nonviolent offenders

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Even the Judge Thinks This Woman's Sentence Is 'Idiotic'

He's now fighting for clemency for Lori Kavitz

(Newser) - Lori Kavitz's 24-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute meth has been called "idiotic, arbitrary, unduly harsh, and grossly unfair"—by the very man who imposed it. US District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett is one of thousands asking President Obama to pardon Kavitz, whose "major mistake...

One of Missouri's Rarest Inmates Has Shot at Freedom

Jeff Mizanskey has been in prison for two decades over non-violent pot offenses

(Newser) - As of this year, Jeff Mizanskey, 62, was two decades into a life sentence "without the possibility of parole" for nonviolent marijuana offenses—something so rare there was no one like him in Missouri and only a handful across the US. Then, after a highly publicized campaign led by...

Woman Busted in Scuffle Over NYC 'Savages' Ad

Tries to spray-paint over anti-Islam ad, as another defends it with her body

(Newser) - New York City's controversial subway ads equating jihadists to "savages" did not take long to incite a scuffle: The New York Post has gotten its hands on footage of an intense encounter between two women. The video shows a woman who proudly identifies herself as Egyptian-American journalist Mona...

New Jersey's 'Safe Surrender' Day Draws 3,901 People

Including 550 not actually in any trouble

(Newser) - New Jersey held a wildly successful Safe Surrender program last week, during which 3,901 people turned themselves in—including 550 people who weren’t actually wanted for anything. “For some people, this seemed to be a way to check: Do I have a warrant or not?” explains a...

Hulk's Son: Get Me Outta Here!
 Hulk's Son: Get Me Outta Here! 

Hulk's Son: Get Me Outta Here!

Wrestler's jailbird offspring doesn't care for county's hospitality

(Newser) - Wrestler Hulk Hogan's teenage son is asking to be released from jail, where he's isolated from other inmates because he's a minor, the Tampa Tribune reports. Lawyers for Nick Bollea, 17, serving 8 months for reckless driving, say he suffers "unbearable anxiety" and should be sent home until he...

1 in 100 Americans in Prison
1 in 100 Americans in Prison

1 in 100 Americans in Prison

'Tough on crime' proving expensive stance as state resources dwindle, study reports

(Newser) - One American adult out of 100 is incarcerated, a new study shows—the first time in US history such a high proportion of the population is behind bars. The Pew Center on the States reports the nationwide prison population grew by 25,000 last year, to 1.6 million, with...

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