Privatize the Prisons?

There has been talk about states selling their prison systems to private companies and allowing them to run the correctional system.  Is this a good idea?

At first, it looks great: the taxpayers can reduce the high cost of building, maintaining, guarding, providing medical care, and programming for offenders.  Why not let a private company take-over the costs?  …

400 “Criminals” in One Room!

I just returned from a national writer’s convention in Santa Fe.  It’s called Left Coast Crime and I sat in the middle of almost 400 mystery writers.  Spooky…the only thing that could be worse would be sitting among 400 lawyers!

What would be most interesting for you is the wide variety of people who write mysteries/suspense stories and …

Domestic Islamic Terrorists Here?

You’ve probably heard about the New York Congressman Peter King who will be conducting hearings for his congressional committee that is investigating domestic Islamic terrorism starting this week.

The  StarTribune carried an Associated Press article about the upcoming hearings at:http://www.startribune.com/nation/117590368.html

The proposed hearings are quite controversial.  Of course, most Americans are worried about domestic terrorists but many …

Public Employees–Cut Back??

With all the national discussion about Public Employees, should we cut back on them?

Before you decide, I’ve got a short story to tell.

I have to disclose from the beginning that I am a public employee and anything I post in this blog is my own opinion and not that of any employer.

Several years ago, …

In Arizona–Will Loughner get off by Insanity?

In some ways it seems so obvious: any person who would plan to assassinate a public official, buy a gun, actually carry out the shooting, and kill people must be insane! Right?

So will Jared Loughner, the shooter in Arizona, get off by reason of insanity in his cases?

Under the law in most states, if a person …