You know the feeling when you read a news story about progress, but instead of going 'wow that's awesome' you think, 'How the fuck was this not already outlawed?'
One of those moments for me.
Totally agree with your sentiment.
You have a system that is predatory towards those at the highest risk. When you consider the people who can't afford to get a lawyer and are most susceptible to having what little they have taken away or even worse their freedom being taken away only due to circumstance like drummed up charges and other bs that the current system breeds. When you treat people who break the law as criminals, you are creating an atmosphere that breeds hatred towards people who are simply living in an environment with high crime. No body purposefully chooses to live on the bottom and being kicked while you are down is totally not going to resolve any problems. When we deescalate the situation, by enacting laws and regulation similar to Australia regarding arms. When police is no longer the enemy who is taking away you freedom, possessions, psychological well-being but rather an active member into making a community a better place for living. That's what everyone wants from the law but you don't get it when you are on the bottom all you get is suspicion, fear, condescension. And usually it's in these communities where police is militarized, how can you feel safe when your local Police looks like an occupying army.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind and crime and punishment needs to be re-examined. There are several ways that Scandinavian countries have attempted to address rehabilitation that have proven successful.
While you'd need funds to attempt to invest into changing the system there is easy ways to do it. Simply stop the Drug war, legalize weed and de-criminalize all other drug use. Attempting something similar to Portugal while using the tax revenue from marijuana to replace prisons with clinics and shelters.
