talk about is our dependence on jails as a solution to the drug problem,.
My issue is sentencing reform, not legalization. Drug offenders of all kinds are serving too much time for too little.

blue_eyed_officer asks: the prison population is growing because crimeis growing and more and more mental health patients are being incarcerated instead of getting the professional help they need
Monica Pratt: We are currently using prisons as wastebaskets for people we don't like or understand.
Prisons house many mentally ill people who need treatment, not necessarily incarceration. This is true of the many addicted people in prisons and jails.

cspan2 asks: Do we have any plans being thought through in congress to put the rest of the population in prison? Is there a target success date for 100% incarceration?
ctv_will: ROFLMAO -':D'-
Monica Pratt: At the rate we are going, it won't be long. For an American born this year, the chance of living some part of life in prison in 1 in 20. For black males, its one in three.

ctv_will: A more serious question about Congressional involvement....
sinatrablueeyes asks: How much support do you have in Congress to repeal or rework some of the drug laws?
Monica Pratt: Rep. Maxine Waters has introduced a bill to repeal all federal mandatory drug sentences. The problem is, too many politicians still prey on the public's ignorance of these laws and their effects.
Most members of Congress understand mandatories don't work. They just aren't moving fast enough.

cana_rescue asks: why do we give offenders a break by offering them a place to stay, food, and some times a good time, when their is millions more of homeless people that haven't done anything but yet we do not offer them these things
blue_eyed_officer asks: "minor" dealers? don't you think a dealer is a dealer? if a "minor" dealer distributes a drug to one single child, it is major.
Monica Pratt: Prisons are bad places, no matter what you may hear. We need prison for certain offenders, but we also need to fit the punishment to the crime.
In reference to the minor dealers, I think every criminal defendant should have the facts of their case considered. Many people in prison are serving "dealer sentences" even though their involvement is minor.

ctv_will: quick follow up...
stngry22 asks: what is the status of her bill?
Monica Pratt: Rep. Waters' bill has 35 co-sponsors. We are lobbying congress to hold hearings on it soon.

italian_jo asks: why are people being held in maximum prisons for petty crimes?
etmom6 asks: Or are there more people to commit the crimes. Large increase in population in last 100 years
zipit2_2000 asks: Do you believe that there are many colored people among the prison population because of prejudiced court system?
ctv_will: The big question of the night is ...why?
Monica Pratt: Mandatory sentences for drugs are driving are rising prison populations. Unfortunately, the laws did nothing to stop the flow of drugs into the country -- they have only filled our prisons.
I believe the application of mandatory sentences is racist because of the way in which people are arrested and charged. Statistics show that black and hispanic people are arrested more often and recieve mandatory sentences more often.

ctv_will: Let's talk prisoner reform....
snow14227 asks: do you think there should be counseling within prison?
twilight_eyes_ca asks: encourage rehabilitation as an alternative
Monica Pratt: Counseling and drug treatment are not widely available in prison
The emphasis is on warehousing people, not rehabilitating them, unfortunately.
The Rand Corporation found that drug treatment is eight times more effective than mandatory sentences in reducing demand for drugs.
If we really wanted to get rid of the drug problem in the US, we would make treatment available on demand.
In prisons where treatment is available, it usually comes at the end of a person's sentence -- addicts need treatment on the front end to give them hope for a chance at life.

twilight_eyes_ca asks: so how to do you punish a "minor" dealer and ensure they don't become major ones?
SILVERTONE32 asks: i do not believe that race plays a very large part in the crimenal justice system i tend to believe it's based on socio-economic conditions my question is what is being done to help petty crimanals with a shot a reform to get the skills that they will need so they wont have to dish crack to feed their families
Monica Pratt: I'm not arguing that people should not be punished. I'm saying that the individual facts of the case should be considered by a judge, and the punishment fitted to the crime.
I think that race and class do play a big role in our criminal justice system. Offenders need drug treatment, job training, counseling to stop the viscious cycle of drugs and crime. We can be more creative and effective.

twilight_eyes_ca asks: rehabilitating as a fuctional part of society would probably be more beneficial to the economy
blue_eyed_officer asks: As a correctional officer, i see the overcrowding every day
sierrasmombj asks: How much does it cost to hold 1 immate for one year
ctv_will: What do you think of the new "prison economy" that has grown around this population? 2 million prisoners makes for a lot of corrections jobs.
Monica Pratt: It costs taxpayers approximately $25,000 to incarcerate one inmate. America will spent $40 billion on incarceration this year, and as prison populations increase, the cost skyockets. Not to mention the cost of elderly prisoners.
The business of punishment has become a billion dollar industry. Prisoners are answering phones for Victoria's Secret, taking reservations for TWA... and have to work in federal prison in some capacity every day, often making cents an hour.
Many small towns are now vying for prisons. They see it as the only way to boost their local economies. This brings up an interesting point about race.
Small town prisons are filled with minorities from the inner cities. When the inner cities are missing a large number of their citizens, it means the community gets less money.
The inner city communities lose money and because of population counts, political representation, while small towns make out financially and with increased political representation.

conservm40 asks: min sentences have not filled prisons...idiots who continue to break the law fill the prisons
zipit2_2000 asks: Aren't all these "treatments" simply ways to return criminals to the street, and empty the cells for the next wave?
ctv_will: Who says I don't pick the tough questions? ;)
Monica Pratt: The Department of Justice studies indicate that mandatory sentences have no deterrent effect.
Treatment has been shown to be the only thing that works to stop drug use and related crime. Even Drug Czar McCaffrey says "we can't imprison our way out of this problem."

etmom6 asks: Do you think more local controll is good? I know what is more acceptable in my community than in a community half way across the country. If a judge give too light a sentense...we just vote him out
Monica Pratt: Getting the federal government out of the sentencing business is a very good idea. States have traditionally held the right to punish drug offenders.

stngry22 asks: According to the MPP there was a new law passed in 1994 for first time federal offenders to only serve a maximum of 294 months. In November, 1995 it became retroactive, do you know anything about it?
Monica Pratt: You are referring to the safety-valve. It was passed by Congress in 1994, but it only applies to a handful of drug prisoners each year and is NOT retroactive.

wookiefu asks: Are you an advocate against minimum sentences because a family member got convicted???
Monica Pratt: Yes I do. When I was seven years old, my father went to prison for a marijuana conspiracy. He served about 2 years. We were lucky because it was before mandatory sentences, but I will never forget that experience.

daisypusher23 asks: have any countries/groups imposed sanctions on the US for human rights violations?
Monica Pratt: Not that I know of, although Amnesty International has recently put a spotlight on America's criminal justice policies in a series of reports titled "Justice for All."
One of the most egregious aspects of our sentencing laws that Amnesty found is the severity of sentences for women and the horrendous conditions of confinement they experience.

lookinforaladdertoclimb asks: How do you feel about the use of private sector companies to house America's criminals, making a huge profit off crime in the process?
angel_of_wills_heart asks: Do you think there will be space shortage in prisons in the future?
Monica Pratt: Use of private prisons is risky business. There is rarely oversight into the ways in which these private companies operate their facilities. There are some real horror stories about a private prison in Youngstown Ohio, a place that has seen rampant violence and terrible conditions since it started taking prisoners.
As for space shortage, the saying "build them and they will come" still applies. Unless we change mandatory sentences, there will continue to be huge numbers of offenders to fill prison beds.

SILVERTONE32 asks: o.k. so we know mandatory minimums do not work but try to sell that to thwe moms of america who a really afraid for their communities,if the solution is rehab then we need to pick who we rehab same with education so how will the system weed out peopkle with potential from the con artists
ctv_will: We've sort of coved this question, but I wonder, what do you think of the fears of American moms that Silvertone mentions above? Is it unfounded paranoia or legit?
Monica Pratt: Moms have a right to be concerned -- young people are being incarcerated in record numbers. Most parents would rather put their kids into treatment than send them to prison for 5, 10, 20 years or more. I think that once people understand there are not second chances with these laws, their opinions quickly change.

rio_gamer asks: you speak of the needs of offenders...does not society need justice?
Monica Pratt: A hallmark of justice in America has always been the right to have the facts of each case considered by a court of law. With mandatory sentences, justice as we know it cannot and does not exist.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is working to restore justice to the American justice system. This is an issue of concern for all of us: it could happen to someone you love. Let's try to make sure the punishment fits the crime in every case.

twilight_eyes_ca asks: Here in Canada, youth crime has risen tremendously over the past decade, and now there is talk of lowering the Young Offenders Act to the age of 15, so it is very likely that we'll soon be imprisoning children as well, I hope the States doesn't adopt this policy we'll certainly be giving you guys a run for your money for "the world's worst justice system" award
babie222000 asks: what should you do with 11yr old children who commit murder
Monica Pratt: The United States is already on the path of treating juveniles as adults. A major congressional initiative is to put kids as young as 13 in adult prisoners. Many states have already enacted "juvenile justice" packages that insure these youth will spent the most productive years of their lives behind bars.

im_sparticus_99 asks: Ms. Pratt what do you think of "Shock camps?"
Monica Pratt: I think there are many punishment options that are better than locking a person up in a cage for many years. Shock camps and drug treatment may seem shorter, but they are actually more difficult than doing hard time sometimes. It takes work for a person to come through those programs. But I do not think any punishment should disregard basic human rights.

ctv_will: Last couple questions guys, and then we have to let Ms. Pratt go...
lucille47 asks: Is there anything being done to find alternatives to incarceration?
Monica Pratt: FAMM is working to repeal mandatory sentences so the many good alternatives to incarceration can be used. There is a sentencing system in place called the sentencing guidelines that is capable of using alternatives, if they were available instead of prison only.

harrier999 asks: Do you believe that the justice system has become fairer since the 40s and 50s, or that it has become too 'slack' and now there are too many criminals getting 6 months, 1 year, etc.?
Monica Pratt: The criminal justice system is like a pendulum: progress is made and then the pedulum swings to harsher punishment. I do not believe the criminal justice system is slack, and the most nonviolent offenders are doing very harsh time. Remember there is no parole any more, a mandatory sentence is just that -- mandatory.

ctv_will: For those of you who are interested in more information about FAMM- Families Against Mandatory Minimums- the web site is www.famm.org
Monica Pratt: Thanks very much.
ctv_will: And a few credits of my own if you'll pardon me...
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There's a question back here that's a little off topic, but it's very common, so I wanted to bring it up...

SILVERTONE32 asks: What is the big deal about prisoners and race?
ctv_will: Here's the way the cycle goes...
People in the inner city (mostly minorities) are generally poor, and the crime rate is generally high, so a larger percentage of its population is put in jail than in other areas.
What that means is that there are fewer people in the community to feed the local economy (shop at the stores, etc.)
so the community remains in poverty.
Plus, while in jail, and usually after they get out, convicts are not allowed to vote, so they don't have any political power to help their situation because they have less voting power.
Your point is well taken that the cycle may have more to do with economics than race (although there is an argument against that), but the fact remains that one race is particularly affected by this type of cycle.
That's the big deal about prisoners and race.

mmz5944 asks: Ms. Pratt rocks
ctv_will: I'll leave that in the transcript, I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it. :)

marksmom1969 asks: why not think about legalization and let some of that dough come into our economy instead of a drug war that is unwinnableand locking people up for minor crap and letting the real menaces out on the street?
ctv_will: A good point Marksmom, and one we'll be discussing tomorrow.
Tomorrow CTV has two chats.
At 5pET we'll be talking about the latest crime and justice news with CTV news editor Jim Lyons
And at 7pET we've got Kevin Zeese.
He's the president of a group called Common Sense for Drug Policy.
We'll be talking about whether it's a good idea to legalize some drugs- or all drugs- and just what we're doing wrong with this "war on drugs."
I think that site is www.csdp.org if you're interested.
Until then, fear simple answers.
This chat has ended, you may go in peace. :)