Spoon Jackson gives the insider opinion on the main areas for reform in the US prison system.
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First, there must be real programs for change, trades, mental care, drug programs, and educational programs in prison. Non–violent youth and adults do not to be sent to prison and should be offered programes outside of prison. They should be offered community service programs such as: cleaning up neighborhoods, highways, parks, doing services for the elderly, and participating in youth diversion programs.
Sentencing laws need to be reformed. Death Penalty and Life Without Parole sentences must be changed. The prison system as it is, particularly in California, needs to be dismantled, and laws administered by judges and lawyers must not be based on the color of skin. The laws need to be applied equally to the poor as to the rich. There must be a way to keep wayward judges, politicians, prison administers and lawyers in check.
The prison system in California and the USA needs to be modeled after the systems in England, Canada, France, Norway, and Sweden and not be based on hate, revenge, and punishment.
Photo: Gordon Inc/Flickr
Awesome article!!! & it’s the truth!!!
I prepared a thesis on prison reform (more specifically, through architecture and environmental changes) which was ultimately rejected as a suitable project. Although I didn’t have a chance to pursue those concepts further, all of the preliminary research I did indicated that a better, or at least more succinct question would be something along the lines of: “What aspects of the U.S. prison system actually function well enough to leave in place?” I frame the question in that way because I came to the conclusion that most of our prison system simply needs to be razed to the ground. I… Read more »