Solitary Confinement

If I were to draft a law regulating the use of solitary confinement, the elements of my law would contain a maximum of 1 year. However, I would regulate laws as to how long they should stay in solitary confinement based on what their offense is. Prisoners do not automatically get sent into solitary confinement. If you are still serving your time in solitary confinement and you misbehave, the time that you would be sentenced to in solitary confinement would get added on to what you have left even if it means going over a year. For example if someone is sentenced to 9 months in solitary confinement and then they do something that sentences them to 5 months then they would spend 14 months in solitary confinement.
For the most part I would give officials a free hand. I would make it clear to them that they need to make smart decisions and can only go as far as what is deserved. I would also let them know that if a prisoner feels like the officials are overstepping their boundaries, then they have a right to bring them to court and I would not necessarily rule in their favor.
I would not let prisoners challenge their solitary confinement in court. When they enter prison all the rules and regulations will be read to them as well as on paper in front of them. They will need to sign it identifying that they agree to all of the terms and conditions and if they go back on it then they will be sent to solitary confinement. Posted around the prison I will have the serving time in solitary confinement based on their previous offenses, and what they did. They would also be informed as to what they are being sent to solitary confinement for and it will be posted in their cell so they know from day one. However, if officials are going against what the prisoners are sentenced to then they are allowed to take it to court.

Gangs

Gangs will never cease to exist. Not completely anyway. So many people are involved in gangs and most of them will be for the rest of their lives. Either they can't get out, or they don't want to get out. Many people don't even want to join a gang to begin with but they are forced into it. If it ever becomes easier to escape the gang, those who do not want to get out will rally more people up to keep their gang large and strong. Very few ideas that the government has come up with will work. One of them being the witness protection program. There is a vast amount of people that want to leave the gang and live a normal life but they can't because their fellow gang members will hurt or kill them. However, if they change their identity and leave the area to a place where they can't be found then more of them will be more willing and less scared to leave.

Insanity Defense

I feel as though it is a good law because some people actually are mentally insane and cannot control their actions. There are many ways to find out if someone is mentally insane and if someone is faking insanity to get off the hook, then psychiatrists will be able to tell. The insanity law does only permit to those who are insane and is not used very often. If it were used more I would have a different view on it because then it would show that people are using it even though not all of them are insane.
I think insanity should be considered in criminal cases. However, if people are not insane, then it should be ruled out very quickly. If there is not a legit reason to believe that someone is insane, then people should rule it out quickly instead of digging to try and find a reason to believe that they are insane.
I think insanity is constituted as someone who has a history of cases, that show that something has occured in their life to make them depressed or have thoughts that a human being should not have. If someone is on medication for some sort of mental illness whatever it may be, or if they are depressed or has seeked mental care, then instanity should be constituted.
I have mixed feelings on the Andrea Yates case. I definately believe that she is mentally insane and their is a lot of evidence to back it up. I feel as though her doctors should of had a regular check up with her to see how she is doing, and her husband should have made sure she took her meds. I also feel as though there is something wrong with her husband for not making her take her pills and still being married to her after she killed their five children. Another thing that makes me feel as though something is wrong with him is the fact that he had another kid with her after her doctors said it was dangerous and shouldnt happen. I don't think Andrea Yates should have the death penalty because I don't believe in it. She is a harm to society and should have not been allowed to be put in a lower level in psychaitric care because as many times as she has been released, she later has not shown any improvement and constantly needs to go to back for more help.

Solutions to Crimes

Because so many people in the United States have jobs that pay only 10,000 or less a year, many of them need to depend on other ways to get money. 80% of these people turn to crime to help support them and their families and to get basic necessities like food. The Institute for Global Excellence has decided to help the people in need that have had little opportnuity when it comes to getting a good education, or good job opportunities. The are looking to create a Temporary Work Program (TWP) in the top 100 cities in the United States. The only problem to this temporary solution is that there are so many people in need and it would take a lot of money to provide for all of the families. The jobs available and money available to fund for this would run out quickly especially given the current state of our economy.