Monday, August 21, 2006

HELP!!!!!

We've gotten good feedback on our "So You Want to Start a Sentencing Commission?" series, but it's time we ask for more. As we've mentioned, we launched this weblog as a potential means to increase communications and interaction among those who correct and those who sentence. This series gives us a chance to make that real.

Am I posting things about starting a commission that don't match your experience? Have I left stuff out? (Of course, I have--this material is at least a semester course, and these posts aren't even a "book on tape.") It would be important for readers coming to this site for info to know. You're with an established commission? Well, how is that different from what I'm saying? You're a commissioner? An analyst? From an agency that deals with your state's commission? What's worked well for your commission? Why? What didn't work the way you thought it would? Why not? We need to hear from you. We need to get as much information as we can to the community.

One of the biggest gripes we make (and I'm as bad as anyone) is our concern about groping in the dark toward solutions other people have already faced. (If you prefer the "reinventing the wheel" metaphor (?), feel free to substitute.) This blog gives us a forum to find these things out from similarly placed folks across the country, a reiterative textbook that will keep evolving as we move along. The sentencing commission community, in my experience, has always been very forthcoming and reciprocating, and my time in corrections has already shown me the need for increased networking like this.

We'll do the heavy lifting right here. We just want the conversation and assistance. You don't have to write long tomes, although they would be welcome. Just send us your thoughts and comments, either by responding to "comments" or e-mailing us (click on Contact or Contributions at the right). We know other weblogs on other topics have developed the kind of mutual community we envision here. Just a few brave souls need to get it started, and we've given you plenty to talk about.

How about it?

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