SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The ACLU of Tennessee has criticized a judge's sentence reduction deal for inmates. Judge Sam Benningfield signed an order permitting a 30-day sentence reduction for male inmates who agree to have vasectomy and female inmates who agree to get the birth control implant Nexplanon, which prevents pregnancy for four years.
The program is voluntary. However, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has condemned the program, calling it "unconstitutional." [...] But Benningfield, who declined to speak to NBC News, told News Channel 5 that he is trying to encourage "personal responsibility" among inmates, who will not "be burdened with children" when they are released. "This gives them a chance to get on their feet and make something of themselves," Benningfield told the station.
Since the program began, 32 women have received the birth control implant and 38 men have agreed to have a vasectomy, News Channel 5 reported. It was not immediately clear how many men have undergone the surgery.
Inmates can get two days knocked off their sentences for attending a course about the risks of babies born addicted to opioids:
America's opioid crisis is expanding to a new class of victims—unborn children. Infants are being born with symptoms of withdrawal, also known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS. In the last decade, states like Tennessee have seen a ten-fold rise in the number of babies born with NAS.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sjames on Sunday July 23 2017, @01:27AM (6 children)
Lead poisoning also causes low impulse control. Guess who is statistically more likely to live in areas contaminated with lead from car exhaust?
Of course, then this little exercise in eugenics will be worthless,
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 23 2017, @02:15AM
citations:
https://www.wired.com/2011/06/the-crime-of-lead-exposure/ [wired.com]
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/opinion/the-toxic-legacy-of-lead-paint.html [nytimes.com]
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2015/10/even_low_levels_of_lead_poison.html [cleveland.com]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday July 23 2017, @02:19AM (2 children)
It seems to be a contributing factor but it won't negate the others.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday July 23 2017, @08:06AM (1 child)
What others?
It sounds like you wish to absolve the poisoners of any responsibility by claiming the poisoned had some sort of moral failing that allowed their poisoning.
Or, perhaps you mean that there are multiple factors that might push a person to become a career criminal. That much is true, but it suggests that some percentage of the lead poisoned career criminals would have chosen a better route if not for the lead. Lead poisoning clearly leads to diminished capacity. There is no controversy there.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday July 23 2017, @08:18AM
Some of the other factors are covered in the original post. I don't absolve anyone, it's a strict finding that lead poisoning can contribute to violent behavior which also implies that this specific is strictly environmental. Fewer or less criminal activity over large populations is likely with less poisoning.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 24 2017, @06:49AM (1 child)
Google, Facebook etc hire disproportionately more Asians than whites (who are underrepresented when compared to the USA demographics).
(Score: 2) by sjames on Wednesday July 26 2017, @02:12AM
I don't think so much during the time when the lead pollution was at it's worst, Since leaded automotive fuel was effectively banned in '76, the problem has been abating. Of course, there is a delay in seeing the effect since childhood exposure results in a tendency to criminal behavior as an adult.