From: tucker@maestro.mitre.org (William Tucker)
Subject: Re: Protest (option #3)
Keywords: Re: Protest (option #3) 
Reply-To: tucker@maestro.mitre.org (William Tucker)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, Va
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 03:40:42 GMT

Hi -

How about a different approach to prisons and inmates?

How about finally adressing the issue that prison simply
creates individuals that are less able to fit into society
period? Perhaps WE help to create murderers.

Presently our systems turns out people that are even less able to
fit back into society than when they entered prison. Not only that,
they don't have any money when they get out and no skills and they
have a record that stands in their way if they try to get a job. Is
it any great surprise that they end up back where they already
know how to play the game?

Most _regular_ people are afraid to change their social class. If they
don't know how to act, they feel that they don't fit in and don't try.
People are afraid to do things that they've never done before, it
needs to be a regular life experience before it becomes a reality
for most.

Inmate populations are a human resource that are an emotional and
financial burden on the rest of us and one that using present methods
is not getting any smaller. Setting up a tiered voluntary prison
work force would alleviate some of the financial burden, by using some
of the money created to pay for the prisons. Teaching prison inmates
how to get jobs, interview, hold jobs, and how to interact with people
in order to maintain those jobs would go a long way towards eliminating
prison populations in general. They need to learn responsibility,
routine, manners, working for something over time, how to work with
others and how to plan their lives. It needs to be a program that is
easy, attractive, and pays for itself. Inmates need to be exposed to
normal life in a controlled situation if we ever expect them to be
able to fit in. For example once they get the job in an in house factory,
if they don't show up for work or are late they loose the job, and are
unable to apply again for a specific length of time. The money that
they earn then becomes their bank roll to a new life outside of prison,
and they can repay victims from the money that they earn, through
various reimbursment programs. The tiering refers to having achieved
certain levels of job skills and socialization skills. With extra
privelegs being earned through performance. Perhaps even the removal
of a police record from public view, or restoring voting priveleges.

Why not give American companies the cheap labor that they move overseas
to get right here at home? Why not a volunteer prison labor community?
Tax breaks for those companines that set up prison factories, and hire
prisoners upon release. Why not spend prison time making money, and
learning new things rather than costing money and getting less socially
fit? IF you're going to put people away either make them better or get
rid of them. You can't get rid of them, so quit talking about it and make
them better. Solve the problem and get out of the blame game loop. Do
something, don't just complain. Does anyone know how to go about
getting this idea suggested to the correct people?

Every person retrained is that much less of a burden for society and
him/her self. Why not use what we have to the best effect for both
parties? We ourselves are the victims when the highest priority is to
punish/"get even" rather than solve the problem.

ps.
    I'm not interested in arguing ideology, if you have something
    to contribute please do. It's time to solve the problems
    instead of spending all of our energy saying "we can't" or
    saying "it's their fault." I'm also not interested in those
    who would attempt to entirely invalidate an approach by extreme
    arguments like "what about someone who's killed a family of
    47 and ate them and their pets too?" specific individuals
    or situations can be handled by specific rules/laws. Oh and
    the suggestion is again for a VOLUNTEER prison work force.
    

Wm T.

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