Biden: 'Nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime'

[PoliticAverse]

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday declared that he believes “nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime.”

At the third Democratic primary debate in Houston, Biden offered the response as part of a defense of his criminal justice record, though he appeared to be referring to serving time for non-violent drug offenses rather than suggesting that white-collar criminals should, too, serve no jail time for their crimes.

“The fact of the matter is that what's happened is that we're in a situation now where there are so many people who are in jail and shouldn't be in jail. The whole means by which this should change is to — the model has to change,” he said, adding: “Nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime.”

Biden then pointed out the number of commutations that took place when he was vice president, arguing that “nobody should be in jail for a drug problem” and that drug abusers should instead be in rehabilitation centers.

Read the rest at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-nobody-should-be-in-jail-for-a-nonviolent-crime/ar-AAHdk3i?li=BBnb7Kz

[Eric J in MN]

1. If Joe Biden meant his words 'nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime'

...then it would it would be an exciting, radical idea.

But I don't think that's what Biden meant to say. I don't think he wants everyone in jail for burglary to leave.
.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. Made ZERO sense... but, Madoff sure must be rootin' for ol' Joe.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[BeyondGeography]

2. Joe has people on staff monitoring his debate answers in real time

You know, just in case.

Link to tweet

[Eric J in MN]

4. Is Joe Biden going to say that all drug possession laws should be repealed? NT

NT

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. The context was clearly drug use crimes.

[gulliver]

17. Yep

[customerserviceguy]

19. Would that include

people who rob and hurt others to get money for their addictions?

This was a major gaffe, and will come back to haunt him in the general should he win the nomination.

[crazytown]

5. Good. Trump has nothing to fear then.

Obstruction, lying for to the special prosecutors office, financial fraud.

Time and again the campaign has to waste time splaining undisciplined speech.

[pnwmom]

6. I think Trump should be in jail and I'm unaware of any violent crimes. n/t

[mr_liberal]

7. Its actually the opposite, he said smoking marijuana should be a misdemeanor.

Maybe that doesn't mean jail, but he's still saying it should be illegal. He needs to at least be for states deciding and keeping the federal govt out of it.

That other remark he obviously misspoke.

[Liberty Belle]

8. I disagree! The punks who robbed us blind deserved jail time, though they were never caught.

They broke in when my little girl was in the hospital years ago for heart surgery, stole everything not nailed down including our video recorder and case with every video every taken of her.

They also stole all my camera gear, clothes out of closets, the watch I gave my husband on our wedding day and more.

It was not violent (though they did drop a knife in their haste to escape out the back when I came home) but scary as hell for us and very traumatic. We wound up spending thousands more to get an alarm for self protection after that. But the worst part was losing all of our baby's videos.

They deserve to rot in hell or at least a jail cell for awhile, if they had ever been caught.

[Raine]

11. My car was broken into years ago

they busted the window and stole everything in the car that wasn't attached. It wasn't violent but to this day I never return to my car without a feeling of apprehension, afraid that the car as been ransacked. Even when there isn't violence what happened stays with you. I would love for whoever did it spend time in jail.

[aikoaiko]

9. Banksters will love this.

All white color criminals will be ecstatic

[DeminPennswoods]

12. Pretty sure Biden didn't intend for his answer to

include white collar criminals, but you have to wonder if it wasn't at least a bit of a Freudian slip given Biden is from and represented Delaware, a state with very lax financial laws. It's not called the "Delaware Loophole" for nothing here in Pennsylvania.

[Optical.Catalyst]

13. That's just Joe being Joe

We all know Trump belongs in prison. Trump and all of his enablers that have fostered the current situation upon us.

[DrFunkenstein]

14. My First Thought Was "Wall Street Will Breathe a Sigh of Relief"

But after struggling to figure out what Biden actually meant, I finally settled on him just incoherently talking about drug-related crimes.

[LanternWaste]

15. Obvious and simplistic context can often be quite a struggle for many people.

"after struggling to figure out what Biden actually meant..."

Obvious and simplistic context can often be quite a struggle for many people. The struggle is real.

[DrFunkenstein]

21. I Should Listen To More Records on My Gramophone

Apparently, so should the journalist, who similarly struggled with his answer.


By the way, the adjective simple means plain, easy, ordinary, or uncomplicated.

The adjective simplistic is a pejorative word meaning overly simplified—that is, characterized by extreme and often misleading simplicity - i.e. A simplistic solution to a problem is usually a bad solution.

I'd hate for you to confuse the two again. It undermines your sarcasm when you don't know the definition of simple words.

[CatMor]

16. White Collar criminals shouldn't go to prison ..

they should have all their assets confiscated and have a lifetime of only being allowed minimum wage jobs.

[Hekate]

18. Bernie Madoff does, and so does the Trump Mob. However, I do know what Joe means. nt

[elocs]

20. "Nobody should be in jail for a nonviolent crime." Agreed.

And I've thought that for decades.
People need to be in prison for the protection of society.
I don't want people on the streets who have committed a crime which would make me fear encountering them on the streets.
Others should be fined or somehow be required to make restitution whether through a fine or community service.

But as it stands now, anyone who has spent time in prison will never truly have repaid their debt to society. They will continue to repay that debt years after they have been released in not being able to find jobs or housing.