Of course, all of these issues combined are having a devastating affect on millions of family members of the convicted. Kids are Left without fathers or mothers and elders are Left without their sons and daughters. Even worse, the trend is not only to lock up masses, but also to create harsh conditions inside. The gains in prison reform that the people worked so hard for are now being rapidly reversed. No longer are any courses offered in this prison, so prisoners are not able to better educate themselves.
Recreational activities are few.
And, our phone and visitation privileges are being gradually whittled away. Just this week we received a memo which will restrict our phone access to 300 minutes a month, averaging about 10 minutes a day. Many family members cannot afford to travel here for visits, and the phone is their only way of speaking with their Loved ones. Additionally, the change will be devastating to political prisoners who are able to maintain a connection with the outside world and make key defense decisions through the telephone. Outside of the major flaws in the criminal justice system, it seems law enforcement is becoming bolder in its attempts to dictate the fate of a controversial case, instead of allowing the courts and key officials to do so.