Democracy In Albany

"With the police harassing the felons that will be getting out of jail and the felons trying to reclaim their positions we are all in trouble".

And why would there be a mass release of "people that were arrested in 2005, 2006 and the beginning of 2007?" Criminals get out of jail when their sentences are up, not based on the years they were arrested.

In the author's mind though, this year will be different. It's expected to be worse this summer because of the early release program ordered implemented by our courts not that long ago in order to alleviate overcrowding in our jails and prisons and because, I believe, that several prisons are scheduled to close permanently.

For all those reasons and to make room for the ever growing number of violent offenders.

They will be being released from our prisons before their scheduled release dates, or earlier than their sentencing calls for them to be imprisoned.

Known violent offenders will not be receiving an early release date. Only non-violent felons, usually small-time drug offenders will be coming home early.

The early release program is also the result of the state recognizing the unfair sentencing that occurred under the harsh sentencing mandated by the Rockerfeller Drug laws. (Three strikes and you're out of the game forever)[Three felony convictions and you get a life sentence]

In some cases someone possessing less than one ounce of marijuana can be convicted of what I believe is called felonious possession.

A felon can never vote, can never get a passport and will never be allowed to own a firearm, regardless of how long they live a trouble-free life after serving their sentence.

Imagine that, if you will, an eighteen year old kid buys some weed, gets busted and gets sentenced to a year and a day in prison, and even if he's released earlier for good behavior and goes on to live a trouble-free and productive life, he still won't be allowed to vote or travel overseas when he's seventy.

(There are actually inmates in the Texas prison system doing life for possessing a single joint of marijuana.)

I really don't know much about the prison system or penal law, so if I've gotten any of this wrong I hope someone more knowledgeable than I will correct my error.

I believe by using the term 'uprising' the writer meant a turf war like none we've seen before between those returning to Albany from prison attempting to reclaim their piece of the contraband pie from those who took over in their absence.

I am sure it was not meant in any way to insinuate a pending criminal attack upon the authorities, but rather that the imagined ensuing gang war will be beyond the capability of the APD to control its resulting chaos. (some readers are too young to recall the Watts Riots)

I believe what was meant was that it will occur between those criminals and miscreants you so aptly describe.

Oftentimes felons, during their imprisonment, realize they have led fruitless lives and decide that they want to walk the straight and narrow path and participate in society in a meaningful and productive way.

These felons go on, despite facing the great difficulties presented by their own records, a consequence of their own actions, to function in society, to be good fathers to their children and good spouses to their partners. These are those who have recognized the error of their ways.

These are just the sort of folks with the tools it takes to positively influence some still reachable wayward youths, who otherwise would be destined for prison, back onto the path to leading productive lives themselves.