The United States has the largest prison population in the world and the state of Florida ranked seventh in 2012 with a prison population of 556 for every l00,000 people…..And, although the US has less than 5% of the world’s population, it has 23% of the world’s prison population, with women making up one-tenth of it….. And according to Michelle Alexander an associate professor of law at Ohio State University and a civil rights advocate and writer, the United States “imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid.”
So how can our civil and criminal justice systems meet the challenge of providing equal protection under the law? In the State of Florida are there crimes that dictate mandatory incarceration? Is the law overly broad and the punishment, perhaps, too severe? Might judges with a little more discretion be able to mitigate the situation? Are the homeless considered criminals? Come and talk about it with Criminal Defense Lawyer Adam Tebrugge at Einstein’s Circle on Wednesday.
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A SPECIAL THANKSGIVING NOTE: With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we will be collecting food for the All Faith’s Food Bank in the lobby of Selby Auditorium before the Wednesday, Nov. 19th Einstein’s Circle and the Thursday, Nov. 20th LLA lecture. (Please do not bring anything in damaged boxes or glass bottles.) The Food Bank serves 41,00 hungry neighbors annually of which 17,000 are children. Canned fruit and vegetables, hot or cold cereals, pasta, rice, peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna or chicken, baked beans, canned or dried milk are all welcome. We are eager to help if we can and will be dropping the boxes off immediately after Einstein’s Circle and the Thursday lecture.
Thank you for your generosity and Happy Thanksgiving!
