amrypma

Comment Threads

• GiantSnowman commented on Netherlands runs out of criminals, has to shut prisons
  about post #37 by MADSCI The eight smallest prisons probably hold 250 people on average, which would be the first ones to close....
• teufelsdroch commented on Netherlands runs out of criminals, has to shut prisons
  This thread lead me to wonder whether the cost of jailing marijuana-related inmates might be greater than (or close to) the potential amount that might be brought in by taxing dope. First off, some disambiguation: While a shade under a million pot-related arrests occur, only 35k state and 11k federal inmates are held. That costs in the neighborhood of $1 billion per year. Meanwhile, estimates of the total value of pot sold in America, at its street value, come in at less than $50 billion per year. So, keeping people arrested is not a significant part of the economic side...
• Marcel commented on Netherlands runs out of criminals, has to shut prisons
  To stem to jubilation over the dutch (of whom I find myself to be amongst) a bit, there are votes to put asylum seekers in the empty cells, and there's a good chance that it will be okay'd....
• Purly commented on Netherlands runs out of criminals, has to shut prisons
  Well it's encouraging to know that a system exists that can almost eliminate criminals. The us-vs-them philosophy has really gotten the US economy into trouble. I would love to switch to something better....
• Brainspore commented on Netherlands runs out of criminals, has to shut prisons
  One upside of a full-on depression would be that the U.S. would have to legalize weed, or at least stop enforcing laws against it. One of the biggest factors that shut down alcohol prohibition was that going after all those gangsters was just too damn expensive for a depression-crippled country to afford....