James Williams Lewis, 23, was sentenced in Missouri yesterday to 37 YEARS in prison for purse snatching.
James William Lewis ripped the purse from the woman at a Kroger store April 6, 2013. The judge says Lewis' history of committing felonies was considered when determining his sentence.
Yes, you read that right, 37 years for purse snatching.
Nothing highlights the state of our broken justice system more than when a young person is sent to prison for the majority of their adult lives for nothing more than petty theft. Follow me below the orange jump suit for more on this outrage.
Twenty three year-old James Williams Lewis will spend the majority of his adult life, if this judge has his way, in prison. Is this a problem? Yes, it's a problem because the United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, but still leads industrialized nations in violent crimes. What this says to me is we must be doing something wrong. If you haven't viewed John Oliver's excellent mockery of our broken prison system, it's worth the time.
The judge states he considered Lewis' previous run-ins with the law when sentencing him. I do not know (I am not a legal expert) why this is even constitutional. Wouldn't that be considered "double jeopardy?" If I were to commit a crime that normally carries a sentence of a few months - to a year - behind bars, but because I previously committed another crime for which I already served; I now have to do more time because of that previous sentence? Should it not be considered as being sentenced twice for the same crime? This is a major flaw in our justice system that is widely accepted.
Lewis' personal circumstances should also be considered when sentencing. Does he have mental health issues, substance addiction, or can't find stable employment and is just trying feed himself and his family? Many non-violent convicted criminals are falling through the cracks of our justice system because they are not receiving the adequate help they need to reduce recidivism in our prison populations. Society could have been much better served if Lewis is mandated to receive the proper rehabilitation needed - whether it is for medical, job training, or other positive reinforcements to help Williams become a productive contributing member of our society
States like Michigan who have outsourced - read privatized - many parts of their correctional services to "reduce costs" are instead now facing an increase in the long term costs to our society because of the under-trained, understaffed, and lack of oversight of these facilities that privatization brings into our system.
Like I said, I am not a legal expert. I do not know why our legal system is the way it is. What I do know is that a person should not be sentenced to 37 years for stealing a purse. It is not just James Lewis either. Our system of justice carries-out "injustices" every day to thousands of individuals.
I'll leave you with one last note. A mental exercise. If you haven't clicked on the link provided above to the article regarding James Lewis' sentencing, what was the mental image of the person that developed in your head. Did you think he was black? James Williams Lewis is white. Whilst blacks and minorities in general, are disproportionately the victims of an unfair and unjust criminal justice system, the story of James Williams Lewis brings to attention that white skin can’t protect a person 100 percent of the time from falling through the cracks of our failed justice system.
Our justice system is an outrage. If you think you can't be a victim of our justice system, you are wrong. Pointing out the fact that the victim this time is a white male is not meant to say "since a white person was unjustifiably sentenced, we now must act." It's just simply meant to point out that it can happen to anyone and is it an outrage when anyone becomes a victim of our "justice" system.