Human Being wrote on December 20, 2008 06:37 PM: Mr. Settelmeyer
If you want to cut cost in prisons then the first step should be to let those who are being kept past their parole dates out. Quit the practice of warehousing human beings who are not lifers. How much do you spend on yourself a day to eat; I'm sure it is more than $2.18. It is said inmates are given between 2500-2800 calories a day; somebody in the correction system is selling the public a lot "bullsh*t".Many inmates have to rely on the goodness of their families and friends to send them money to buy food off the store to survive because portions of food are pothetic. Some inmates even are interested in growing fresh gardens but the system thinks that's not good. Not giving inmates pork might be an infringment on their rights, " not all inmates in the NDOC are muslim", some are americans. And more than 1 glass of milk a day would be healthy. Do ever think of the cost in medical care it is going to cost the government down the road when these inmates are let out of the system and have to see a doctor because their bodies can't tolerate real food. It doesn't say in Nevada's Revised Statutes about starving or giving improper nutrition to inmates either. Go be an unexpected guest in one of these facilities for a month and see what you are fed.

Tim Johnson wrote on December 18, 2008 05:09 AM: OUTSTANDING! It's about time we got down to the basics here. After all these people are in jail not at the hilton. They all did a crime and were found gualty by our legal system and now are doingthe time for the crime. Look how many homlees people and poor family folks are not getting the food, shelter,medical, denatl etc that our criminals are getting! How fair is that? I think that this is a great idea and support it 100%. They still have many other programs they could take away as well, don't stop here. Have the Sen. get ahold of Sherrif Joe from AZ for more good ideas. I thinks he should be in charge of all the prisons in the US.... Go Joe!!!!!

StopSkolnikNow wrote on December 17, 2008 11:11 PM: If you want to save MILLIONS per year, stop the abuse of civil rights that we pay to defend with our tax dollars. The denial of medical care, abuse by guards and other violations of the constitution by Skolnik and his thugs is costing us millions per year and all this moron can think about is cold cereal. I bet he goes to church on Sunday and brags about what a good person he is.

TelltheTruth wrote on December 17, 2008 11:07 PM: Ely Max - You are a liar. You know very well that they give a soggy bag lunch and no fresh milk. You also know that when they switched to powdered milk there was a riot that lasted for days. When you take away everything you can take, you make desperate people with nothing to lose.

I am glad at least that Settlemeyer is not a huge fat thing. Usually those who advocate taking food from others are.

Also, Nevada spends less than any other western state per day on food. The health care is the worst. There are constant lawsuits that are costing us a fortune.

MAB wrote on December 17, 2008 07:09 AM: It's incredible to see so many victims advocates be so extremely protorture. These people will return to your neighborhoods, do you want someone that has been tortured returning or someone that has been rehabilitated? They will get out. DWI resulting in death IS considered violent. Do you really feel justified in submitting someone to torture because of IDENTITY THEFT?????? Ridiculous, I promise the separation from their loved ones is a punishment to them.

Paul wrote on December 16, 2008 10:50 PM: Paul Craig Roberts The U.S. Criminal Justice System Is Collapsing:

In the United States, the country with the largest prison population in the world, the number of wrongly convicted is very large. Hardly any felony charges are resolved with trials. The vast majority of defendants, both innocent and guilty, are coerced into plea bargains. Not only are the innocent framed, but the guilty as well. It is quicker and less expensive to frame the guilty than to convict them on the evidence.

Many Americans are wrongfully convicted, because they trust the justice system. They naively believe that police and prosecutors are moved by evidence and have a sense of justice. The trust they have in authorities makes them easy victims of a system that has no moral conscience and is untroubled by the injustice it perpetrates.

dr.death wrote on December 16, 2008 09:47 PM: As a society, we have made going to prison a vacation. They have everything provided for them at taxpayer expense. Prison should be a place you don't want to go to. I'm tired of hearing about these poor inmates who have to rough it. Make prison hell where you don't want to go. Send them to live with the ACLU members. Bring back the chain gangs and make them clean streets and pick up trash or something to better a community.

Whateverusaydear wrote on December 16, 2008 09:37 PM: Can't agree with only nonviolent criminals going to prison.

Career burglars... break into people's homes, not only stealing property but the victims' peace of mind. Victims end up being afraid to leave their homes, worrying if they will be victimized again (I've been there). The excuse du jour is to support their drug habit, and the regrets come AFTER they've been caught.

Home invasions? No one got hurt (this time), but plead it down to nonviolent burglary charges, so no prison?

Or how about white collar crime... no prison for that either, since it's not violent. If you commit fraud a la Enron, why go to prison since it's not violent? Just go and sin no more, you're not a violent hood, just pay back the money you stole whenever you can.

Identity theft? No violence there, let's just not put these unfortunates in prison (even though they wreck the financial and emotional lives of their victims).

DUI with substantial death/bodily harm? That's not violent either... the accused made poor decisions and chose to get behind the wheel, resulting in others being maimed or killed, but since it's not considered a VIOLENT crime but an accident, let's not subject the individuals to wasting space in prison (I've been in injury accidents where the other driver who was impaired/driving on suspended licenses only got monetary sanctions and community service, while I got the physical therapy).

Prison also protects the community from the actions of repeat offenders who only seem to regret and learn they're wrong AFTER they're caught. I'm all for people who when they have a problem step up to the plate and get their needed treatment before they put the rest of the community at risk.

Bad Medical Care, and Now Strave Them Proposed..Craig T. Seifert wrote on December 16, 2008 08:22 PM: First, it was kill the inmates slowly by providing no-care, or the very minimum of health care. Now starve them by feeding them cold food, and less nourishment. Settelmeyer is looking down the wrong-end of the telescope if he thinks that purported savings is good policy. Why not start by eliminating the free car and gas for prosecutors to drive around and get DWI’s and total the car out. Why does a DA need a county vehicle? Didn't one of our fine examples of law enforcement, at its best, not to long ago crash the state/county vehicle in CA and get a DWI? These wing nuts like this joker Settelmeyer are stupid.

pdun wrote on December 16, 2008 07:22 PM: There are too many people in here focused on the wrong thing... We are sending far too many people to prison. We need prisons for violent offenders to protect the public. Not to simply house every person who commits a criminal offense. Prison has become big business for nevada government.

There are 1000's of laws on the books, and violation of any one of them could put you in prison. Very few of them deal with violence against people.

Treating every person with dignity and respect, and punishing the offense is more appropriate. Also, remember that very few offenses are for a lifetime. Better that we remember that these folks will be returning to the streets one day, and they should have learned a lesson, not suffered abuse.

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