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Since we& #39;re now being pushed to vote for Biden because he& #39;s the lesser of two evils, I& #39;d like to explain for people who don& #39;t understand the immense, long-lasting suffering that Joe Biden and the 1994 Crime Bill has wrought.
Two provisions of the VCCLEA that don& #39;t get nearly enough press in the media are the Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive Grants Program and the creation and funding of "Boot Camps"
States (through funding) were forced to adopt 85% of sentences for so-called "violent" crimes. Aside from the discussion about rehabilitation, etc., many epople don& #39;t realize that the sale of drugs in many states is considered a violent crime.
Even in the best case, the possibility of a long sentence without time for good behavior means that defendants are much more likely to plead out to a possession charge because the chance of serving 85% of 10 years for selling marijuana is something nobody wants to risk.
In the worst case, DAs simply throw people away for the better part of a decade. I& #39;ve known many people who had to serve a huge amount of time, completely destroying their lives over the sale of a small amount of drugs.
Another part of this law was the creation of "boot camps" like Walnut Grove in MS. WGCF (a private prison) was sold as intervention to reduce recidivism. It is now closed due to DOJ and civil rights lawsuits, but when it was open, it was a place of absolute barbarity.
I& #39;ll link to the DOJ and lawsuit findings but some "highlights":
For context 67% of the young men (ages 13-22) at WGYCF are incarcerated for committing non-violent offenses.
https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/order.pdf">https://www.aclu.org/files/ass...
For context 67% of the young men (ages 13-22) at WGYCF are incarcerated for committing non-violent offenses.
https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/order.pdf">https://www.aclu.org/files/ass...
staff of the WGYCF ... engaged in sexual relationships with the youth; they exploited them by selling drugs in the facility; and the youth, “handcuffed and defenseless[,] have been kicked, punched, and beaten all over their bodies.”
"They are frequently subjected to chemical restraints for the most insignificant of infractions and are denied necessary medical care. ... & #39;the facility prevents most youth from accessing even the most basic education services& #39;.
"The sum of these actions and inactions by WGYCF, WGDA, the State, the Department of Corrections, GEO and Health Assurance, L.L.C., paints a picture of such horror as should be unrealized anywhere in the civilized world."
the DOJ found that guards, some of whom were in the gangs themselves allowed the beatings and stabbings of other children
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2012/04/09/walnutgrovefl.pdf">https://www.justice.gov/sites/def...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2012/04/09/walnutgrovefl.pdf">https://www.justice.gov/sites/def...
Officers used massive amounts of pepper spray for even minor incidents which amounts to literal torture.
They severely beat inmates for no reason without any consequences
Finally, and perhaps most horrendous, there was systematic sexual abuse of children by employees and COs.
To sum up, this is a tiny microcosm of the system that was created by the VCCLEA. It is not Joe Biden& #39;s fault alone, but he was a major author of it. He has walked back a bit of it recently, but even in 2017, he was defending the work he did on it.
So yeah, when people talk about "BUT KIDS IN CAGES" remember, they did it first. And I& #39;ll never support somebody who can defend this. https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-apologizes-for-pushing-hardline-laws-on-crime-immigration-in-1990s-2019-1?op=1&r=US&IR=T">https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-apo...
