FreeJonny1
For
Justice
To deny people their human rights is to challenge
their very humanity. Nelson Mandela
their very humanity. Nelson Mandela
One of the most controversial topics that I ever address is the impact prison has on the families of the offenders. No one really wants to hear that story. We are very victim sensitive in our society but we forget that victims are on both sides of the coin and the cost to our families, communities and nation are horrendous. There are some families that have lived with the reality that members of their families have spent time in prison...for a couple generations. There are families that never imagined, in their wildest dreams, that someone they loved would spend decades in prison. As I have worked advocating for prison reform, i have heard all kinds of stories but the impact is always the same. Families go to prison too.
It is now becoming evident, through research, that the impact of long term prison sentences is a destructive force in our communities. Poverty levels increase, illness, depression and dysfunction rise and the community becomes weaker...not stronger...as a result of long term incarceration. The cost of defense, the cost of prison to family members, the loss of income, the disruption in routine and the breaking of family ties through families into poverty and despair. Compound that with the lack of support or compassion for these families and you have a recipe for poverty and hopelessness. We, who advocate for prison reform, have watched this for years. The point of prison is to arrest the behavior, remove the offender from their destructive influences and then re-direct the offender and give them the opportunity to create a better life. That SHOULD be the intention given that we call these facilities Department of CORRECTION. The last few decades we have moved away from a reform model and opted for punishment. Now we reap the consequences. The link below is for an article that gives clear research on the impact and the need for change. Read on. Prison and The Poverty Trap
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Follow this link to Jonny's Etsy Art Shop
Author
|
copyright 2012 FreeJonny
|
Take Action Our Blog
|