Notes on incarceration: "The severity of Madoff's sentence changes his options. A lighter sentence might have allowed Madoff's team to negotiate his placement from medium security to low, based mostly on his age and notoriety, says [attorney Alan] Ellis; a 150-year sentence means he will now have to lobby to go from high security to medium. Medium security facilities look similar to low-security institutions, but the inmates are much more likely to be inside for violent crimes. If Madoff gets medium security, says [sentencing consultant John] Webster, 'He will be assaulted, there's no doubt about that.' It's that much of a certainty? 'God, yes. Oh, God, yes.'"
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
15
Pics. Pay per view. Restore the economy off of the proceeds.
Weirdly fascinating article
I probably should have put this in the actual post, but I was pressed for time and not really sure how to open it up, but I _don't_ think this is a good or funny thing. I think the fact that our system of incarceration is predicated on the idea that you WILL be assaulted or raped as part of your punishment is a horrific indictment of the concept of "rehabilitation" or "restitution." Bernie Madoff is obviously the LEAST sympathetic character to rally around, but the point is he was sentenced to 150 years in prison, not 150 years of beatings and assaults. The way we deliver punishment in this country is absolutely barbaric. Oh, right, that's why I didn't include this is the main post: Because I can't speak coherently about it!
STRONGLY AGREE
It doesn't make him any less evil, any more contrite, it doesn't soothe anyone else's pain, and it sure as shit makes none of us more virtuous.
I would disagree somewhat on the soothing of pain point. I think a great many people find "vengeance" to be maybe not "soothing," but at least a welcome balm on their anger. Not that this reality makes it any less barbaric or right.
Definitely agree with this. It shouldn't be part of his sentence. However, when some white collar crimes (less publicized ones) offer far less time and money can be protected from seizure...I feel like they are trying to make an example here (which is WRONG btw)
I'd predicted you'd have an opinion about that. But you're absolutely correct. The problem starts with the prison guards and, like so many other things lately, we never know how to hire the right people to do that job. The other thing is that if we cannot control violent offenders even after locking them up in secure facilities, it's time to really rethink how we handle people like that. General population in a prison should be only non-violent offenders, otherwise that's just giving a green light to the sort of shit people hear about in there all the time.
But on the inside, Brian's thinking, "There but for the grace of a wiffleball bat..."
Heh.
Madoff should have thought about this before defrauding investors of the money needed to support worthy organizations (http://www.justdetention.org/) dedicated to stopping prisoner rape.
Whoah, wait. Wait. You're against anal rape?
I...I'm not sure how to process this. It's like everything I thought I knew has been challenged. I'm going to need time to process this.
They might knock him around a bit and have him clean their toilet but nobody is going to tap that.
Although, I haven't seen him in a jumper?
Just a guess here but I don't think that the typical violent crime prisoner was the type of person who invested with and got screwed by Bernie. He might have had more to fear in the minimum security jail with the other white collar crimes guys.
I agree that the US prison system sucks. Mind you, we're in NY where the Rockefeller Laws have successfully turned young dimebag hoods into hardened, damaged criminals so the whole thing needs to be overhauled.
But in relation to this case and the snark surrounding Madoff's possible future, the whole point of jail as we know it is that it's a bugfuck crazy violent place and you should do as much as you can to never ever be considered to be a perfect candidate for residency there, which was the point of the 150 years in max. To show that when you fuck around you get fucked. The violence in there is not new and he figured he so white collar that he wouldn't ever see it. And there you go.
It would be elegant resolution that such concerns sparked a public interest in this fact and led to reforms, but I don't think that's going to happen.