Criminal Justice
One of the great thrills in life is for a moment when you see that your life has had meaning – and many of those come when your children turn out OK. My husband and I wept together at our son’s graduation from high school – not that there was ever any doubt, but it just felt like maybe we had done something right.
Then came graduation from college, and later from law school. We wept for joy. We didn’t weep at all when he chose a sweet, thoughtful and beautiful bride – we danced for joy, and we are still dancing.
We had another of those life moments when we were able to observe our son in court, functioning as a responsible adult. What a thrill.
At the same time, I realized I have never been in a court before. It was sentencing day, and an entire parade of sad sacks paraded before us. These were men who have done bad things – sometimes violent things. None of them looked evil; they all looks shrunken and pathetic in their prison jumpsuits and chained feet. Each one had to answer to the judge – he had already been tried and convicted, and this was the day the prisoner would find out what the penalty would be.
The judge took his time, and also spent time educating those in the courtroom. One question he asked over and over – under what circumstances were you arrested for this crime?
Every prisoner was arrested when being stopped for some traffic infraction. When a crime is committed, even after a sentence is served, many times the prisoners are on probation. If they live without any violations for the probation time, they are free and clear. If they disregard some rule of probation, then the probation is withdrawn, and they have to go back to jail. A warrant is issued for their arrest. The warrant is entered into a computer, and, when the system works, every state in the United States has a record of that warrant.
Each and every prisoner was caught breaking another law, and then imprisoned on earlier violations when run through the computer. Each one had a history of making bad decisions. Not evil decisions – just momentary bad decisions – running red lights, speeding, weaving, having fake license plates on the car . . . each one had a pattern of living as if the laws of the land pertained to everyone else – but not to him.
One man, who was going back to prison because while on probation he had used drugs again, had his wife testify on his behalf. She cried, and said it was her fault, that they had a fight and because of the fight, he had used again. The judge was furious, said that unless she held a gun at his head and forced him to use, it had been his choice and his alone. He would serve his full sentence. This judge is big on personal responsibility, personal accountability.
Some of them were going away (going to prison) for a long time. In the midst of the joy of seeing our son doing good work was a lot of sadness at the waste of lives, as people are warehoused in prison.
But what else can you do with people who persist in breaking the law? How many times can you give them the benefit of the doubt? How many times can you show mercy before they do something truly awful? Is there any alternative to prison that can truly help people to learn to make better decisions and choices?
At one time, as part of my work, I had to go into prisons and deal with prisoners. Many of the people I dealt with were pretty scary. One had stabbed his wife’s girlfriend – like 97 times. I will never forget, at this time of year, hearing the prisoners singing Christmas carols, punctuated by the sound of the heavy gates crashing shut.
It still gives me shivers.
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Some of the saddest moments I’ve had in my life were watching one of our adolescent foster boys being handcuffed and led off through the doors on the side of the courtroom. I am all about personal responsibility but I have often wondered how sending that illiterate, traumatized, psycho-socially backward 16 year old off to jail was going to help any? That boy just became a hopeless, resigned adult…with more “beat the system” tricks in his toolbox thanks to the incarceration. *sigh*
On another note – congratulations! It’s an amazingly gratifying thing to see our adult children functioning in their chosen spheres with grace and aplomb. Bask in the happiness…you earned it. π
Rules and laws are usefull to maintain order. A part of the punishment is mend as a repayment to the victums. Another part for ‘rehabilitation’. This is a logical approach. But how succesful is this approach? E.g. Someone is caught 3 times in the possession of a minor amount of weed for personal use only. The rehabilitation didn’t work him, you might conclude. The current justice system will sentence him for life in prison because of criminal recividism. The same punishment as anyone would get for capital murder. The U.S. has now over 2.300.000 prisoners. 4,8% of all black men are in prison against 0,7% of the white. Nevertheless the U.S. has still one of the most violent society’s with the largest number of drugs-addicts in the world. May be a black president can reform this obviously failing system and/or society. I wish him a lot of luck and wisdom.
Hmmm, can he get people iqamas for Florida ;p?
I better stay on your good side, otherwise I would end up with ex. football players in Jail.
two weeks ago, during a Bible study on the life of Moses, we were studying the law handed down by God. Almost without exception, the consequences of violating this law was restitution to the victim–not the system, particularly with respect to property crimes. When did we get away from this idea? Put the violators to work (hard labor) until they earn what they are required to pay the victim, instead of a warm, well fed, luxury life in prison. (no it’s not easy but it isn’t as hard as it used to be).
DaisyMae – Your saddest moment brought tears to my eyes. It is true – we need a lot of work to make our prisons a place where true rehab can happen, where a young person can come out with skills to make an honest living . . . I am not an expert in prison reform, but I understand there ARE some successful programs.
Facts and Doubts – Did you know that one of the few factors that keeps young black men from recividism (committing another crime and going back to jail) is Islam? Islam is spreading in the US prisons because it gives hope for another kind of life, and helps break the pattern.
My son also agrees with you. He says “there are no winners in this system.” Mostly, it is sad.
Also, in almost every country on earth, it is the poor who go to jail, while the rich criminals steal millions, rape and plunder at will, and live in McMansions while their lawyers keep them out of jail.
Purg – I danced for joy when that murderer went to jail. Every now and then, the system gets it right. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I don’t believe you will ever see the inside of a jail cell, Purg; I believe you live a fairly honest life. π
Hmmm, good point, Momcat. Restitution . . . . that takes a lot of work, and a lot of supervision, and mentoring. We would have to restructure the parole and probation systems . . . hmmmm. . . . what do you know about prisons that have low rates of recividism?
You have a very smart son… π I
let me ask my husband and daughter–they have actually studied this stuff with the statistics. I just work with mentoring the juvie girls.
Sigh, that seemed to be a sad scene; which tends to turn all your notions, priorities a bit topsy turvy i guess. Literally the other side of the wall, is murky and dark…
a serious pondering moment in your otherwise light happy holiday i guess. Wishing you many more lighter gayer moments, peppered slightly with such ones too! (if u dont mind)