United States v. Vernon Lee Bad Marriage, Jr.

FERGUSON, Circuit Judge:

This case is a powerful indictment of the criminal justice system. Our social and penal policies are failing to alleviate alcohol abuse on Indian reservations and the crime to which it gives rise. These problems cry out for treatment, not simply more prison time.

Vernon Lee Bad Marriage, Jr. (“Bad Marriage”) is a member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe with an extensive history of alcohol abuse and a lengthy criminal record. He was convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(6) and 1153(a), and sentenced under the U.S.…