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[MastaKilla]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...18f6849a004_story.html?utm_term=.e129c260ed1d

Attorney General Jeff Sessions overturned the sweeping criminal charging policy of former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. and directed his federal prosecutors Thursday to charge defendants with the most serious, provable crimes carrying the most severe penalties.

In a speech Friday, Sessions said the move was meant to ensure that prosecutors would be “un-handcuffed and not micromanaged from Washington” as they worked to bring the most significant cases possible.

“We are returning to the enforcement of the laws as passed by Congress, plain and simple,” Sessions said. “If you are a drug trafficker, we will not look the other way, we will not be willfully blind to your misconduct.”

The Holder memo, issued in August 2013, instructed his prosecutors to avoid charging certain defendants with drug offenses that would trigger long mandatory minimum sentences. Defendants who met a set of criteria such as not belonging to a large-scale drug trafficking organization, gang or cartel, qualified for lesser charges — and in turn less prison time — under Holder’s policy.

Civil liberties advocates at the time praised the move as appropriately merciful — potentially preventing people from facing lifelong penalties for crimes that did not warrant such a punishment. But Sessions’s new charging policy, outlined in a two-page memo and sent to more than 5,000 assistant U.S. attorneys across the country and all assistant attorneys general in Washington, orders prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense” and rescinds Holder’s policy immediately.

As an attorney who has seen first hand how broken our criminal justice system already is, this is extremely awful news. If you've seen the documentary 13th on Netflix, you'd understand how the war on drugs disproportionately targets communities of color and devastates their communities.

It's been proven, this has no positive impact on any community. Instead of spending money to invest in the education and infrastructure in these communities, we put all the money and resources in overpolicing them and keeping them in cages.

 

[Impeccable]

Kind of expected when you put a racist piece of shit in charge. Ugh.

 

[Zach]

Kind of expected when you put a racist piece of shit in charge. Ugh.

^

 

[Zombie James]

Punishing drug traffickers is one thing, punishing drug users is another.

 

[entremet]

Going backwards

 

[MastaKilla]

You're right, but it's just so heartbreaking to me to see how far back this administration is going to push our country. There was a lot of progress made in areas like criminal justice reform that took decades to accomplish.. and it hurts to see it all go to shit just like that.

 

[Hale-XF11]

It's infuriating, but I don't expect cooperation from most states where drug policy is moving in the other direction, especially states where marijuana is now legal. They're not going to go down without a fight.

 

[thechristoph]

It is a banner year for rich elderly white people so far.

 

[Mariolee]

U.S. Citizens Bring Back the War on Jeff Sessions

 

[timetokill]

Maybe he's just preparing us for some breathers after all the winning that we'll be tired of.

Hell, can we go back into Vietnam next?

 

[The Albatross]

Punishing drug traffickers is one thing, punishing drug users is another.

I dont have a big problem with going after "traffickers," but the worry here is when my friendly neighborhood marijuana dealer gets charged with being a "drug trafficker," especially in a state where marijuana is legal (like mine, but illegal to sell [yet]). And, policy like this is always obviously targeting certain, darker complexioned communities.

 

[Lmo911]

Punishing drug traffickers is one thing, punishing drug users is another.

The amount a person uses is enough to get busted for trafficking. That's the catch.

 

[Sunster]

is there a scrap of evidence anywhere that could suggest the war on drugs did any good at all? I don't expect Sessions to change his mind, he's just a racist old grandpa. But surely some government body can stand in his way?

 

[NandoGip]

-sigh-

 

[Eppy Thatcher]

In years past I have always had the pleasure of seeing someone inside administrations that i disagreed with as a positive. Like "Well at least their Attorney General is decent." or "That supreme court justice pick was ok" "his cabinet is at least pretty qualified..."

I fucking hate this entire group of racist fuck sticks. Never have i ever been more sure that this shit needs to burn to the ground and start again. I hope this entire racists whirlwind of assholes gets proper fucked sometime in the near future. And their names and their families names get dragged through the fucking mud for generations.

Straight up shameful.

 

[Dishwalla]

Whew, good thing we all didnt vote for that email lady.

 

[Pakkidis]

War on Drugs = Profit for Private Prisons.

 

[Lambtron]

is there a scrap of evidence anywhere that could suggest the war on drugs did any good at all? I don't expect Sessions to change his mind, he's just a racist old grandpa. But surely some government body can stand in his way?

None.

Well, I mean, it did put black and brown people in jail at high rates, and that was the ultimate intention, so it accomplished its goal.

Fuck Jeff Sessions.

 

[Ovid]

War on Blacks I'm not surprised by this racist shit.

That's exactly what I thought when I read it.

 

[5taquitos]

During the campaign, t_d was certain that Trump would never come for their weed.

 

[Couleurs]

"Well what's more important: handling nonviolent drug offenses sensibly by treating the causes of drug abuse with treatment programs so people can stay with their families and lead productive lives, or fill all those for-profit prisons that give me money."

 

[mreddie]

Trump-nomics sounds like a mouthful does it?

The kicker? The Office of National Drug Control Policy is getting a budget cut.

 

[Jimothy]

In years past I have always had the pleasure of seeing someone inside administrations that i disagreed with as a positive. Like "Well at least their Attorney General is decent." or "That supreme court justice pick was ok" "his cabinet is at least pretty qualified..."

I fucking hate this entire group of racist fuck sticks. Never have i ever been more sure that this shit needs to burn to the ground and start again. I hope this entire racists whirlwind of assholes gets proper fucked sometime in the near future. And their names and their families names get dragged through the fucking mud for generations.

Straight up shameful.

This is where I'm at right now. Every single new policy they come out with feels like the last gasp of a dying administration that has lost all credibility.

 

[Wet Bloodfart]

During the campaign, t_d was certain that Trump would never come for their weed.

They will rationalize this somehow.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I'm sure that super predator comment 20 years ago out of control text and in a completely different political climate would have been so much worse...

 

[Earthbound64]

 

[Magwik]

You mean the war on minorities?

 

[Lucky Forward]

directed his federal prosecutors Thursday to charge defendants with the most serious, provable crimes carrying the most severe penalties.

orders prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense”

In a speech Friday, Sessions said the move was meant to ensure that prosecutors would be “un-handcuffed and not micromanaged from Washington” as they worked to bring the most significant cases possible.

Does not compute.

 

[pigeon interrupted]

War on Drugs = Profit for Private Prisons.

And easy voter suppression. Republicans are evil.

 

[Hale-XF11]

Does not compute.

"You are free to do as we tell you."

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Should be good especially once they start cracking down on big pharma for getting this pill poppin alcoholic country hooked on opiods and painkillers

 

[darkwing]

meh I bet what they really want is what Pres. Duterte is doing

 

[mreddie]

Should be good especially once they start cracking down on big pharma for getting this pill poppin alcoholic country hooked on opiods and painkillers

I know you're joking but

 

[TheShampion]

War on Drugs = Profit for Private Prisons.

Whelp, I guess we can expect more Run the Jewels records at least. Killer Mike and El-p are gonna have material for years.

Sigh...

 

[Aaronrules380]

Should be good especially once they start cracking down on big pharma for getting this pill poppin alcoholic country hooked on opiods and painkillers

lol you think this is going to majorly affect anyone other than minorities

 

[SwipeLeftHoney]

meh I bet what they really want is what Pres. Duterte is doing

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[The Jazz Cabbage Master]

Private prisons and the War on Drugs

A match made in hell

Fuck you Jeff Sessions
Fuck everyone involved with ruining lives

 

[theignoramus]

So what are they gunna do about the strung out heroin addicts whose family members voted for Trump?

 

[vatstep]

They're trying to build a prison for you and me to live in

 

[Aaronrules380]

So what are they gunna do about the strung out heroin addicts whose family members voted for Trump?

Don't worry, they'll make sure to largely ignore the white people doing drugs

 

[GoldenEye 007]

So what are they gunna do about the strung out heroin addicts whose family members voted for Trump?

Are they white? Suspended sentences/probation, rehab programs, and other community support programs to get them back on their feet.

 

[Dineren]

I'm sorry if this is a really stupid question, but I'm kind of terrified right now. I recently stumbled across the fact that my brother was arrested and possibly charged with felony drug possession. I assume since it is a county that arrested and charged him that this wouldn't change anything for him, is that correct?

I guess I just don't understand how you would get charged with possession by the federal government as opposed to the state.

 

[subrock]

War on Drugs = Profit for Private Prisons.

Yep, no two ways about this

 

[slit]

You're late: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1372926

 

[Pandora012]

Why isn't he doing anything about the drug prescription issues?

 

[Aaronrules380]

Why isn't he doing anything about the drug prescription issues?

Because this isn't actually about drugs

 

[Sunster]

Why isn't he doing anything about the drug prescription issues?

too many innocent white kids could get caught up in that.

 

[Strike]

Oh man, it's like the 80's all over again.

 

[Couleurs]

Why isn't he doing anything about the drug prescription issues?

Because Pharmas give Republicans money (and Dems, to be fair)

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

lol you think this is going to majorly affect anyone other than minorities

i was being sarcastic. Like reaaaaly sarcastic.

Sessions and this administration in general are pretty easy to see through on this subject