Pharmaceutical companies, various state departments of corrections, several countries, and prisoners are under fire. The issue on the table is the death penalty and how it is carried out, specifically in which drugs are used and how they are obtained. Currently, the firestorm spans a number of continents and includes a number of multinational corporations.
By William R. Piper
To begin, environmental survival concerns the ability of the prisoner to sustain his well-being given the rigors of prevailing prison conditions. Imprisonment entails a form of secondary socialization in which prisoners have to adapt to prison as a way of life. Old modes of living are shattered and they have to adjust themselves to the deprivations of prisons. They might do this in a number of ways. The range of such adjustment entails the pain of imprisonment in which prisoners must come to grips with a new reality, a new concrete situation in which the events in the prison setting fail to corroborate their prior social experiences.
Prison conditions constitute the concrete situation in which prisoners find themselves and in which they must not only survive, but must transform and from which they struggle to free themselves. Although constituting the prisoners concrete situation, prison conditions should not be perceived as hopeless or unalterable, but merely as limiting and therefore challenging. Image courtesy www.humanicabooks.com
I have been incarcerated since 1992, and during my imprisonment as a result of an unlawful arrest and conviction, I have witnessed the need for continuing education, along with other programs equipped to provide a means of positive change.
It cannot be disputed that providing education begins a process of enabling and motivation. It motivates the person to look at themselves and seek change; and it enables a person not only to gain information but to open their minds and spirits to more objective and positive views of the world and their own ability to establish a place for themselves in the world.
Education enables a person in prison to see the potential for change and the possibility of a new life. Indeed, it allows the person to think more responsibly and, in thinking more responsibly, the person’s attitudes and values are called into question.
When attitudes and values are objectively looked at, the full range of social and community obligations begin to take root in that person’s mindset. This in turn creates “positive” changes in one’s behavior.
It can furthermore be argued that education inspires a person to develop those essential human qualities that are necessary to all social and community relationships. With education men and women can return to their communities from prison, bringing the spirit of positive change. Without it, they bring only the worst of the experiences encountered as a result of their exposure to imprisonment and the Criminal Justice System’s practice of warehousing a particular class of people.
By Matt Clarke Unique circumstances have combined to make northern Louisiana a prime location for private prisons, as Louisiana sheriffs can profit by letting a private company build and operate facilities that house both local prisoners and prisoners from other jurisdictions. Meanwhile, other parish prisons – especially those in the densely-populated southern part of the
By Neo
Steve is looking down at his G.E.D. test booklet. It’s his fourth time taking this test. He’s mastered three of the five test subjects and he’s gazing at the questions – after months of preparation and studying – though it all looks Greek to him.
He’s sweating and feeling nauseous. Steve knows that he isn’t going to achieve what he’s been working on for so long. He failed and now he needs to do all the studying all over again. Image courtesy hopeworks.org
Many Americans go through this problem every day. Passing the G.E.D. is no easy task, but it’s achievable. Some call it Test Block Syndrome. That’s when you suddenly forget what you studied, but it’s not that: it is confidence.
Many prisoners incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons have grown up with minimal to no education. Prison administrations recommend that prisoners sign up and complete the G.E.D. program offered in their Education Department prior to release. But even then, a number of enrolled prisoner-students leave prison without attaining a G.E.D. This results in increased recidivism rates.
As a result, the prison-educators at FCC Petersburg have implemented a program that would remedy the problems that Steve encountered. That program is called: Fasttrack G.E.D.
Most cynics would say, “Prisoners don’t deserve good food. They committed a crime; just keep feeding them slop because we don’t want our tax dollars going to feed those criminals!” Unless one is familiar with a prison 120 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California, one would agree prisoners don’t deserve nutritional food, which is a
Inmates incarcerated within the Federal Bureau of Prisons are housed in communal living settings. These “housing units” consist of either a number of cells or a dormitory. Generally speaking, dorms are utilized at lower security institutions (e.g., federal prison camps and low-security federal prisons), while cells are utilized at higher security institutions (e.g., medium-security federal
Buddha Day, 2013. The air was warm, and the mood was Eastern. Not Eastern as in a New England college, but as in ancient Eastern medicine. The kind a shaman or a mystic would practice. Picture a monk waving sage in the air to dispel any dark spirits, and you’d get the right idea. A
Prison disciplinary work is a staple of my practice. There will always be someone who has recently received an incident report for violating a prison disciplinary regulation, and many will seek counsel as to how to defend against the proceedings. Truth be told, I like this sort of work. It allows me to think outside
The first time Jeanette Holtham, Founder and President of The Youth Transformation Center visited a youth prison she was scared to death. Image courtesy of youthtransformationcenter.org
Holtham is a petite red head with a serene composure, but her aspirations are much larger. She is no longer intimidated by rough looking teens masked with baleful tattoos, multiple piercings, and an array of trinkets hanging from every body part. Holtham knows there are incredible young people hidden behind the masquerading attire.
Holtham is appalled at the 30-50% drop out rate of juveniles ages 12-17 in Colorado, and the 62,000 that are suspended. She is on a mission to salvage the lives of these young people. Holtham is collaborating with Colorado school districts and the Department of Youth Corrections to make this happen.
Holtham is one of the pioneers of a growing global phenomenon called restorative justice, which is a set of principles used to hold offenders accountable for the harm he or she has caused, provide victims with a voice about how the criminal action has affected them, and how the damage should be repaired .
With the United States criminal justice system facing extraordinary challenges, including crowded jails, busy courtrooms, state budget pressures, and high recidivism rates, criticism continues to mount. However, few solutions seem to gain traction. Prisons are seen today as a place of retribution for crimes committed instead of an opportunity to rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them