Reply #3: This story so moved me in terms of it's seeming impossibility that

[stellanoir]

I posted on Obama's site about it.

"Whomever might have the Senator's ear.

I just read the tragically sad story about the Senator's old friend Keith Kakugawa.

Many know all too many people with similar stories.

His story truly is exemplary of how terrilby broken and inappropriate our so-called justice and penal systems have become.

Locking up non violent addicts is not only just plain cruel, it's inhumane, counterproductive, and outrageously costly to our society as a whole on so many levels.

I've seen estimates of what these now privately owned prisons charge the taxpayers ranging from 30-70 grand per inmate per anum in various states.
Ahhh, most of those inmates would probably never even dream of earning that much never mind spending that much or they could have hired better legal representation in the first place. How dumb is that?

Draconian mandatory sentencing guidelines have given much more power to the prosecutors. I've heard of even conservative judges who have hopped off their benches and retired because they felt as though they could no longer weigh the merits of a case.

THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE. IMHO

We pathetically have more people in prison in this country than any other.

Incarceration is rarely a singular remedy, except in cases where people are prone to violence. Nor would throwing money at Mr. Kakugawa solve his problems.

Home confinement and community service in many cases would be far more corrective both to the individual and the collective.

Addressing the issue of addiction and the lack of real rehabilitation in a more enlightened and wholistic manner might truly help.

The absence of true compassion, humanity, and basic kindness in our culture reflects a spiritual sickness in a land that only masquerades as Christian. "Who would Jesus kill or torture. . . ?"

Yikes.

There is so much to fix.

I wish the Senator well and Mr. Kakugawa great healing. I also hope the Senator is mindful of how by mere past association, his unquestionable star power may have inadvertantly singed this poor soul even more.

I hope he finds some more creative ways of not only helping his old friend, but of addressing this much larger issue.

best,
stella
"nam-myoho-renge-kyo""