Mandatory Drug Sentencing

America began its war on drugs during the 80's while Ronald Reagan was in office. Extreme punishment is handed out for drug offenses. Narcotics like cocaine and heroin alter the mind significantly and punishment should be harsh for anyone who consumes or deals these drugs. The drug laws are harsh for all narcotics which should be evaluated. Marijuana has been the subject of many debates for the past twenty years. This drug does not significantly alter the brain and in some cases can be legally used for medicinal purposes. Marijuana should not be looked at as a severe narcotic.

Prison populations are growing at an alarming rate due to harsh sentencing towards drug offenses. America could alleviate prison overcrowding if they re-evaluate mandatory drug sentencing. There are individuals spending long periods of time in prison for marijuana charges. Alcohol in most cases causes more problems than marijuana, but alcohol possession does not put you in prison.

People believe that marijuana should be legalized and taxed. This is much harder than one might expect, because most of the public is against it. Drugs are hard to accept, because they cause so much pain and suffering. Cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines are extreme narcotics, but marijuana should not be grouped with these drugs. In the future America will continue to look at legalizing marijuana and it will be interesting to see the outcome. In upcoming years marijuana will become more accepted, but until then it is still a narcotic and is still illegal. Hopefully one day legislation will look at marijuana in a different light.

BTK: Bind, Torture, and Kill

When and average citizen thinks of Wichita, Kansas they think of one thing, "BTK." Wichita is home to one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. BTK terrorized the Wichita area for three decades. His killings started in the mid 70's with his last one occurring in 1990. BTK was apprehended in 2005 when he resurfaced with letters to law enforcement and local media. Up until that time BTK was the Boogey Man in Wichita. 

Dennis Rader was an upstanding citizen in Wichita. He had a loving family and was the head member in his church. How can this man be a serial killer? Serial killers are egocentric and this is their downfall. Dennis Rader is BTK and he would of never been apprehended if he didn't resurface seven years ago. Every criminal profile was wrong, because criminal profilers never believed that a killer of this sort could live the life that Rader did. It is hard to believe that for years BTK stopped killing and lived a normal life.

Dennis Rader lived a life of deception. This is why he is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. He changed his motives always leading police on a wild goose chase. It is unbelievable that a killer of this nature could live at large for so many years. Lt. Landwehr stated that if Rader never resurfaced he would of never been caught.

BTK will forever be in the minds of citizens of Wichita. It is a part of history that people wish would of never happened. One can't help but think Rader changed the way law enforcement studies serial killers. 

Criminal Theory

For years people have tried to find reasons why people commit crime. Crimes are committed for many different  reasons, therefore theorists create theories around these reasons. Before the twentieth century most crime theories were based around physical aspects of the individual. Cesare Lombroso is the father of criminology. He focused mainly on the biological characteristics of people. Lombroso is most known for his theory of Atavism. Atavistic humans were believed to be traced back to a more primitive human being. If they had primitive characteristics they were targeted as being criminal. In time Lombroso's theory was rejected by his peers, because his means were unethical and theories began to look at psychological aspects. 

Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham are significant figures in the Classical Theory of Criminology. They believed that torture was wrong and the criminal justice system needed to be modernized. Classical Theory states that people commit crime out of free will and they know what they are doing. They should be punished according to their crimes. Their punishment in turn would deter similar criminal individuals from committing crime. 

A huge turning point in American criminology was the beginning of the Chicago School of Criminology. Robert E. Park focused on concentric zones and crime is learned by older criminals. Social disorganization is supported by Park's ideas. It states that disorganized societies or ones that are poverty stricken have a higher number of criminals.

Criminology is a very interesting subject, because it is hard to find a solid explanation. It is a challenge to find  out why criminals commit crime. People will continue to study this subject, because it is forever changing. It may not stop crimes from happening, but help the public understand why it happened.

Illegal Immigration in America

America was founded by immigrants and has accepted millions of them ever since we have been a sovereign state. Illegal immigration has become a growing problem in the United States over the past half century. Our country is one of the best countries in the world, however, this attracts people from countries that are less fortunate. These individuals take advantage of our system, because they are living here illegally. Illegal immigrants do not have to pay taxes like every other American citizen which simply means free rent.  This also puts a bind on our legal system. America has created law enforcement agencies just to deal with illegal immigrants such as Border Patrol and I.C.E. Illegal immigration effects our society economically more than anything.

A study done by Fox News stated illegal immigration costs America almost 113 billion dollars a year. This is staggering considering the current debt crisis our country is in. These individuals do not have to pay for health care, insurance, or schooling. America is mostly split on illegal immigration. Some citizens believe that we should accept any foreign individual. On the other hand citizens want to kick these foreign immigrants out of the country, because they do not belong here. Illegal immigrants should not be allowed to live here. Being opposed to illegal immigration does make one racist like some believe. This is significantly affecting our country and  certain sect of our population refuses to accept that. 

It has been a problem along the southern border of the United States. America can't afford to patrol the entire border between Mexico and America which allows immigrants to cross freely into America. Immigrants that cross into America are mostly hardworking individuals who just want a new life but don't want to pay for it. Unfortunately that is not how the world works. If the United States can somehow figure out a plan to supplement these individuals then immigrants can live and work in this country. It is a growing problem and it will be interesting to see where immigration laws are headed.

Offender Residency Restrictions

Residency Restrictions has been a problem for years. No innocent human being feels comfortable living next to an ex con. Restrictions on where offenders can live causes problems for the offender and society.  Today, laws and restrictions are extremely demanding making it hard to return to society after spending time in jail or prison. Restrictions are harsh, because the public demands they be segregated from these formor criminals. Unfortunately the public is not educated properly on the crimes and cases. The citizens of America refuse to look at ex cons on a case by case basis, but believe they are all bad and should not have the right to live near innocent citizens.

All offenders do not have to abide by the same restrictions. Residency restrictions are mainly directed toward sexual offenders. Offenders convicted of sex crimes are under harsh restrictions and if these residency restrictions are violated punishment is severe. There are currently at least thirty states that have adopted some sort of residence restrictions, but Kansas is not one of these states. Kansas does not believe that residence restrictions are effective against recidivism. Instead of pouring money into restrictions on residence they would rather put money towards other programs to protect all Kansans and not just those near schools and parks. Florida was the first state to enact a residence restriction law and their law is pretty harsh.

Florida Residence Restrictions

• Sexual offenders shall not live within a 1000 feet of a school, playground, park, or day care center.
• Counties have gone even harsher extending this zone out to 2500 feet.

Offenders in states that have similar bans find it hard to find residence to live out their lives. Restrictions like these may apply to the most dangerous of offenders, but first time offenders are being forced out into the middle of nowhere. The government enacts these restrictions to protect the public from sexual predators. The public may feel more safe, but studies have shown there is no correlation between the offender and distance from a target. So how effective are residency restrictions? After states enacted this law more than half of offenders would have to move which is difficult in today's society. Offenders are becoming homeless at alarming rates due to residence restrictions. America needs to re-evaluate residency restrictions and find something that really works. 

Steroids

Steroids are overlooked as being a harsh illegal drug. The use of steroids can be harmful to the mind and body. America's war on drugs focuses on harmful drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines. A drug that the justice system has overlooked is steroids. Steroids in most cases do little harm, but in others it can have a lasting impact. For years steroids were legal and used openly, but over the past two decades steroids have become a serious criminal issue. The Steroid Control Act of 1990 officially made the distribution and possession of steroids a felony.

In the 1980's steroids became known to the American public and world as being both a performance enhancer and a killer. Ben Johnson was an Olympic athlete who won gold in 1988, but unfortunately he tested positive for steroids. In the sports world athletes who take performance enhancing drugs (steroids) were deemed as cheaters. The fight against steroids ultimately began with the death of NFL football star Lyle Alzado. Alzado knowingly took steroids and it ultimately lead to his death. Doctors fought against the justice system explaining that steroids did not cause Alzado's death. Before his death Alzado stated that steroids would be the death of him and Congress ran with his testimony.

Steroid use was common in Major League Baseball through the 80's and 90's. Major League Baseball is sports organization who has some of the toughest policies on steroid use. Baseball has a three strikes and your out policy which has been an effective preventative method. Steroids are an illegal substance, but players found guilty of taking steroids do not receive any criminal charges. Major League Baseball looks at the effect of steroids on performance, however they overlook the psychological effects steroids may have.

Steroids make us look good and perform better, but like other drugs it is hard to stop. We have seen a rise in steroid use among high school athletes. These kids look up to sports icons and will do anything it takes to get on that level. The focus on steroid use among high school students is the psychological effect the drug has. Steroids may cause depression and similar symptoms which can lead to suicide. Alan Rogol is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia. He did a report on youth steroid use which showed staggering results. According to his study one in sixteen high school students admitted to using some sort of performance enhancing drug. (Rogol) That is an crazy number considering there are millions of high school student athletes.

More people need to be educated on the lasting impacts of steroids. Health risks are not the only negative effects, but steroids is a felony offense. Steroids may not be as serious as cocaine and other drugs, but we should not look at steroids like that. We should accept steroids as being just as serious as any other illegal drug.

Guns on Campus

Conceal and carry laws have been a controversial issue for years. Our second amendment rights give us the right to bear arms to form a militia. The second amendment does not necessarily state we can carry firearms in public. Although it is has been an issue to certain advocacy groups it has not caused any problems publicly. Citizens who acquire a conceal and carry license have to undergo a strict background check and have to pay heavily to get the license. An article by Mike Stuckey states that around six million people conceal firearms legally, however this number is fairly low considering America's population is around 300 million. (Stuckey) The article tells the events in which an attorney who was the target of an attempted robbery shot and killed the man robbing him. Law enforcement stated it as a justifiable homicide and Corley who was the shooter gave a voluntary statement. An American who has the right to conceal and carry is educated on the responsibilities he is held under.

There will always be advocates against conceal and carry, but recent school mass shootings have given light to another issue. People have arguing whether or not college students who have conceal and carry licenses should be allowed to carry on their college campus. In the past few years legislation has been passed in several states allowing students to carry firearms on campus. College students have created a non-partisan group called Concealed Campus advocating rights to carry on campus. Colorado's Supreme Court recently passed  a law allowing students to carry on campus and Kansas is debating the right to carry on campus as we speak.

Opposition on the matter explains that there is a time and place for everything, but guns do not have a place anywhere. People argue that allowing guns on campus would lead to more violent crime. This argument has not held any weight, because when you look at the facts every campus in both Utah and Colorado there has not been and increase in violent crime. Other people believe the rate of student suicides will increase. This argument does not even correlate to conceal and carry laws. Studies show that most suicides occur in home and seeing that most college students over twenty one (minimum age requirement to obtain a license) live off campus shows that this argument is irrelevant. (CampusCarry)

As American citizens we have been given the right to defend ourselves. The world is a harsh place and guns will always be a part of that equation. Concealing a firearm may only be a fraction of violent crimes committed. If one would look at the statistics they would see that there are many different factors causing violent crime. If a person wants to commit a violent crime we have to ask the question, why would they get a license to legally carry a firearm only to turn around and commit an illegal act.