If you do not graduate from high school, you are 63 times more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.

As the youth of Berks County begin to prepare for another school year, we must remember that Reading is one of the poorest cities in the country. Sadly, only half of Reading’s Public School students graduate from high school. However, instead of giving more help to the children in Reading, we slashed funds, thus greatly increasing class size and decreasing support while ousting dozens of teachers and aides. The school board is about to adopt next school year’s budget with a projected reduction of $15,000,000 (less than the current year).

At the same time the Commonwealth’s current budget ends with many cuts to the poor that are “offset” by tax cuts. We must remember that this budget “cut business taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars…and slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from services for the poor, homeless, troubled and disabled.” (Front page, June 30^th, 2012, The Reading Eagle)

What’s wrong with this picture? How can cutting funds for education and related services for our inner-city youth, while at the same time cutting taxes from any source, somehow be beneficial to society? Mathematically, how can cutting the state’s taxes balance significant funding sources in recent years?

We collect fewer taxes, go deeper in debt, or at least continue to carry the loss of revenue, while we cut services to the neediest in society. As I asked in an editorial to The Reading Eagle in September, 2012, “Will these cuts improve the most troubling statistic that only half of the kids in the Reading schools graduate?”

By previously cutting $860,000,000 from public education in Pennsylvania, are we not grooming more young people for our criminal justice system? Shouldn’t we pay for the fundamental educational services now, rather than paying many times more in incarceration expenses later?

Statistic Source Referenced: P.B.S., posted in Philadelphia’s subway passenger cars, as seen by the author on May 31, 2013.

The greatest uncolored criminal, legal and court system on Earth.

We embrace and enjoy many checks and balances that fundamentally grant us protections from an overbearing government that oppresses its citizens. This is how we started 225 years ago. Just four years after our constitution was ratified, it was lawfully amended by the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The basic framework divides powers and duties among three equal branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. It was designed this way for the single reason of assuring no one person or government agency exercises exclusive powers while presiding over its people. Yes a civilization needs laws protecting its citizens but the honorable position of elected or appointed official is never very far away from tyrannized behavior. We have witnessed throughout world history dozens of examples of dictators ruling the people with an iron first.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and absolute power is the very definition of tyranny. The world examples include inhumane, harsh and strict punishment. Right now the United States mandated absolute punishment that is strict and harsh, intolerant through mandatory minimum sentences. The reader can find each of those terms in the dictionary defining ‘tyranny.’

For those opposing a despotic leader, there are, sadly, also dozens of examples of genocide where the leaders torture, execute and/or enslaves its citizens. Every nation, at one time in history has been guilty of this conduct.

The reader is invited to comment on whether mandatory minimum sentences are strict, tough, mandated and severe examples of intolerant sentences where the judge has no discretion except to follow the prosecutor’s (Executive) or Legislature’s sentences for life. The executive and legislative branches elect its representatives as often as every two years. It is only U.S. Senators that are elected for a longer, six-year term. Which one is governed by public opinion and which is free to do what is right, not necessarily those elected officials more accountable and therefore more liable to do the will of the voters?

Key Amendments to the United States Constitution

December 15, 1791:

Bill of Citizens Rights:

1. Freedom of speech, religion, press, etc.

2. Right to keep and bear arms.

3. The conditions for quartering soldiers.

4. Right of search and seizure.

5. Provisions regarding the prosecution of an individual.

6. Right to a speedy trial.

7. Right to trial by jury.

8. Provision against excessive bail and cruel punishment before trial.

9. Rule of construction regarding the constitution; and

10. The rights of the states under the Constitution.

  December 6, 1865: 13^th Amendment: Abolish slavery and involuntary genocide

JJuly 9, 1868: 14^th Amendment: Blacks as well as whites are citizens of the United States. No state shall abridge privileges or deprive its citizen of life, liberty or property without due process of law.

 February 3, 1870: 15^th Amendment: Cannot deprive citizens of voting because of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

JJanuary 23, 1964: 24^th Amendment: No denial of voting privilege because of poll or other taxes which were established typically to keep certain classes of people from voting.

Is this Justice or is it Just This?

My name is Judge Jeffrey K. Sprecher, and I am a Court of Common Pleas Judge in Reading, Pa. Welcome to my newly created blog!

Periodically I will be writing about controversial topics on which I believe I am well-versed through my education and experience. I invite you to comment and offer your opinion. I anticipate extensive discussion and debate. This is how we learn; by hearing both sides of the issue and then discussing the subject zealously but also professionally. We must be mindful that topics generally result in people expressing different opinions. If we become disrespectful we will lose sight of the issues at hand. Keep an open mind; agree, disagree, enjoy and learn.

As a trial judge now in my 22^nd year on the bench, I believe that the other two branches of government have committed a constitutional trespass with regard to usurping sentencing discretion from the judiciary. I express the reasons for this conclusion in my book, Justice or Just This? A Constitutional Trespass. The book is self-published; I wrote for the general public, so it is an easy read.

After reading this book, it will be up to you to convince the lawmakers to return sentencing discretion to the judiciary, where it belongs. Although our lawmakers admit their “tough on crime” mandatory sentences are wrong, they refuse to correct their mistake because you will vote them out of office for being soft on crime. That’s their reason for allowing this monster to continue to fill our prisons and bankrupt our government. However, don’t take my word for it – ask your legislator yourself. You must learn the facts and then proceed the way your conscience guides you…

There were 11 PA state prisons built from 1820 to 1980. In 1982 the PA Commission on Sentencing was created; 16 prisons were built in only the 14 years thereafter.

Please stay tuned for more information via my blog. In addition, please visit www.jeffreysprecher.com or email book@jeffreysprecher.com. I look forward to your feedback.