VOA慢速英语2013 美国司法部修改毒品判刑政策

 

United States Justice Department Changes Drug Sentencing Policy 美国司法部修改毒品判刑政策

From VOA Learning English, this is As It Is.

Hi and welcome back. I'm Caty Weaver¹. Today, on the program we talk about some legal news from the United States.

Earlier this week, the highest law enforcement officer in the United States announced some changes to how the government will deal with drug offenses². Attorney General Eric Holder³ said one of his aims was to ease the overcrowding problem in American prisons. Faith Lapidus has more on the story.

Mr. Holder announced several policy changes in a speech to the American Bar Association meeting in San Francisco, California. He said too many citizens were going to prison for far too long. He said his main concern was low-level drug crimes that often carry required prison sentences of five or ten years.

The official said the federal government will now follow the lead of several states that use drug treatment programs and community service programs to deal with non-violent drug offenders⁴. He said such offenders would not include people connected with criminal gangs or drug groups.

"Widespread incarceration⁵ at the federal, state and local levels is both ineffective and unsustainable. It imposes a significant economic burden totaling $80 billion in 2010 alone, and it comes with human and moral costs that are impossible to calculate."

"Mandatory⁶ minimum" prison terms were a major part of the government's war on drugs, first launched in the 1980s. But Eric Holder says the federal prison system now holds about 40 percent more inmates⁷ than it was designed for. He says the federal prison population has grown by 800 percent since 1980.

The attorney general also talked about the racial imbalance in criminal sentencing. He noted⁸ a recent report that found that African-American offenders receive prison sentences 20 percent longer than those given to whites for similar crimes. Mr. Holder directed federal prosecutors¹⁰ to develop plans for dealing¹¹ with such imbalances.

"This is our chance to bring America's criminal justice system in line with our most sacred values. This is our promise to forge a more just society."

Prison reform supporters welcomed the speech by the attorney general. Molly Gill is with the group Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

"I think people, when they commit a crime and go before a judge they expect to be treated like an individual. They expect to be heard. And when there is a mandatory minimum, no matter what you say, you are going to get that sentence and a lot of people feel that is really fundamentally unfair."

Supporters of mandatory minimum sentences and the war on drugs criticized the Justice Department's policy changes. William Otis is a former federal prosecutor⁹ and an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington.

"The bad news is that I'm afraid this could be interpreted as a statement that the federal government is losing its nerve in the war on drugs, We've been more successful in that war than many people, perhaps including the attorney general has given us credit for."

But Molly Gill says she is not worried that criminals will have it too easy.

"Nobody is getting a ‘get out of jail free' card. People are still going to go to prison."

I'm Faith Lapidus

Since 2004, police in New York City have had greater freedom to stop and search people for guns or other banned objects. The policy requires only that the officer have a "reasonable suspicion" of criminal activity. City officials, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, say the policy has played a major part in lowering the city's crime rate. Murders and other violent crimes are at record lows.

But the "stop and frisk" policy was disputed from the start. Critics say it has led to racial discrimination and violates the Constitution. Most of those stopped, questioned and searched have been young black or Hispanic men.

This week, a United States District Court judge agreed with those opponents. Jim Tedder¹² reports.

Judge Shira Scheindlin said the policy violates two constitutional amendments¹⁴. The Fourth Amendment¹³ protects against unreasonable¹⁵ searches and seizures¹⁶. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection of the laws. Judge Scheindlin wrote in her ruling that "the city's highest officials have turned a blind eye to the evidence that officers are conducting stops in a racially discriminatory manner."

The judge ruled in favor of civil rights activists¹⁷ who took legal action against the New York City Police Department. Priscilla Gonzalez from Communities United for Police Reform was one of those who appeared before the court. She praised the ruling.

"A whole generation of New Yorkers, particularly in black and brown communities across the city, have grown up seeing the police not as protectors, not as partners in safety, but as an institution to be feared."

Mayor Bloomberg said the city would appeal the ruling. He told reporters that the judge "ignored the real-world realities of crime."

New York police estimate they have made about five million stops in the past ten years under the stop and search policy. Studies show that about 80 percent of those stopped were black or Hispanic. The policy resulted in arrests about 10 percent of the time.

The judge did not order an end to the stop and search policy. But she called for an outside monitor to make sure the Police Department is following the Constitution. She also ordered a test program requiring police in some New York neighborhoods to wear small cameras to record their contacts with civilians¹⁸.

I'm Jim Tedder.

That's the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, performing "Jailhouse Rock" one of his many hit songs. Presley died on this day, August 16, in 1977. The artist was only 42 years old. He had only been in the business 23 years. But he was, and remains¹⁹, the biggest selling single recording²⁰ artist of all time. Only the Beatles come before Elvis and there were four of them.

Elvis Presley's death so shocked his fans that many refused to believe it. For years, people said his death was a hoax²¹, or a trick. You do not hear that claim much anymore. But, you can still hear Elvis a lot on the radio.

And that's As It Is for today. Check out our website at 51voa.com. You can download pdf and audio files. You can also try your English skills on our English lessons.

I'm Caty Weaver. Thanks for joining us.

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

3 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

4 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

5 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

6 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

7 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

10 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

11 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

12 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

13 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

14 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

15 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

16 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

17 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

19 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

20 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

21 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。