There are “three time losers” in some recidivist cases and then there is Shermain Miles. For Miles, the magic number is 396. That’s right, she has racked up roughly 400 arrests since 1978 but insists that 396 is the magic number and that she is now considering a change in her lifestyle.
Some might have found number 3 or 30 or 300 to be that moment that concentrates your mind. However, Miles, 51, insists “I’m really not that bad a person.” When approached by a reporter after being put on a train back to Chicago, Miles threatened “I got a lawyer to sue y’all.” Actually, she has had what appears hundreds of lawyers.
She has had 73 convictions in total over the years and is a poster child for habitual offender sentencing. Her last victim was Chicago Alderman James Cappleman in a physical assault. Before that, she robbed Mujo Cesic, a 75-year-old Bosnian immigrant, at knife point.
The neighborhood has told reporters that Miles has terrorized locals and is a continual menace. She has a history of alcohol abuse in addition to her criminal propensities. The question is when a society should impose a much longer sentence for such a habitual criminal pattern rather than continuing the cycle of arrests and releases.
What do you think?
nick
awards go to south dakota. 23 until he died. new award goes to another south dakota man 20 arrests 16 convictions.
and neither were black skinned women.
go figure, jeff
20 DUI’s is Wisconsin like.
Give her a break.
And to think that one local guy here is closing in on 20 DUI arrests and it warrants the attention of local news media. He has some catching up to do.
“Life in prison for stealing ccandy”.
Years ago, right out of nursing school, I worked at the county psych hospital. It was in the days right after they emptied many chronically mentally ill out into halfway houses, where many if not most, ended up on the streets. On cold nights they would come back to the hospital begging to come back in. Some figured out that by committing petty crimes before the winter they could be re admitted for a time. The wards were their homes for many years before they were dumped out. Years later I ran into several of my old patients in a couple of different nursing homes, which they really were not approppriate for, as some had a history of violence. I question the wisdom of emptying those wards.
Oro lee,
I recall a resident of Calhoun county jail in Michigan that would break a Window of of the courthouse when it got cold just so he’d have a warm cot and three squares for three to six months…. Then one time they charged him as a habitual offender and he went prison…. Not sure where he ended up after that…..
To the folks that think mental care should be available…. That was one program fast tracked by the federal government and pushed exclusively back to the states under RWR….. Some figure it’s cheaper to incarcerate them than treat them for the underlying issues…. Which is crazy in of itself…
I’m not saying this happened with this woman — but my dad told me of a sheriff who would arrest homeless folks for vagrancy just to give them a warm place to sleep for the night and maybe a meal in the morning. Somehow the paperwork would get fouled up and they would be released in the morning.
lol, pete.
…and what Annie asked and said.
nick spinelli
1, November 20, 2013 at 1:05 pm
That said, for every person who grew up in her circumstances, the majority don’t commit this sheer volume of crime.
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nope, most die long before they get to 396. say what you want but she is a survivor.
Ridiculous, but better than horrific —
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/kalief-browder-rikers-teen-violent-new-york-prison_n_4302360.html
She obviously has serious underlying mental illness, that isn’t being treated. As a provision of her release shouldn’t a judge order mental health treatment and follow through ? In patient treatment preferably. Having said that I can see that she may be hard to keep track of, frequent evictions and homelessness being a possible way in which she falls through the cracks, until re-arrest.
JAG you may think I am nitpicking but “legalization” of non-crimes is not the answer….
For example “legalizing” drugs or prostitution means that they are both not rights but permissions granted by government. They should instead be recognized as the rights that they are. Just like all of our other rights are.
This bleeding heart liberal STILL believes that this woman should not be out terrorizing her neighbors. Lock her up, for goodness sakes!
Comment being eaten….
It’s almost funny. Many here want to jail this disturbed woman when she really needs to be observed under clinical conditions for a psychotic illness perhaps. But we have corporations that kill, maim and steal from Americans everyday of the year who serve no jail time at all. Latest JPMorgan crime spree netted them just another shareholder paid fine. HSBC works with drug cartels to launder money and the fine is paid by the shareholder. BP severely damaged the Gulf and killed millions of animals along with poisoning workers who applied dispersants. Another shareholder paid fine. Workers killed on the rig that caused the BP disaster, but has anyone been charged? No. Walmart, Target and the band of retail murderers don’t take responsibility for the deaths caused by their business partners overseas. The list goes on….. This crazy woman needs help and if none of the aforementioned company executives had to spend one day in jail, neither should troubled Ms. Miles…..
It’s almost funny. So many here want to jail this disturbed woman when she really needs to be observed under clinical conditions for a psychotic illness perhaps. But we have corporations that kill, maim and steal from Americans everyday of the year who serve no jail time at all. Latest JPMorgan crime spree netted them just another shareholder paid fine. HSBC works with drug cartels to launder money and the fine is paid by the shareholder. BP severely damaged the Gulf and killed millions of animals along with poisoning workers who applied dispersants. Another shareholder paid fine. Workers killed on the rig that caused the BP disaster, but has anyone been charged? No. Walmart, Target and the band of retail murderers don’t take responsibility for the deaths caused by their business partners overseas. The list goes on….. This crazy woman needs help and if none of the aforementioned company executives had to spend one day in jail, neither should troubled Ms. Miles…..
People like her will never change, it her way of life. Either put her in jail for 30 years or mental hospital for 10 years. there are people that do less type of crimes and serve longer jail time.