Crack Attics

According to a website reviewing apartments, my former apartment complex is full of "crack attics." I've never seen one, but I suppose I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for. Or it could be that crack addicts are revolving in out of the prison system rather than hanging out at my old apartment complex.

By 2010, over 3% of our population will either be in prison or have been in prison. A good chunk of those people will have been incarcerated for drug crimes. While lowering the crime rate is a goal everyone agrees with, options other than incarceration are seen as bleeding heart and muddle-headed.

According to the sentencing project, 60% of federal prisoners are in for drug crimes. It is worth asking how we can remain a democratic and free country if the prison experience becomes our national experience for those who are poor, black, and young.

Of course if you're rich, privileged, and white maybe you don't have to worry. President Bush apparently doesn't have a twinge of conscience that he is running the country after some wild partying days when, if he had been a different person, his partying might have led straight to jail.

Here are some interesting websites:

http://www.sentencingproject.org/losing_05.cfm

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0818/p02s01-usju.html

Here is the apartment review website:

http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/CA-San-Jose-101-San-Fernando.html