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Assignment2
Introduction
Imagineifoneofyourloveoneswasconvictedofcrimeandwasforcedtoservetimein
astateprison(Lordforbid).Thinkabouthowdifferentlifewouldbeforthemduringtheirprison
sentence.Mostlikely,theywouldhavetoworkhaveatoughmanuallaborjobforalarger
portionofyourdayjusttobepaidajokinglylowforawage.Nottomention,pricesforitemsin
commissaryarealotmoreexpensivethanthepricesfortheitemsonthemarket.Sonotonlyare
youlowballedforlabor,butyouarethentaxedmoreforgoodsincommissary.Thework
prisonersareforcedtodoinprisoniscalledpenallabor.Thisisalegalpunishment,because
whencitizenissenttoprisonitistheirpaysofftheirdebttosocietyforcommittingacrime.The
13thAmendmentmakesthistypeoflaborpossiblebyoutlawingslaveryandinvoluntary
servitude,unlessitispunishmentforacrime.
Next,imaginehowmuchdifferentyourloveoneslifewouldbeafterservingthe
sentence.Assumingthattheyarearoundtheageanaveragecollegestudentduringthebeginning
oftheirprisonsentence,they'regoingtobereleasedintotheoutsideworldwithlittletonone
experienceinacareer.Itsalreadydifficultenoughsearchingforemploymentwithacriminal
record.Now,theyareforcedtofacethechallengesoflackingtheskillstoobtainingacareerand
thediscriminationtheywillreceivefromemployers.Itishardadaptingtotheoutsideworldfor
manyprisonersaswell.Oncetospend
x
amountofyearsincarceratedyouloseafeelofwhatitis
likelivingcivilizedoutinsociety.Lifeafterprisonisntalwayssuccessfulforprisonersand
manyreturnbacktobeingbehindbars,becauseoftheirfailuretoacquireasteadyincomefrom
employment.Theylastthingyouwouldwanttohappenisforyourloveonetoreturnto
incarceration.
Nowlastforthelastsituation,Iwantyoutoimaginethatyourloveonemadeamistake
andisservingtimeinprisonforminordrugrelatedcharges.Nowyourloveoneislockedupand
surroundedbyrapist,murders,andthievesonadailybasis.Theyaretakingupspaceinan
overpopulatedprison.Nottomention,itiscostingthestatemoneytokeeptheyincarceratedfor
aminordrugcharge.
LiteratureReview
IncarcerationisaseriousproblemwithintheUnitedStates.Severalkeyissueswewill
exploreintherelevantliteratureincludes:incarcerationfordrugrelatedcharges,thecauseand
effectofcheappenallabor,andtransitionalorvocationalprograms.Thereareapproximately
2.5millionpeopleinAmericanprisonstoday,andmorethan3millionchildreninAmericahave
aparentorparentswhoareservingtimeinprison(Pacholke,Dan).Thisisthesametrendfor
femaleprisonswithmostprisonersbeingaminority.Outoftheseminoritiesbehindbars,most
arethereduetodrugrelatedcharges.InNewYorkprisonsalonethereare22,670drugoffenders,
whichmakeupaboutoftheirprisonspopulation.TheUnitedStatesisthestrictestcountryin
theworldwhenitcomestodrugpoliciesandenforcement.Infact,theUnitedStateshavebeen
pressuringothercountriestodothesameandtakepartinthisWarOnDrugs(
Reynolds,
Marylee)
.
In2015,PresidentObamapresentedaspeechstronglycriticizingthejusticesystemby
saying,Itsnotasfarasitshouldbe.Massincarcerationmakesourcountryworseoff.Andwe
needtodosomethingaboutit.Heevenwentaboveandbeyondanysittingpresidentbyvisiting
aprisonandspeakingwithsixprisonerswhowereconvictedofnonviolentdrugcharges.The
messagehewastryingtopromoteisthatnonviolentoffendersareservingmoretimethanthey
shouldandaretakingupspaceinoverpopulatingprisons(Horsley,Scott).Oddlyenough,despite
thejusticesystemattemptingtokeepdrugoffendersbehindbarsitisntcheaptodoso.Since
1988,thestateofNewYorkhasspentmoremoneyfundingtheirprisonsthantheyhavespentin
fundingtheiruniversities.Itcostthestateabout$680millionayeartohavedrugoffenders
incarcerated(Ganji,Robert).Inresult,livingsupplies,suchastoothpaste,soap,deodorant,etc.
cost30%to50%moreforprisonerscomparedtotheregularmarketprice.Theyalsotrytomake
backsomeofthismoneybyreceivingcheaplaborfromtheprisoners.Aformermemberofthe
MissouriSenate,JeffSmithclaimshewasgettingpaid$5.25amonthforunloadingtrucks
everyday.Ina31daymonththatsalmost17centsaday.Theseminimizedwagestendtoresult
inalltypesofhustlingintheprison,fromtattooing,givinghaircuts,andevensmugglingdrugs
(Smith,Jeff).However,notalldrugsaresmuggledinbyprisoners.ThisyearinGeorgia,49
prisonerofficerswereindictedforsmugglinginalltypesofcontrabandfromdrugstocell
phones.Theseofficersabusedtheirpowerunderthelawbytakingbribesfromprisonersand
doingthemfavorsinreturn.Notonlydidtheyputthemselvesindanger,buttheyputthe
prisonersindangeraswell(Samuel,Molly).Researchershavediscoveredthatnearly70%of
prisonerswillusedrugswhileincarcerated.Thiscanbefatalforthehealthofprisoners.The
injectionofdrugscancauseaccidentalsuicideand/orbecomethesourceofdiseasesspreading
amongtheprisonbyreusingequipment(Gore,Sheila).
Studiesshowthattwooutofeverythreeprisonersreleasedwithreturntoprisonwithin
fiveyears(Smith,Jeff).Thisisbecausemanyreleasedconvictsdontreceivejobsopportunities
duetothediscriminationoftheirbackgroundbyemployers.Thiscausesmanyreleasedprisoners
toreturntothelifestylethatlandedtheminprisoninthefirstplace.ShakaSenghorwordedit
bestwhenhesaid,Prisonisdesignedtowarehouse,insteadofrehabilitateortransform.
Senghorisamanwhoserved20plusyearsinprisonforamurderhecommittedwhenhewas19.
Hestatesthatheoweshiscurrentpeaceofmindtothesupportofhisfamilyandthementoring
hereceivedfromprisonersservinglifesentences,butnothankstotheprisonitself.Senghor
wasntfortunateenoughtobeplacedinaprisonthathadprogramsthatprepareprisonersforlife
aftertheirsentence(Senghor,Shaka).However,thatdoesntmeansuchprogramsdontexistin
certainprisons.Oneprisonofferstraininginthefieldofwelding.Theweldingindustryisdying
downduetolackofinterestinthecareerbytheyouthandretiringoftheveterans.Estimatessay
therewillbeashortageof300,000weldingrelatedjobsby2020.Despitethis,weldingremainsa
jobthatisinhighdemandinAmerica.Analuminisoftheprisonweldingprogram,JohnTurner
receivedthreejoboffersafterbeingreleasedfromprison(
Capelouto,Susanna
).Thisgoesto
showthatifprovidedtherightskillsprisonerscanchangetheirlivesaroundafterbeingreleased.
Anotherresourcecertainprisonsofferthatpotentiallyhelpprepareprisonersforlifeafter
prisonishigherlearningprograms.Researchershavediscoveredthatprisonerswhoreceive
educationwhileincarceratedarelesslikelytoreturnandmorelikelytolandajob.
Unfortunately,veryfewprisonsinAmericahavethesetypeofprograms.SanQuentinState
PrisonontheeasternoutskirtsofSanFrancisco,Californiahappenstobeoneofthefew.
However,theprogramisntfundedbyfederalorstatemoney,insteadbyprivatedonations.The
coursesaretaughtbyvolunteerteachersfromtopschools,suchasUniversityof
CaliforniaBerkeley,Stanford,SanFranciscoStateandmanymore.Thecontroversybehinditis
thatmanycitizensbelievethatprisonersshouldnotgetthebenefitoffreehigherlearning
education(
Westervelt,Eric)
.
EnteringtheConversation
ThefirstissueIwanttoaddressischeappenallaborthatprisonersareforcedtowork
duringtheirsentence.Lowwagesarenthelpingtheseprisonersoutmuchfinancially.This
forcesmanyprisonerstoswingtowardshustlinginprison.Someofthesehustlesresultin
makingprisonsmoredangerousthattheyalreadyare.Thisincludessmugglingindrugsand
othercontraband.
Mysolutiontohelpouttheprisonersintheslightestisraisethewagestheygetpaidina
day.Thiswouldassisttheprisonersbygivingthemalittlemorethattheycanlookforwardto
workingfor,becausewhattheygetpaidnowisbasicallyworkingforfree.Iunderstandthatthey
arecriminalsandarepayingtheirdebttosociety,butweshouldstillmakepenallabormore
humanethanworkingforlittletonothing.Next,Ithinkloweringthepricesofgoodsin
commissarytoaroundthesameastheofmarketpriceswouldhelpliftthepressureoffprisoners
financial.Noteveryprisonerhasfamilyontheoutsidethatiswillingofputtingmoneyontheir
booksandtheironlywayofpayingforcommissarygoodsisfromthewagestheygetpaidfrom
theirlabor.
ThesecondissueIwouldliketoaddressisprisonsnothavingprogramstoteach
prisonersskillsthatwillhelpthemontheoutside.Manyprisonersdontknowhowto
appropriatelyactduringajobinterview.Manydontevenknowhowtotieatie.Also,going
backtowhatIstatedinmyLiteratureReview,Ithinkitwouldbenefittheprisonsiftheycould
learnskillsinacertaincareer.Thereasonwhymostconvictsreturntoprisonisbecausethey
cantlandasteadyjob.Thiscanbeduetomanyfactors,suchaslackofinterviewskillsandlack
ofknowledgeinacareer.
ThesolutiontothisissueishavingtheFederalgovernmentfundthesetypeofprograms.I
believetheyarenecessaryandworthspendingtaxpayersmoneyonit.Theseprogramscould
potentiallyhavebiggerimpactonsocietythananticipated.Ibelievetheseprogramscould
drasticallylowercrimerates.Theycouldpossiblykeepexconvictsfromreoffendingdueto
themhavingasteadyandlegalwayofpay.Investingintheseprogramscouldreallysavesome
oftheseconvictslives.
Myfinalissueishavingpeopleservetimeinprisonoverminordrugcharges.These
peoplearetakingupspaceinouroverpopulatedprisons.Ialsobelievethatothernonviolent
crimesshouldnotrequiretimeinprison.Itiscostingthegovernmenttokeepthesepeople
incarcerated.Ibelieveifyou'regoingtobespendingtaxpayersmoneytokeeppeopleinprison,
thecrimeshouldbeworththeimprisonment.
Ibelievethesolutiontothisissueistonotseverelypunishnonviolentdrugrelated
charges.Ofcourse,therearegoingtobeexceptionstothis,butImreferringtominordrug
charges.Ibelievetostilldiscouragepeoplefromusingandsellingdrugsthereshouldbean
increasetothefine.Thiswillmakepeoplethinktwiceandaskthemselves,Isthislifestyle
worththisexpensivefine?
Study
Toseehoweffectivetheseprisonprogramare,Iaminterestedinconductingastudyto
receivesomestatistics.Iwouldtakeaprisonwithaprogramtohelpprisonersaftertheir
sentence,PrisonAandcomparethattoaprisonwithoutaprogram,PrisonB.Iwouldget
informationonprisonersthathavebeenreleasedinthelasttwoyearsfrombothprisonersand
seewhatsthepercentageoftheprisonerswhoreturnedtoincarceration.Mybetwouldbethat
PrisonAwouldhavealowerpercentage,becausetheyhavebeenexposedtotheproperskills
necessarytosucceedintherealworld.Thiswillprovethattheseprogramsneedtobefundedand
placedineveryprisoninthecountrytohelplowercrimeratesanddepopulateprisons.
Conclusion
Thebottomlineisthatprisonsinourcountryneedtofaceaseriesofimprovements.
Theseimprovementswouldnotonlyhelpforlifeinprison,butforlifeoutofprisonbykeeping
convictsfromreturning.Alsoitisimportanttokeeppeoplebehindbarswhoneedtobebehind
bars,suchaspeoplewouldhavecommittedcrimesrelatedtoviolence.Nonviolentcrimesshould
becarefullyreviewedinthecourtsystemtoavoidsendingsomeonetoprisonwhoshouldjustbe
heavilyfinedinstead.Thiswillhelpkeepfamiliestogetherandkeepthefederalgovernment
fromwastingmoney.Ialsobelievethatmystudywouldprovemerightwiththeprisonprograms
iftheyweretobeconducted.TheprogramsIdiscussedareverynecessaryandcouldimpact
livesofprisoners.Thiswillshowthemthatdespitetheirmistakesandwheretheyhavelanded
them,theirlifeisnotover.Everybodydeservesasecondchance.Hell,somemanyevenneeda
thirdchance,buttheseprogramswillshowthemhowtosurviveandmakeitintheoutside
world.IbelieveImadesomevalidpointinthispaperreferringtorelevantissuesregarding
incarceration.Iwouldlovetohavemyideasbeheard.
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