Editor’s Note: The article below is by an anonymous commenter. It is so nicely written and on point, that I chose to publish it as a post. It is in response to the article, Former EDNY Judge John Gleeson: Why Trials in the USA Are on the Verge of Extinction.
By Erasend;
…. The justice system, especially the use of the grand jury, isn’t going to change. I would love for the grand jury system to go away. I wish most people understood how meaningless and manipulated a grand jury is.
The grand jury is bullshit, political cover that prosecutors use as a weapon to avoid blame while very much dictating exactly how the case will go forward.
Most people have no clue that a grand jury is the puppet of the prosecutor, that the prosecutor has absolute control over everything they see, hear, read, or do about a case. A grand jury actually has a great deal of power, they could force the prosecutor to either dissolve them or be their puppet, but they do not know this because the prosecutor needs their ignorance to puppet them instead.
That is just grand juries.
Not even getting into the boon that cases can bring to those with political aspirations. Or, if get into the huge amount of money that moves around to politicians, prosecutors, and judges via the privatization of jails. These jails make money by headcount.
Basically, think of it as C number of people times $D amount – the cost of watching those people = profit.
Those jails make the most money when two conditions are met:
(1) when the jail is filled beyond capacity and
(2) most, if not all the inmates, are non-violent.
The money flow literally benefits the system to go after low-level drug dealers, marijuana users, and other minor offenses.
Violent offenders need more guards, have more fights, and require more medical treatment. Every dollar that goes to those is money taken away from the profit margins. It’s why you keep hearing of bad medical conditions, refusal to act on COVID, and more in our jails and prisons.
Because all those actions hurt the profit margins.
Why does this matter?
Mandatory jail sentences mean consistent and known sources of profit, something all corporations love.
I don’t know if Keith is at a private jail, but he is a perfect example of the type of criminal all private jails want – guaranteed income for several decades at least and almost no cost to watch as he’s non-violent (in jail terms, not in his behavior towards women).
A private jail would love to be filled with nothing but Keith Ranieres.
All of this is very much by design.
Do you seriously expect those that benefit from it, aka politicians and judges at all levels of government, to actually change it?
You have lost your damn mind to think this is true or going to happen even in your great grandchild’s lifetime.
The only time change occurs is when the people force it or when those in charge benefit from it.
The people do not understand the justice system enough to force it (see grand jury example) and those in charge most definitely would not benefit from changing it.
