Pubdate: Sun, 22 Feb 2004
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Copyright: 2004 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Author: Michael Kerner

INNOCENT IN JAIL

Re the Feb. 15 letter, "Kosher inmates": Implied in the letter writer's 
assertion that criminals deserve no special treatment is the assumption 
that if you are in jail, you must be guilty. Unfortunately our criminal 
justice system is far too corrupt for that assumption to be valid.

At least 20 percent of inmates are jailed for actions that would never be 
considered crimes in a rational system, crimes with no victims. An unknown 
number of others are railroaded into pleading guilty to things they did not 
do to avoid unconstitutionally applied alternate penalties, such as having 
their children taken from them or devastating property forfeitures.

Michael Kerner, Lenexa, Kansas
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