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Important (though incomplete) op-ed on mass incarceration and mercy

By Douglas A. Berman

Professor Carol Steiker has this interesting column in the Sunday Washington Post, headlined "Passing the Buck on Mercy."  The piece begins by discussing the debate over the sentencing of long-time fugitive Susan LeFevre (background here), and then turns to making broader points about mass incarceration and mercy.  Here are some excerpts:Sitting in her cell in Plymouth, Mich., LeFevre is one of 2 million Americans behind bars. Many of them, like LeFevre, are nonviolent drug offenders.  The staggering number of American prisoners has made the United States the world's leading incarcerator; this nation locks up a greater number of offenders for longer periods than any other nation. In 1960, approximately 330,000 people were behind bars in the United States...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on September 07, 2008 (boomark / email).