First up is the AP, who can't figure out why crime is down despite less inmates being released from prison:

While the crime rate has fallen over the past decade, the number of people in prison and jail is outpacing the number of inmates released, said the report's co-author, Paige Harrison. For example, the number of admissions to federal prisons in 2004 exceeded releases by more than 8,000, the study found.

Next is the Washington Post, who notices the opposite effect in Baltimore:

IN BALTIMORE, murders are up and convictions are down. You read that correctly: Even as the city has gained the dubious distinction of having the nation's highest big-city murder rate, prosecutors say that conviction rates in homicide cases are falling. The main cause is that, increasingly, witnesses will not cooperate or testify, often because they are afraid. And no wonder: Since last September seven witnesses have been shot or murdered -- a rate of about one a month.

So nationwide crime is down when more criminals are in jail? And murders are increasing in Baltimore because prosecutors have been unable to get murder convictions? Gee, can't figure that one out.

Meanwhile, in Virginia (where crime is falling) one of the so-called Beltway Snipers had is death sentence re-affirmed.

The Virginia Supreme Court affirmed yesterday the capital murder convictions and death penalty for sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad.

"If society's ultimate penalty should be reserved for the most heinous offenses, accompanied by proof of vileness or future dangerousness, then surely this case qualifies," Justice Donald Lemons wrote.

Maryland has only executed 4 (count them again, 4) prisoners since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. Malvo and Muhammad never should have crossed the Potomac.