By David Gornoski The following is an article by Craig Cesal, a federal prisoner sentenced to life without the possibility of parole as a first-time offender convicted of conspiring to distribute marijuana. "I sentence you to a term of natural life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole." These were the words I heard in the months after the events of September … [Read more...] about I Was Sentenced to Life Without Parole for a Non-Violent First Drug Offense
Crime
A More Sane Alternative to Government Prisons
Op-Ed by Lee Friday Rape, violence, and drugs are ubiquitous in prisons, so it is not surprising that recidivists commit a hugely disproportionate share of crime. Government prisons and so-called private prisons have no incentive to rehabilitate prisoners or improve prison conditions because taxes are their source of revenue, which is guaranteed regardless of … [Read more...] about A More Sane Alternative to Government Prisons
“We’re Going to Find You” — How Undercover Agents Trade Prison Time for Bitcoins
By Graham Smith An Australian national living in Boulder, Colorado was slammed with a one year and a day prison sentence last month for trading bitcoins. An August 23 statement from the Colorado U.S. District Attorney’s Office states that Emilio Testa, 32, was charged with money laundering, and claims Testa knew the funds he was acquiring had been used in narcotics deals. … [Read more...] about “We’re Going to Find You” — How Undercover Agents Trade Prison Time for Bitcoins