Why wasn't alleged bomber already in jail?

Power Line:

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... The suspect apparently has a lengthy rap sheetthat included dealing drugs, theft, traffic violations, and battery. A close analysis of his record will likely show he should have been in jail.

This is a recurring but almost always ignored phenomenon. In one high-profile case afteranother, we learn that the criminal is a chronic offender with a rap sheet that, in a properly functioning society, would have mandated his incarceration at the time of his latest offense.

Yet, Democrats and too many Republicans, including some in the White House, are dead set on increasing the number of convicted felons, including dealers of drugs like fentanyl, on the streets. They want shorter sentences for such offenders and they want them released from jail early — an obvious recipe for more crime faster.

In short, the bipartisan leniency-for-felons crowd seeks to make our under-incarceration problem worse, even though doing so can only increase the occurrence of crime, including violent crime. The consequences of this perverse policy are there for all to see, but the leniency crowd averts its eyes.

Letting criminals on the street without some effort to show they have reformed is a recipe for more crime.  There are probably many people incarcerated who have already decided to reform that should be candidates for release, but we appear to lack an adequate screenng process at this time to separate them from the career criminals.  It is an area where more work is needed.