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Confusion on the inside and outside The Pandemic has left confusion in all states as well as the governor have lef confusion. Tennessee lawmakers have told the judges to find alternatives in sentencing for low-level individuals focusing on class B, C, D and E felony offenses in local county jails. Not only because of the pandemic but also because of the capacity The capacity of local county jails in Tennessee as well as other states are at risk because of incarceration of state prisons reliance on jail beds. The county jails are releasing individuals over the pandemic and capacity. They are asking the state to come get the state inmates, to remove them from the county jail. Yet the state prison tells the county jails that they do not have the beds for the individuals. That in fact the jails have to keep the state inmates until the state desides when or if they deside to move the inmates. There for the jail can not let the state inmate go and they can not get the state to talk them. Stuck! We dont wont your state inmates, we cant let them go and you wont come get them. Check it out for yourself. It's in the news. You can see it on t.v or read about it in the Tennessean Now lets talk about what the judges are being ask to do. Alternative sentencing for low-level 2 non-person offenses focusing on class B, C, D and E felonies. Judges are to release individuals in courts around the counties on community supervision, parole, probation, and so on. But the state inmate inside prison can not get out on any of the opportunities. Going up on parole in front of a parole board is like going up in front of the same judge all over again and you have done made him mad at you for some reason. The state is not focusing on non-person class B, C, D and E offenses. Do as we say not as we do! Confusion! Bill Lee ran for Governor for the state of Tennessee. He ran on Criminal Justice Reform. Sentencing, Prison Reform, Re-entry and intake. Become governor of Tennessee bassed on this fact. Governor Lee´s Executive Order 6. The Criminal Justice investment Task Force. Put months of time into looking into the subject. Tennessee justice budget condishtions, safty in prisons, one billion annually on correction. This body of criminal justice stakeholders made recommendations after comprehensive review. Tennessee sentences a large number of individuals convicted of nonviolent offensives being for non-person offenses to the state prisons and due to increasing 3 sentence lengths and decreasing parole releases is the reason for the nations high budget. 2. The state should, "legislative changes," change policies to focus state prison beds on violent and dangerous individuals and to alter sentencing to community corrections and supervision, for non-violent offenses Judges have been ask to do this! Judges are doing this now for the individuals going befor the courts and have not done one day of time on the crime. But the state of Tennessee, the governor of Tennessee has not given one inmate the same justice. The inmate that has done months or years on the same crimes as the individuals going befor the courts at this time! Justice you think? If so then who is that equal justice being given to? The inmate that is in prison for months or years dose not feel the justice in it. No, he is saying - Let me go and let the one going befor the Judge come do him a fue months or years! Why should I have to do all my time and others doing the same crimes get off without doing even a day. Tennessee equal justice! 3. In the 1970's states used incarceration as primary policy sentencing individuals to prison and for longer periods. In the 1990's and 2000's prison populations and corrections budget continued to grow. State findings increasing lengths of stay are the result of key 4 occurrences: individuals receiving longer sentences are the reason for relative growths. Tennessee sentencing structures is a grid that matches up the felony class of an offense with an individual's criminal history. The grid relies in prior criminal history with large increases in sentence ranges based on the number of prior offenses. The grid "dose not differentiate between violent and non-violent prior offenses" and includes convictions from any period of time within an individual's life. "This contributes to long sentences. "Sentence lengths grow based on history and not the seriousness of the current offense." Meaning in the state of Tennessee if an individual commits a crime, "the same crime as another," he or she may get 3 or 4 time the years as another person get's for that same crime. The states Justice Task Force is saying this is a reason, a "big reason for the states $ one billion dollar budget and the growing prison population. The Task Force is asking legislature to change laws in sentencing for inhanced sentence structure for non-violent non-person offenses and property offenses like burglary, larceny/theft, drug offenses, and fraud were a persons conduct did not involve harm to another person. The state no's what the problem is, The Governor no's what the problem is. Legislature and the People of the State no's what the problems are. 5 All this and the governor has not plased one Bill to legislature to change one law to fix anything. The people are online, on the T.V news, in the Newspapers asking for this reform. Families, Loved ones, People in the streets asking for reform and yet nothing! Governor Bill Lee himself came up with a commutation for rehabilitated people to give time serve, parole, and or sentences served concurrently instead of consecutively. Established for inmates sentenced on enhanced sentence structure for drug or property non-violent-non-person offenses. Yet not one commutation has been given! And Bill Lee ran for office bassed on justice reforms! Now he said in his State of State Address 2020. First and formost, we must be tough on crime! A long ways off from what he said wile running for his office. As stated in the news by his fellow legislatures was a surprise coming from him after the things he stated running for his office, what he promissed the people. 4. As the Task force said research finds that long term incarceration is not more effective than -non-custodial sanctions for non-violent-non-person offenses. 5. As the news said if not now then when! Thank you! Tony Beasley
