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Comment by fearless | Hacker News Reader

I still don't think nonviolent drug crimes are the same as bank robbery. When you commit a bank robbery with a loaded firearm, you're telling society you have no problem taking a person's life for a little money. If people change, why is the recidivism rate for felons over 50%? And those are just the ones who get caught. Again, I'm speaking strictly to violent crimes here. Nonviolent/drug offenders should be treated very differently.

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> Why is the recidivism rate for felons over 50%?

Because it's damn near impossible to make an honest living with a felony conviction on your record in the current economy. The mentality of "Why should you get the same as honest men like me" is one that has societal costs, but it is a third rail of politics, as no congressman is going to make an argument for lighter sentencing, or easier integration of felons. In reality, all felony sentences are life sentences, and this is something we need to fix.

I think there's a big difference between killing someone and threatening to do so. Though I also think it's entirely possible to kill someone and regret it and not do it again.

I think recidivism is high due to ridiculously long sentences, as well as the fact that our prisons are brutal hellholes that leave people much worse off psychologically than when they went in. And of course the fact that no one will give you a job.

if you go into a bank without a gun, imply you have a gun, it's bank robbery. you don't need a gun, the gun can be a toy gun, so long as the victim feels you have a real gun, you get charged as if you actually have a real loaded gun.

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