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! style="padding:2px;" | <h2 style="margin:3px; background:#2966B8; font-size:140%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #2966B8; text-align:left; color:#FFFFFF; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Efforts to Rewrite Americans' Rights; Changes that Imprison More People for Longer and Make More Money</h2>

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<big>'''Corporations and their politician allies voted behind closed doors through ALEC to change America's criminal justice system and enrich profits.'''</big><br>

On the surface, many ALEC bills look like basic tough-on-crime legislation, but some corporate leaders of ALEC benefit financially from such legislation -- meaning that what has been sold to the public as good for public safety was often pushed by corporations that profit from such changes in the law, without politicians disclosing their corporate allies' financial interest to the public when such bills, pre-approved by the corporations, were introduced.

'''Bills that prop up the for-profit bail bond industry, a long-time ALEC board member, through:'''

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/b/be/7A11-Crimes_With_Bail_Restrictions_Act_Exposed.pdf Expanding the list of offenses] for which a person must pay a for-profit bail-bondsman for their release. (See also [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/e/eb/7A9-Bailable_Offences_Act_Exposed.pdf this bill] and [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/2/24/7A1-Alternative_Method_of_Court_Appearances_Act_Exposed.pdf this bill]).

** [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/5/51/7A12-Uniform_Bail_Act_Exposed.pdf Eliminating pre-trial release agencies] that pursue evidence-based, public-safety oriented methods of release that don't require paying a for-profit business, or [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/8/80/7A10-Citizens_Right_to_Know_-_Pretrial_Release_Act_Exposed.pdf imposing new burdens on those agencies].

** Offering bail bond companies opportunities to avoid paying debts to states by:

*** [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/0/0e/7A4-Bail_Bond_Expiration_Act_Exposed.pdf Allowing debts to expire] or

*** [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/4/41/7A5-Bail_Forfeiture_Notification_Act_Exposed.pdf Imposing notification technicalities] on courts.

'''Bills that benefit long-time ALEC members of the global for-profit prison industry,''' like the Corrections Corporation of America, by:

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/e/eb/7D6-Minimum-Mandatory_Sentencing_Act_Exposed.pdf Increasing time served for drug offenses] through mandatory minimum sentencing,

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/6/60/7C2-Community_Corrections_Performance_Measurement_Act_Exposed.pdf Creating barriers to alternatives to prison such as community-based corrections programs], which will increase prison populations (see another example ([http://alecexposed.org/w/images/6/6f/7C3-Recidivism_Reduction_Act_Exposed.pdf here]), and

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/3/31/7L0-Habitual_Juvenile_Offender_Act_Exposed.pdf Treating juveniles like adults]. See also [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/7/74/7L1-Juvenile_Identification_Act_Exposed.pdf here].

*''Not in the zip file, but on The Heartland Institute website, is the [http://www.heartland.org/budgetandtax-news.org/article/6263/Private_Correctional_Facilities_Act.html "Private Correctional Facilities Act"] from 1995, which opens a state to for-profit incarceration.''

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/a/a5/7B7-Theft_From_Three_Separate_Mercantile_Establishments_Act_Exposed.pdf Making it a felony to steal from three retail establishments], regardless of the value of the property stolen,

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/1/13/7B8-Theft_Using_Emergency_Exit_to_Avoid_Apprehension_or_Detection_Act_Exposed.pdf Adding a penalty-enhancer for thieves who use the emergency exit], and

Other drug use-related bills would [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/2/2a/7F4-Drug-Free_Post-Secondary_Education_Act_Exposed.pdf require that any college student convicted of a drug crime lose financial aid], [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/2/22/7F14-Workplace_Drug_Testing_Act_Exposed.pdf promote drug testing in American workplaces], even if the work has nothing to do with public safety, and [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/f/f1/7Q5-Suspension_of_Driving_Privileges_Act_Exposed.pdf suspend the driver’s license] of anyone convicted of a drug crime.

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'''The bills also include anti-immigrant legislation''' that require local law enforcement to enforce complex federal law, result in racial or ethnic profiling, and destroy the law enforcement-community relationship. (See Arizona's [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/2/2d/7K5-No_Sanctuary_Cities_for_Illegal_Immigrants_Act_Exposed.pdf SB1070 model here], as well as [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/6/69/7K3-Immigration_Law_Enforcement_Act_Exposed.pdf this bill], [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/e/ec/7K10-Resolution_to_Enforce_Our_Immigration_Laws_and_Secure_Our_Border_Exposed.pdf this bill] and [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/f/f6/7K12-Taxpayer_and_Citizen_Protection_Act_Exposed.pdf this bill]).

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'''The bills would also overturn long-standing rules designed to protect Americans' constitutional rights,''' including the right to be free from warrantless searches and the right to confront one's accusers, such as legislation to:

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/4/46/7D2-Hearsay_in_Public_Hearings_Act_Exposed.pdf Eliminate the rule against hearsay] when determining whether probable cause existed.

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'''Still other bills would aid corporations in other ways,''' like [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/d/d7/7I1-Mortgage_Fraud_Act_Exposed.pdf bills to punish homeowners] for the mortgage crisis by creating the crime of "mortgage fraud," that focuses primarily on consumers, but no corresponding new crimes for the Wall Street shell game that sank the U.S. economy.

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'''Spotlight on Gun Bills'''<br>

Bills or resolutions in this area:

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/0/00/7J11-Resolution_on_Semicopy_Exposed.pdf Oppose bans on semi-automatic firearms] like the one used in the shooting in Arizona that killed nine people and seriously injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/3/37/7J10-Resolution_On_Firearms_Purchase_Waiting_Periods_Exposed.pdf Oppose waiting periods for criminal and mental health background checks for firearm purchases].

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/0/08/7J7-Defense_of_Free_Market_and_Public_Safety_Resolution_Exposed.pdf Oppose efforts by law enforcement] to use their purchasing power get gun manufacturers not to market guns or ammo likely to be used against police, like "cop killer bullets" that pierce armor.

* [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/1/15/7J5-Consistency_in_Firearms_Regulation_Act_Exposed.pdf Prohibit local counties or cities] from enacting firearm restrictions, [http://alecexposed.org/w/images/0/09/7J8-Emergency_Powers_Firearm_Owner_Protection_Act_Exposed.pdf or emergency measures that could be abused].

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''For a full list of bills from this section, [[Bills_related_to_Guns,_Prisons,_Crime,_and_Immigration|click here]].''

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The Wisconsin state legislature apparently recognized the folly of Truth in Sentencing and rolled back the law this past decade. However, when Scott Walker became governor, he reversed this progress and requested legislation to restore the (ALEC-based) Truth in Sentencing scheme, despite the costs to taxpayers and despite claiming Wisconsin was "broke." It is unknown whether privatized prisons will soon follow.'''<br>

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<big> '''The NRA's "Castle Doctrine Act" in Wisconsin'''</big>

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''Have any of these bills been introduced or enacted in YOUR state? If so, please add that information to the [[Alec Exposed:Community portal|Community Discussion]] page.''

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