President to Visit Federal Prison

[autigeremt 6,598]

President Obama will visit a federal prison in Oklahoma next Thursday as part of his push to overhaul the country’s criminal-justice system.

Obama will travel to the El Reno Correctional Institution outside of Oklahoma City, becoming the first sitting president to visit a federal prison, White House press secretary Josh Earnest announced Friday.

While at the prison, the president is likely to commute the sentences of dozens of non-violent drug offenders, The Washington Post reported.

Obama’s trip to the prison will be recorded for a "Vice" documentary on America’s prison system that will air on HBO. The president will speak with Vice founder Shane Smith and meet with prisoners, prison staff and law enforcement officials, according to Vice.

The White House has close ties to Vice. The media company hired former Obama deputy chief of staff Alyssa Mastromonaco last November as a senior executive. Reggie Love, the president’s former body man and Duke University basketball player, was hired this week to cover sports.

The president's prison visit will come two days after he delivers a speech to the NAACP’s national conference in Philadelphia. He is expected to call for lower sentences for non-violent offenders, according to reports.

Obama will “outline the unfairness in much of our criminal-justice system,” Earnest said.

The president is stepping up his effort to push Congress to reform the nation’s sentencing laws, an effort that has attracted support from members in both political parties.

In February, the White House threw its backing behind a bipartisan bill that would slash mandatory minimum sentences for many non-violent drug offenders.

Obama commuted the sentences of 22 drug offenders in March, the most aggressive use of his executive power to date to address the issue.

He has spoken out more frequently about the adverse effect current sentencing guidelines have on communities of color.

During a March interview with David Simon, the creator of HBO’s “The Wire,” Obama decried “the massive trend towards incarceration, even of non-violent drug offenders.”

“The challenge, which you depict in your show, is folks going in at great expense to the state, many times trained to become more hardened criminals while in prison, come out and are basically unemployable,” he said.

[WarTim 3,456]

I must admit barry has already "overhauled" the prison system. Crooks are in WH .......

[AURaptor 1,122]

Scouting out his cell already ?

That's thinking FORWARD.

[cptau 169]

they have a medium and minimum security prison there, wonder which one he's visiting? Since about 25% of the federal prisoners are illegal aliens, will he be brave enough to commute some of their sentences too?

he can also stop by the cell of the former democrat mayor of detroit who is serving 28 years for extortion, bribery and fraud.

[AUDub 11,147]

...While at the prison, the president is likely to commute the sentences of dozens of non-violent drug offenders, The Washington Post reported....

...The president is stepping up his effort to push Congress to reform the nation’s sentencing laws, an effort that has attracted support from members in both political parties.

In February, the White House threw its backing behind a bipartisan bill that would slash mandatory minimum sentences for many non-violent drug offenders.

Obama commuted the sentences of 22 drug offenders in March, the most aggressive use of his executive power to date to address the issue....

Awesome.

[alexava 6,973]

Not for this. I have no tolerance for criminals. Sentencing is not tough enough now.

[AUDub 11,147]

Not for this. I have no tolerance for criminals. Sentencing is not tough enough now.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Not for this. I have no tolerance for criminals. Sentencing is not tough enough now.

lol. The debtor prisons are not only too tough for the non violent criminals but they are too tough on the taxpayers. Give me a break.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

I started to say that surely this is something no one would manage to be critical of.

Then I remembered what board this is and laughed at the foolishness of such optimism.

[cooltigger21 0]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

[aujeff11 6,243]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

[cooltigger21 0]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility. How a about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions? They knew what they were doing was against the law but made the choice to do it anyway. Yes we help them but they have to be willing to stay on the right side of the law.

[aujeff11 6,243]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility. How a about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions? They knew what they were doing was against the law but made the choice to do it anyway. Yes we help them but they have to be willing to stay on the right side of the law.

Some people need help. Whether it is getting a GED, drug addiction classes, anger management, or just having a job in prison, those opportunities can help minimize the chances of relapse. It is kind of dumb to complain that the prisoners will " be back within two years" but at the same, not be willing to take any proactive measures to fix that.

[AUDub 11,147]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility. How a about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions? They knew what they were doing was against the law but made the choice to do it anyway. Yes we help them but they have to be willing to stay on the right side of the law.

Some people need help. Whether it is getting a GED, drug addiction classes, anger management, or just having a job in prison, those opportunities can help minimize the chances of relapse. It is kind of dumb to complain that the prisoners will " be back within two years" but at the same, not be willing to take any proactive measures to fix that.

excellent, aujeff.

i would bet it would be cheaper in the long run.

[aujeff11 6,243]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility. How a about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions? They knew what they were doing was against the law but made the choice to do it anyway. Yes we help them but they have to be willing to stay on the right side of the law.

Some people need help. Whether it is getting a GED, drug addiction classes, anger management, or just having a job in prison, those opportunities can help minimize the chances of relapse. It is kind of dumb to complain that the prisoners will " be back within two years" but at the same, not be willing to take any proactive measures to fix that.

excellent, aujeff.

i would bet it would be cheaper in the long run.

Whether we are being friendly or dog cussing each other, feel free to call me Jeff. Titan, on the other hand, called me Jeffy the other day and he didn't even buy me dinner first. Not sure how I feel about that.

[homersapien 11,362]

I was watching a segment the other day about how released felons are instantly ruled out as job candidates because they have to check the "have you ever been convicted..." part of the application.

It really is a Catch 22 for these people no matter how determined they are to straighten their lives out.

[autigeremt 6,598]

There's a lot of money to be made running a federal prison....especially for the contractor and the state it's in. Don't think for a minute that $$$$ isn't a part of the prison plans across the country.

[alexava 6,973]

Well, they are not in the pen for singing too loud in church. If i am hiring,i hire the best candidate. An excon is certainly behind the 8 ball. That is not my fault.

[homersapien 11,362]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

That's the point.

[homersapien 11,362]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

If the recidivism rate is too high, then that falls on the goverment to find a better rehabilitative plan. Getting prison officials to that mindset, not the retribution mindset, is the biggest obstacle though because no citizens want to admit that prisoners have rights too. Tough on crime bs is what matters to the Bible Belt folks.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility. How a about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions? They knew what they were doing was against the law but made the choice to do it anyway. Yes we help them but they have to be willing to stay on the right side of the law.

It helps if they can get a legitimate job to support themselves. Our system tends to make that very difficult.

[AURaptor 1,122]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

That's the point.

An inability to abide by the law , like everyone else ?

[homersapien 11,362]

Well, they are not in the pen for singing too loud in church. If i am hiring,i hire the best candidate. An excon is certainly behind the 8 ball. That is not my fault.

The question is, do you want to support a system that keeps him "behind the 8 ball" or help him turn his life around?

[homersapien 11,362]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

That's the point.

An inability to abide by the law , like everyone else ?

No, the point is that we do not have an effective system for rehabilitation for those released convicts who desire to turn their life around, thus the attrition rate is higher than it would be if we made it easier for them to leave the criminal lifestyle.

Do you understand now?

[AURaptor 1,122]

I bet 90% of these wind up right back in prison within two years or less

That's the point.

An inability to abide by the law , like everyone else ?

No, the point is that we do not have an effective system for rehabilitation for those released convicts who desire to turn their life around, thus the attrition rate is higher than it would be if we made it easier for them to leave the criminal lifestyle.

Do you understand now?

I thought you were hedging to the idea that they were only put in prison in the first place because of their race, or some such.

Rehab makes good sense, but there has to be a WANT by the individual. All the govt programs in the world won't change a person who simply refuses to make the effort.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Well, they are not in the pen for singing too loud in church. If i am hiring,i hire the best candidate. An excon is certainly behind the 8 ball. That is not my fault.

There is actually tax credits businesses can get for hiring ex prisoners. I think the government realizes the stigma of ex-convicts and why the business owners wont hire them. I'd hire one if had a business. I'd actually have higher hopes for the ex con than the ones that merely fell into a job.