‘Mean Girls’ hottie Lindsay Lohan was released from jail last night after paying a whopping $300,00 in bail money! Lohan had been sentenced to 90 days in prison and was not due for release until October, but the star was released early due to ‘prison over crowding’
I am certain there will be mixed views on this. Some may argue that celebrities are given unfair privileges due to the cash they can flash to “buy their way out†of situations. I for one, happen to disagree with this.
For one, bail is usually set according to income. Furthermore Judge Marsha Revel came down hard on Lohan back in July causing Lohan’s lawyer to quit! The Judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail, after the actress violated probation regulations. Put more simply, Lohan missed her alcohol treatment programme several times. Additionally she failed her court ordered drug test. Surely this in itself indicates that the system is flawed?
I’m am in NO WAY endorsing the crimes that Lindsay was found guilty of. Quite the opposite in fact.
Drinkdrivingfacts.com reveals that ‘on average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions’ in the UK alone!
We all know the dangers of drink driving, but what I am suggesting is that if the defendant appears to have an ongoing problem with alcohol and substance abuse, rehabilitation should take precedence over ‘punishment’.
At first glance it might appear that the US courts had been soft on Lohan,, merely enforcing an alcohol treatment programme and drug tests. Yet anyone who has known someone who has a problem with alcohol or substance abuse, will realise that this is not something that they can be cured of straight away by attending a few classes! Add to this the pressures a lot of high profile celebrities are under such as; long days on set, public appearances, being constantly in the limelight, being hassled by the press and often having to deal with very negative responses and behaviour towards them. And what you have here is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Lohan sobs in court
On politics.co.uk Prisons Minister David Hanson – March 2008 is quoted making the following statement:
‘Effective drug treatment lies at the heart of reducing re-offending. It directly addresses the harm to individuals, making communities safer and helping offenders to lead law-abiding and productive lives on release.’
Surely the fact that Lohan was released early due to ‘prison over crowding’ shows that in many cases prison does not work as a deterrent! I believe this to be especially true in the cases of those who have some kind of mental health issue or serious addiction.
Calornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows the correlation between rehabiliation and a lowerreturn to custody
Lohan must now wear an “alcohol monitor†and avoid “places that sell alcohol†until her next court appearance in October. The judge will then decide her “punishment†for a failed drug test two weeks after rehab!
Lindsay Lohan tweeted on her Twitter site recently stating:
“I am testing every single day and doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future†and in reference to her 90 day jail sentence:
“This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I’m prepared to face the consequencesâ€
Good on you girl! Kick the habit and get back to making movies! There’s an army of fans out there waiting for your return!
Looking dazzling on the red carpet
Mean Girls photoshoot & movie which Lindsay is most well known for
Kaz 25/09/2010
I look forward to hearing reader’s comments and please share your views with me on my twitter site http://twitter.com/KazBxx
