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In Jefferson City, Missouri (1836-2004) open now for tours. Not quite escape proof: in April 1967 James Earl Ray escaped in a leaving bread truck and went to Canada for a year.
Then in April 1968 made his way to Memphis to shoot and kill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Caught in London shortly after ( for an escapee he seemed to have adequate traveling cash !) Back to the Big House.
Turns out that 1/4 of the worlds prisoners are held in US jails, some 2.4 million -- 38% black and 34% white. Of course, blacks are overrepresented compared to their percentage in society. Through the processes of "drug wars", "tough on crime", "three strikes and your out", and tough law directives the cells are filling up, many innocent of the crime or charged with minor drug offenses. It used to be that rehabilitation was the goal, but now just basic housing seems to be considered adequate especially with the privatization of many facilities; with solitary isolation being used on unruly or gang-suspected prisoners. Some 25,000 are in isolated (6ft X 9ft) cells most in super max prisons, many mentally ill. Cruel and unusual punishment? The record for solitary isolation is a fellow in Louisiana (Angola prison) who has been held for some 43 years : https://medium.com/amnesty-international/solitary-review-albert-s-treatment-should-be-confined-to-history-e01a0d95bf1a .
It is hard to even imagine what effect this would have on a person . . .
Seems to me that a progressive society must attend to the needs of all of its citizens , even those who have gone wrong in the eyes of the courts. Fair play and dignity must lead ,otherwise it's just another ineffective and uncaring system bound for failure.
In Jefferson City, Missouri (1836-2004) open now for tours. Not quite escape proof: in April 1967 James Earl Ray escaped in a leaving bread truck and went to Canada for a year.
Then in April 1968 made his way to Memphis to shoot and kill Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Caught in London shortly after ( for an escapee he seemed to have adequate traveling cash !) Back to the Big House.
Turns out that 1/4 of the worlds prisoners are held in US jails, some 2.4 million -- 38% black and 34% white. Of course, blacks are overrepresented compared to their percentage in society. Through the processes of "drug wars", "tough on crime", "three strikes and your out", and tough law directives the cells are filling up, many innocent of the crime or charged with minor drug offenses. It used to be that rehabilitation was the goal, but now just basic housing seems to be considered adequate especially with the privatization of many facilities; with solitary isolation being used on unruly or gang-suspected prisoners. Some 25,000 are in isolated (6ft X 9ft) cells most in super max prisons, many mentally ill. Cruel and unusual punishment? The record for solitary isolation is a fellow in Louisiana (Angola prison) who has been held for some 43 years : https://medium.com/amnesty-international/solitary-review-albert-s-treatment-should-be-confined-to-history-e01a0d95bf1a .
It is hard to even imagine what effect this would have on a person . . .
Seems to me that a progressive society must attend to the needs of all of its citizens , even those who have gone wrong in the eyes of the courts. Fair play and dignity must lead ,otherwise it's just another ineffective and uncaring system bound for failure.
...especially with the privatization of many facilities...
ReplyDeleteSeems American ingenuity has invented another form of slavery. I don't have a problem with prisoners working, its just that when it helps some company make a profit that's when it gets weird.
It's hard to imagine what effect murder would have on a person, too.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is that too many of those who perpetrate the crimes believe society owes them....
Agreed, Lee, but my concern is with the many who were
ReplyDeletefalsely accused; as might of been the case with the fellow held for 43 years in solitary. It is still questionable whether he actually killed the guard! Many blacks in our south were prosecuted on basis of color rather that actual evidence.
Look up North American Command. Read the mission statement.
ReplyDeleteThe government is not only providing profit for billionaires they are also afraid of the governed. There are dozens of empty detention centers across the country and dozens of lost rights both human and political.
As human populations increase...so does complexities!!
ReplyDeletewww.myunfinishedlife.com
It's hard to imagine what effect murder would have on a person, too.
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