Very inlightening. Big business, no ethics. Just warehousing our poor bad boys and the rich are still out waiting for their trials, ha. Now how about finding out what we can do to really rehabilate our prisoners. They need reeducation, maybe reprograming (spirituality, ethics) and love. We also can’t dump them back into their old neighborhoods with no new skills. Paroles go right back to prison without skills. Where to start?
Posted by Inge Zumwalt on Feb 8, 2005 at 12:07 PM
This is HORRIBLE!!!! Granted, prison is a place for punishment, but our penal system seems to be committing worse crimes than most of the people who are in jail. I realize I sound like a bleeding heart liberal but when there are no programs to educate or help to restructure the prisoner’s lives, how can they be expected to attempt to build a new life once they are released from prison? It seems that the only education they’re going to receive is how to be a better criminal. As we turn our prisoners nto profit making cash cows, how is that treatment any different from the Nazis or other dicatorships?
Posted by Elin Defrin on Feb 8, 2005 at 4:32 PM
American Military-Industrial-Prison Complex?
Imperialism at home? No? Just wait…
Posted by andrew on Feb 8, 2005 at 5:21 PM
Being a former ACA member and former correctional professional for over twenty years I saw the growth of corrections and developed a strong conscience where I changed my focus and direction. I am now a chemical dependency viewed by corrections as “non-essential personnel”. I work at a GEO prison but at this prison the main function is chemical dependency treatment for inmates who have to complete the program to be released to parole. It is ironic that as a correctional professional (parole officer, probation officer, correctional officer) I was regarded with respect but now I am treated no better than the inmates and not trusted by correctional staff.
Posted by Paul French on Feb 8, 2005 at 6:47 PM
It’s dangerous to de-humanize the prisoners. Most of them are in there because of lack of education, drug abuse and poverty. If we are not going to rehabilitate them there is no point to letting any of them out ever. The only difference between keeping them alive and confined, or killing them is a false conscience.
Without rehabilitation, their suffering is a far worse fate than death, and all of us are connected to their suffering. If we want a better world we must start with building better human beings.
Posted by Mary Ann on Feb 9, 2005 at 8:46 AM
Reader Comments
Very inlightening. Big business, no ethics. Just warehousing our poor bad boys and the rich are still out waiting for their trials, ha. Now how about finding out what we can do to really rehabilate our prisoners. They need reeducation, maybe reprograming (spirituality, ethics) and love. We also can’t dump them back into their old neighborhoods with no new skills. Paroles go right back to prison without skills. Where to start?
Posted by Inge Zumwalt on Feb 8, 2005 at 12:07 PM
This is HORRIBLE!!!! Granted, prison is a place for punishment, but our penal system seems to be committing worse crimes than most of the people who are in jail. I realize I sound like a bleeding heart liberal but when there are no programs to educate or help to restructure the prisoner’s lives, how can they be expected to attempt to build a new life once they are released from prison? It seems that the only education they’re going to receive is how to be a better criminal. As we turn our prisoners nto profit making cash cows, how is that treatment any different from the Nazis or other dicatorships?
Posted by Elin Defrin on Feb 8, 2005 at 4:32 PM
American Military-Industrial-Prison Complex?
Imperialism at home? No? Just wait…
Posted by andrew on Feb 8, 2005 at 5:21 PM
Being a former ACA member and former correctional professional for over twenty years I saw the growth of corrections and developed a strong conscience where I changed my focus and direction. I am now a chemical dependency viewed by corrections as “non-essential personnel”. I work at a GEO prison but at this prison the main function is chemical dependency treatment for inmates who have to complete the program to be released to parole. It is ironic that as a correctional professional (parole officer, probation officer, correctional officer) I was regarded with respect but now I am treated no better than the inmates and not trusted by correctional staff.
Posted by Paul French on Feb 8, 2005 at 6:47 PM
It’s dangerous to de-humanize the prisoners. Most of them are in there because of lack of education, drug abuse and poverty. If we are not going to rehabilitate them there is no point to letting any of them out ever. The only difference between keeping them alive and confined, or killing them is a false conscience.
Without rehabilitation, their suffering is a far worse fate than death, and all of us are connected to their suffering. If we want a better world we must start with building better human beings.
Posted by Mary Ann on Feb 9, 2005 at 8:46 AM