Web Scams and Vengeance
Published October 23, 2009 @ 04:47PM PT
A Nigerian official visiting the U.S. this week announced that the country is actually starting to fight online scam artists. This effort is good news for everyone with an email account, and it's especially good for the thousands of people who somehow fall for these scams every year.
You've surely seen these advance-fee scams -- they're so deeply associated with Nigeria that they're also called Nigerian scams. They're often in ALL CAPS. The emailer will claim to have inherited a fortune, or found a fortune, or know how to get a fortune. You just have to send a deposit to help them secure the money. It goes on from there. And people really do fall for them -- smart people. Experts say the scams gross hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
I hate to always be a downer, especially when we should be celebrating Nigeria's attack on annoying, immoral spammers out to steal out money, but this news got me thinking about whether our brains are wired for revenge, because it reminded me about people around the world who have made a hobby of baiting these scammers into a taste of their own medicine. And it reminded me of the lengths to which these scammer-baiters will go.
When There's No DNA
Published October 23, 2009 @ 06:54AM PT
Two men are expected to be freed later today in Dallas after serving 12 years in prison for a murder they didn't commit. So why does District Attorney Craig Watkins say it's his "biggest" exoneration yet?
Watkins, a hero in the innocence movement for his success in shifting a major Texas city from 'tough on crime' to 'smart on crime,' says the cases of Claude Alvin Simmons Jr. (left) and Christopher Shun Scott (right) could have national impact because they cleared through reinvestigation -- but not DNA testing, and because his office worked closely with the Dallas Police.
"I expect this case will get a lot of attention, and I expect you'll see other police departments get involved in cases like this. We're going to lead the way in how to dispense justice," Watkins told the Dallas Observer.
Wrongfully Convicted and Now Deported, Too?
Published October 22, 2009 @ 04:16PM PT
The cases of Julio Maldonado and Denis Calderon are getting some attention in Philadelphia -- but Maldonado could still be deported in the coming weeks to Peru, a country he left 36 years ago when he was 3, if something doesn't give.
This case involves is a long, winding trail of injustice. Maldonado and Calderon were convicted of a 1996 aggravated assault in Philadelphia that they claim was not only self defense, but self defense in a racially motivated assault by a drunken gang. The evidence is strong that they were wrongfully convicted of this assault. They spent nearly three years in prison - but then their immigration nightmare began.
The men were both longtime lawful residents, but their conviction was grounds for deportation. They refused to sign a deportation order, and were sent to federal prison for hindering their own removal from the U.S.
More than 900 people have signed a change.org petition urging Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell to pardon the men. Join them here.
Consensus Grows for DUI Prevention
Published October 22, 2009 @ 07:05AM PT
California took a big step this month toward preventing drunk driving fatalities by launching a pilot program in five counties that will require interlock devices installed in cars for a period of time after a first offense of driving under the influence.
I've written about my support for interlock devices before -- they're essentially breathalyzers installed in cars, and drivers must blow either a .00 blood alcohol to drive or below the legal limit, depending on their sentence. Eleven states now require the devices installed after a first DUI offense.
These devices will prevent deaths, and there's almost no downside. They are straight prevention, they are only required after a driver has proven (by getting caught at least once) that he or she isn't responsible enough to drive without supervision. More than 11,000 people died in the U.S. last year in crashes caused by drunk drivers -- including 1,029 in California. These deaths are preventable.
The New York Times has an editorial today praising California on its new law. The Oakland Tribune says the law doesn't go far enough. Either way, it's a start. And public opinion seems to be lining up solidly in favor of interlock devices.
Healthy Prison Food
Published October 21, 2009 @ 04:28AM PT
The Indiana Department of Corrections announced this week that it will reduce sodium and cholesterol in the food it serves to prisoners -- aiming to improve the health of its prison population. The state is following the lead of several others that have focused on nutrition in prison diets in recent years.
It's a worthy goal -- prisoners have little choice in what they eat, and most of them will be released eventually. By providing healthy food, prison systems are helping to ensure that released prisoners will be healthy and able to live their lives once they're released.
In the video after the jump, Slate visited the 2007 Correctional Food Conference and learned some interesting background on the food our prisoners eat. One vendor said it tends to be healthier and better than the food served in schools. Everyone works to make sure their packaging can't be used to make weapons. And, of course, cost is king - prison meat can run between 15 and 30 cents a serving.
Police Chiefs: Death Penalty Doesn't Work
Published October 20, 2009 @ 04:05PM PT
A report released today by the Death Penalty Information Center finds that Police Chiefs don't believe the death penalty deters crime.
They also don't think it's a good use of taxpayer money.
Oh, and if they had to choose between life without parole (with victim restitution) and the death penalty, only 47% of them would choose death. That's exactly the same result as a Gallup poll of all Americans I reported on over the weekend.
Aren't police chiefs -- who see the results of violent crime up close, who come into contact with candidates for the death penalty -- uniquely qualified to evaluate its impact? I think they are. And they don't think it works.
Hiding ‘Problem Prisoners’ to Pass Inspection
Published October 20, 2009 @ 03:48PM PT
A fresh scandal in the U.K. reveals that officers at two London prisons routinely shuffled prisoners between facilities in order to pass inspections.
Reports released today from an independent examiner find that the practice -- known as “ghosting” -- was commonly used at two London facilities, where prisoners were transferred from one to the other in anticipation of an audit, and then returned immediately after the review. Justice Secretary Jack Straw ordered a nationwide investigation.
The frequent moving of prisoners is a common practice around the world, and under normal circumstances it can be destructive -- interrupting medical care, education and positive relationships, moving prisoners far from families and support networks and causing violence by forcing prisoners to repeatedly prove themselves to new populations. But hiding prisoners from inspectors is a new low.
I’ve known people who have been moved more than ten times during a 15 year sentence -- some in New York call it the “upstate tour.” Of course, there can be legitimate reasons for moves as well -- prisoners can request transfers to facilities with certain programs or to avoid violent circumstances.
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