history says, don't hope

on this side of the grave.

but then, once in a lifetime

the longed-for tidal wave

of justice can rise up,

and hope and history rhyme.

The Challenges of the U.S. Correctional System

The types of contemporary problems that exist within the U.S. correctional system are over-crowding, the growth in gang population, violence, and inadequate working conditions.  Due to the overcrowding, inmates may feel threatened.  This can lead to the need to join a type of group that directly assert their own character traits.  It also provides protection; which incites violence.  The…

Amendment 8

Year: 1988

Result: 5-3, favoring Thompson

Related constitutional issue/amendment: Amendment 8 (cruel and unusual punishment)

Civil rights or civil liberties? Civil liberties

Significance/precedent: This case was significant because the Supreme Court ruled that the execution of a 15-year-old was “cruel and unusual” and therefore unconstitutional under the 8th Amendment. It was also a step in acknowledging the rights of the accused under the due process clause.

Quote from the majority opinion:  “...but no minimum age is expressly stated in the death penalty statute.One might argue on the basis of this body of legislation that there is no chronological age at which the imposition of the death penalty is unconstitutional, and that our current standards of decency would still tolerate the execution of 10-year-old children...When we confine our attention to the 18 States that have expressly established a minimum age in their death penalty statutes, we find that all of them require that the defendant have attained at least the age of 16 at the time of the capital offense.”

Summary of the dissent: Judge Scalia, who dissented, wrote about the fact that state juries had deemed Thompson mature enough to fully understand the crime he had committed, which was why he was tried as an adult. Scalia also mentioned that if there was no national agreement on an age limit for the death penalty, than the Court did not have a constitutional right to excuse Thompson.

6-word summary: Children can’t be put to death

I'm just signal boosting this to my Floridian followers.  Amendment 8 seems to be attempting to find a back door to allow public funds to be used to support religious institutions.  It seems to be pushing for the "religious freedom" to violate separation of church and state.

Florida Religious Freedom Amendment 8

The proposed measure would prevent individuals from being barred from participating in public programs if they choose to use public funds at a religious provider. Essentially, the measure moves to repeal the state's ban of public dollars for religious funding, also known as the "Blaine Amendment."

The measure requires 60 percent voter approval for adoption.

I'm surprised by the boldness of the bullshit here, and I'm also surprised that this made it even as far as being put on the ballot.  I also would certainly hope that it would be struck down as against the U.S. Constitution even if the thing does manage to get passed.