All should support The People’s Justice Guarantee

One of America’s great shames is its massive prison population. Currently, 2,200,000 reside in over 6,800 federal, state and local jail facilities. Annual cost exceeds $100 billion. Incarceration crazed America far outpaces both developed and developing countries, boasting the highest incarceration rate at 724 per hundred thousand (worldwide average just 135). The US makes up just 4.2% of world’s population but locks up 21% of its prisoners.

Sadly, little attention has be given to Massachusetts House member Ayanna Pressley’s bold legislation to revamp America’s failed criminal justice system. House Resolution 702, titled The People’s Justice Guarantee, calls for fundamental changes to justice akin to the Green New Deal’s effort to redefine how we address climate change.

It provides tax incentives to states that repeal Truth In Sentencing and Life for Three Strikes laws. It calls for end to capital punishment, life sentences, mandatory minimums, cash bail and fines that fund court systems. Savings achieved by a smaller prison population would be used to fund criminal diversion opportunities, restorative justice programs, treatment and community service.

Pressley is one of the four members of the US House ‘Squad’, whom the president as labeled 'radical and un-American'. Nothing could be more American and more conservative than ending the tragic waste of 2,200,000 lives, many of whom don’t belong there, languishing in jail. Nothing could be more American and conservative than using many billions in savings to move America closer to being the just nation it proclaims to be. It's time to support The People's Justice Guarantee.

Time to end life without parole

The Trib’s editorial, ‘The injustice when a life sentence doesn’t mean life’, is wrong on every facet of the criminal justice punishment debate. Lamenting the release of Chester Weger after nearly 60 years for the triple murder of three suburban women at Starved Rock State Park in 1960, the Trib rehashes the shopworn canard that letting out lifer Weger, an infirm octogenarian, fuels the death penalty advocates who claim such releases justify death sentences. Capital punishment is dead in Illinois, never to return no matter how many harmless, aging murderers are freed. Let’s recall it was not just abolished here because many innocent Illinoisans were condemned to death (and some likely executed). It was also because our government understood the death penalty is barbaric, state sponsored murder which in no way promotes justice or ennobles society; doing in fact the exact opposite. No citizen, even relatives of murder victims, has a right to expect the perpetrator to die in prison. That is not enshrined in our criminal justice system designed simply to provide a ‘measure of justice’ while protecting society at large.

Somehow, the Trib’s logic ignores the 1958 release of ‘Thrill Killer’ Nathan Leopold for the grisly 1924 murder of his cousin. Leopold's exemplary conduct won him parole after serving just 34 years. Only 52, he relocated to Puerto Rico where he became an X-Ray technician in a church hospital. He went on to earn a master's degree, taught at the University of Puerto Rico, became a researcher in social services in Puerto Rico's health department, did research in leprosy, urban renewal and housing, and traveled extensively to research a book he published on Puerto Rican bird life. He married a widow in 1961 who was with him till his death at 66 in 1971.

Nathan Leopold's case argues not only for abolishing capital punishment, but for modifying our sentencing guidelines to offer a path for similar offenders to demonstrate both their rehabilitation and their readiness to rejoin society at some point. Nobody lost when Nathan Leopold was paroled after 34 years. No potential murderer thinks that 34 years imprisonment is a fair trade to kill someone. As much as Nathan Leopold gained from his freedom, society achieved even more.

Chester Weger has been deemed both rehabilitated and no longer a threat to society. Though he’s unlikely to contribute to society anywhere near that achieved by Leopold, his release is contribution enough by expanding compassion in a society sorely lacking enough.

All should support of The People’s Justice Guarantee

One of America’s great shames is its massive prison population. Currently, 2,200,000 reside in over 6,800 federal, state and local jail facilities. Annual cost exceeds $100 billion. Incarceration crazed America far outpaces both developed and developing countries, boasting the highest incarceration rate at 724 per hundred thousand (worldwide average just 135). The US makes up just 4.2% of world’s population but locks up 21% of its prisoners.

Sadly, little attention has been given to Massachusetts House member Ayanna Pressley’s bold legislation to revamp America’s failed criminal justice system. House Resolution 702, titled The People’s Justice Guarantee, calls for fundamental changes to justice akin to the Green New Deal’s effort to redefine how we address climate change.

It provides tax incentives to states that repeal Truth In Sentencing and Life for Three Strikes laws. It calls for end to capital punishment, life sentences, mandatory minimums, cash bail and fines that fund court systems. Savings achieved by a smaller prison population would be used to fund criminal diversion opportunities, restorative justice programs, treatment and community service.

Pressley is one of the four members of the US House ‘Squad’, whom the president as labeled 'radical and un-American'. Nothing could be more American and more conservative than ending the tragic waste of 2,200,000 lives, many of whom don’t belong there, languishing in jail. Nothing could be more American and conservative than using many billions in savings to move America closer to being the just nation it proclaims to be. It's time to support The People's Justice Guarantee.

Wheaton punts, Glen Ellyn scores in DuPage Diversity Challenge

My neighboring town of Wheaton sure lived up to its reputation for rather extreme cultural conservatism by cancelling author Robin Stevenson’s scheduled talk to 175 third to fifth graders at Longfellow School there on her book ‘Kid Activists: True Tales of Childhood from Champions of Change". Stevenson’s talk was scheduled in conjunction with educators’ directive to implement a new state law requiring schools to highlight roles and contributions of LGBTQ people in American history and culture. Her book contained numerous historical figures including several from the LGBTQ spectrum. At least one parent complained to school officials, concerned their eight to ten year olds may be exposed to the life style that ‘dare not speak its name’. School officials huddled…then punted on first down, not even letting Stevenson in the building.

Across the border in my more progressive town of Glen Ellyn, Illinois District 48 representative and Glen Ellyn resident Terra Costa Howard surveyed the field and decided Glen Ellyn would be a fine venue to enlighten its citizens of this marvelous educator who has addressed numerous schools on her book tour without incident. Howard arranged for Stevenson to speak at Glenbard West High School Wednesday night without a hint of interference. Wheaton School District 200 administrators who gave Stevenson a game misconduct for simply living up to the highest ideals of education should be in attendance. They might get some inkling how the game of real life is played.

Trump impeachment defense in 9 words

Hear no evil

See no evil

Speak no evil