Instead of Prison

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:



Instead of Prison
2.3 million people behind bars. How to stop wasting lives and money. Sarah van Gelder introduces the Summer issue of YES! Magazine, “Beyond Prisons.”

by Sarah van Gelder
posted Jun 03, 2011


A “parallel social universe”—that’s what Michelle Alexander calls the world that millions of Americans inhabit once they’ve been convicted of a crime. Those in prison seldom get access to the education, substance abuse treatment, and job training that would prepare them to succeed on the outside. Once released, ex-offenders are discriminated against for jobs, housing, and state and federal assistance; millions permanently lose the right to vote. Without a reliable source of income, many pass along their status as outcasts to their children.

But today’s massive budget deficits may create an opening for transforming a system that is locking up Americans at the highest rate in the world. What might such a system look like? This issue of YES! explores alternatives to punishment and banishment—approaches that demand accountability from offenders, but also give them a shot at full reintegration into the community.

Instead of punishing drug addicts, many of whom are victims of trauma, treatment and safe spaces lessen addiction and the harm caused by drug use.

Instead of warehousing people behind bars, education programs reduce the number who reoffend and return to prison. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/beyond-prisons/instead-of-prison

[Scuba]

1. But, but, but....

...non-violent offenders are very profitable for the prison industry, and make good slaves for corporations.

US Senator Ron "Sunspot" Johnson (POS - Wisconsin) used prison labor for his factory in Oshkosh.


(edited to include Johnson's abuse)

[Mist]

3. Yes, it's all about prisons as businesses. nt

[xchrom]

2. love me some YES magazine. nt

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

[Gregorian]

5. The punitive system is mostly a conservative institution.

And I say that because it focuses on the image rather than the causation. What we're now finding out (see Dr. Gabor Mate's books) is that many people with social problems are that way due to very specific reasons that are related to their environment. Not because they're "bad people".

And I want to add that we can expect a very sharp increase in socially distraught people. This is because the way people are being raised now is not how we are intended to be raised. And by intended I mean that according to Dr. Mate's studies, when children are raised by means other than the typical adult family mentoring kind of situation, Dopamine concentrations are significantly lower than normally raised individuals. The result is ADD, and loss of motivation.

How many people outside of prison should be in prison, by the standards we have set. I'll bet the number is far higher than people would be comfortable with. And how many who are behind bars are the victims of situations beyond their control, such as fetal alcohol syndrome?

The whole thing is bullshit, in a word. And that goes for murderers as well. We're only propagating more antisocial behavior with every prisoner. There is an alternative to cages, but it takes effort. We could do it. But we'd have to change our context. Instead of making money building cages, we could make money hiring teachers to counsel and solve the problems these people face.