Re-entry
I learned about wants and needs in an economics class. Food, clothing, and shelter are needs; everything else is a want. Many wants are based on an emotional viewpoint, whereas most needs come from the realm of survival. Having a job is a want—a job is a want that fulfills basic survival needs.… Read the rest
Imagine this: You’ve served your prison sentence. You have little or no money. You’re looking for steady work. You know your record follows you, but you take a deep breath and dive into the job market hoping for a fresh start—a fair chance. One of the first questions on the job application inquires if you have ever been convicted of a felony—check the box yes or no.… Read the rest
I’m a sucker for smart second-chance programs. Having been a prisoner for two years, I know how the thought of returning to the streets is both exciting and frightening. Jobs and housing can be difficult to find. The stigma is defeating. Prisons rarely teach skills that stoke self-pride. Regaining life’s luster that was dulled by prison is a challenge.… Read the rest
A Hobson’s choice can be “free choice” that enables and foments discrimination. The choice is to take something, or not, with no real alternative; there is no real choice. I recently experienced this dirty form of discrimination while applying for an apartment lease—it was a Hobson’s choice experience. I was disqualified from making an application because of my criminal record.… Read the rest
Sometimes a smart prison reform program comes to the surface. Intelligent reforms stoke intuitively good ideas. Case in point: several state prison systems have prison trained dog programs for inmates. I recently learned about such programs from Laura, a friend who benefited directly from a prison trained dog program in Colorado.… Read the rest
This is a pop quiz; your grade doesn’t count. The questions are not particularly a test of knowledge. Instead my intent is to raise compelling prison-reform and criminal-justice issues.
The subject matter for this blog comes from Matthew Shaer’s article “Exoneration,” which appears in the January/February 2017 edition of Smithsonian magazine (pages 80– 87).… Read the rest
The September 12–19, 2016, issue of Time, in its Ticker section on page 12, has a short entry: “President Obama commuted the sentences of 111 prisoners on Aug. 30, bringing the number of early releases he has granted to 673—more than the previous 10 Presidents combined. Most were drug offenders.”
Those who appreciate the unfairness of the harsh mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines baked into the punitive sentencing guidelines of the “War on Drugs” (the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986), clap with one hand for the president’s actions.… Read the rest
I was self-introduced to the emperor of Norway while waiting for chow at the California Institution for Men (CIM). CIM is a state prison in Chino, California. At the time, I didn’t know Norway had an emperor. The monarch and I were sitting at a stainless steel chow table when I was so informed.… Read the rest