Professor Jana Craft from the business school at Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota sent me the article from the peer-reviewed Journal of International Business (Volume 2, Spring 2010). David Geenens, Director of Graduate Business Programs at Benedictine College wrote the article. He was an authority on the subject because prior to becoming an academic, Mr. Geenens ran the Impact Design business that operated inside the Kansas prison.

The article encouraged me because it showed the benefits that would come to so many facets of American society if prison systems worked in partnership with businesses and citizens in the private sector. Too many citizens in our country have distorted perceptions of the ever-growing subculture that proliferates inside of prison boundaries. Lobbyists who have vested interests in the growth of America’s prison system perpetuate such myths, but they come at the expense of the taxpayer. Our society now incarcerates more than 2.3 million people, and I’ve read reports suggesting that warehousing so many people costs taxpayers $75 billion each year.

David Geenens served as president of Impact Design, a private company that manufactured specialty sports apparel for college students. In an effort to meet demands of that changing marketplace, Mr. Geenens approached the officials at the state prison to inquire about the possibility of establishing a factory inside prison boundaries. The factory would offer prisoners opportunities to learn marketable skills and earn resources that would help them transition into society as law-abiding citizens.

Prison officials found authority for such partnerships with the private sector through Congressional legislation commonly known as the PIE Program (Prison Industry Enhancement certification program) that passed in 1979. In order to comply with the requirements of the PIE Program, Mr. Geenens’ company, Impact Design, paid the prisoners who accepted employment minimum wage or better. Impact Design made appropriate deductions from each prisoner’s gross wages. Those deductions served the interest of Kansas taxpayers by paying numerous taxes, contributing to crime victim compensation funds, offsetting each prisoner’s cost of confinement, and enabling prisoners who worked in the Impact Design plant with opportunities to build a savings account. The earnings prisoners saved could help them meet the expenses associated with reentry such as housing, clothing, food, and transportation costs necessary to find employment.

Prison guards (who like to be called correctional officers) resent progressive programs like Impact Design because they threaten the high recidivism rates that keep the prison system booming. If prisoners learn new skills and develop financial resources, they’re more likely to emerge from confinement as law-abiding citizens. Although such an outcome would be good for American citizens, it “threatens the security of prison institutions” in the same way that smoking-cessation programs threaten tobacco manufacturers. Expecting prison officials to enthusiastically support programs that lower recidivism rates would be akin to expecting tobacco companies to enthusiastically support programs that help people refrain from smoking.

If taxpayers could see the many ways that programs like the one Mr. Geenens spearheaded at the Kansas State Prison, more people would support prison reform. I’ll do my best to bring such programs to the attention of all Americans.

The post Benefits of Prison Reform appeared first on Prison News Blog.

http://www.economist.com/node/16636027

Rough justice in America

Never in the civilised world have so many been locked up for so little

Jul 22nd 2010 | Spring, Texas

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/will-president-barack-obama-take-on-prison-reform/19577278

Will Obama Take On Prison Reform?

The post Prison Reform: In The News appeared first on Prison News Blog.

The post G. Gordon Liddy Talks Prison with Justin Paperny appeared first on Prison News Blog.

http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/solitary_confinement_wasteful_useless

The post Solitary Confinement: Wasteful, Useless appeared first on Prison News Blog.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-santos/call-for-prison-reform_b_543332.html

The post New article on Prison Reform appeared first on Prison News Blog.

http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/in_one_prisoners_life_work_inspiration

The post Gary McGivern’s life work appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave was the 2^nd book I read in 2010.

Why I read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave:

A few weeks ago, I finished reading Black Boy, a biography of Richard Wright, who was a famous American author. Wright’s descriptions of how he educated himself inspired me, as although the circumstances of imprisonment differ from the struggle of racial oppression, I identified with the challenges Wright faced. When I was looking for another book on people who triumphed over adversity, I found the slim volume on Frederick Douglas, an American slave who escaped from slavery in Maryland to become a leader in Massachusetts. I read his autobiography because I wanted to learn more about the extraordinary life of a man who overcame the injustice of being born a slave, and went on to become a strong American voice who spoke about the horrors of slavery with eloquence and persuasion.

What I learned from reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave:

Over the course of imprisonment, I’ve read many books on American history that described slavery, but this powerful autobiography by Frederick Douglas was the first book I read by a man who was born into slavery. He described the way slave owners whipped slaves, how they denied slaves the power of education, how they separated slaves from family bonds, all the while the slave owners fancied themselves good Christian people. Despite the oppressive rules that fettered his life, Frederick Douglas taught himself to read. He not only learned how to read sentences and paragraphs, but he also learned how to read people and events. That remarkable intelligence endowed him with the skills necessary to make his escape from slavery, and to lead his people as a powerful author and orator whose words still inspire, more than 100 years after his death.

How reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave will contribute to my success upon release:

When I walk free from prison boundaries, I intend to build a career that contributes to society. I don’t know exactly what I will do, but I continue to train myself and to prepare for a career as a speaker, writer, teacher, and consultant. By using the experience of my imprisonment, and the lessons I’ve learned from others who faced struggle with dignity. I hope to inspire others to reach their highest potential. Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave gives me one more story to draw upon, confirming that with a strong mind, man can create meaning in his life.

The post Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Why I read Lessons From Prison: 

Justin Paperny, the author of Lessons From Prison, was confined with me at Taft Camp for about one year.  While he was here we developed a friendship and I had the opportunity to work with him as he made preparations for release.  He participated in a class that I taught, and after listening to the message I presented, made a commitment to use his experience as a teaching tool to help others make decisions that will enhance their lives.  He told his story through his book and, although I provided him with some suggestions while he was writing it, I decided to read the book in its entirety for the first time because of news I’ve received describing how helpful others found Justin’s book. 

What I learned from reading Lessons From Prison:

Throughout the course of my lengthy imprisonment, I’ve taught courses with thousands of participants. My message always focuses on steps we can take to overcome adversity and to prepare for law abiding, successful lives upon release.  From reading Justin’s book, I see that he really embraced this message, incorporating it into his life and expanding upon it in a way that far exceeds anyone else who has participated in my classes.  By reading Justin’s book, I learned more about the pressures that influence people who come from privileged backgrounds, study in top universities, and lead distinguished, professional careers.  Justin spoke honestly about his background and the decisions that led him into troubles with the criminal justice system.  He called it “the fraud triangle,” saying that when an individual feels pressure of some sort, has a position that allows him to cheat, and can rationalize his act, he becomes susceptible to fraud.  It’s a struggle that many white-collar offenders describe, but Justin articulates it well in his book.  More importantly, he shows how an individual can redeem himself and work toward leading a more responsible, contributing life. 

How reading Lessons From Prison will contribute to my success upon release: 

Justin’s book and the descriptions he provides will give me a tangible product I can use to show others that with discipline, we can triumph over adversity.  Although Justin doesn’t like to acknowledge the adversity he conquered, I’ve seen one-year prison terms drive weaker men to the brink of suicide.  I admire Justin’s strength, his discipline, and willingness to work toward something better.  He’s an excellent example I can use to show others that those who work can emerge stronger from adversity.

The post Lessons From Prison appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Book title: Mean Justice: A Town’s Terror, a Prosecutor’s Power, a Betrayal of Innocence

Author: Edward Humes

Book Publisher: Simon & Schuster (1999)

Non-Fiction / 491 pages

Mean Justice: A Town’s Terror, a Prosecutor’s Power, a Betrayal of Innocence was the 18^th book I read in 2009.

Why I read Mean Justice:

A few years ago, in 2006, Edward Humes wrote a review of my book, Inside, for the Los Angeles Times Book Review. I didn’t know anything about Mr. Humes before then, nor did I know how he was chosen to review Inside. Later I learned from information my wife downloaded from his website

The post Mean Justice: A Town’s Terror, a Prosecutor’s Power, a Betrayal of Innocence appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Book title: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Author: Bill Bryson

Book Publisher: Broadway Books (2003)

Non-Fiction / 544 pages

A Short History of Nearly Everything was the 19^th book I read in 2009.

Why I read A Short History of Nearly Everything:

A friend I met at Taft Camp, Steve Urie, recommended this book to me. He didn’t think I’d read it because the book doesn’t relate to the type of book I usually read. A Short History of Nearly Everything is a book that helps amateurs like me understand more about the world we inhabit and how we came to inhabit this world. Since I was rather ignorant about matters pertaining to science and since I was winding down from my projects for the year, I stuck with the book and educated myself by reading A Short History of Nearly Everything

What I learned from reading A Short History of Nearly Everything:

Bill Bryson is a celebrated writer who is famous for writing about his travels and until a few years before writing A Short History of Nearly Everything, he says that he didn’t know as much at all about science. He’s an excellent student. During those few years, he interviewed scores of scientists from around the world and he researched through countless books in order to help others understand how scientists theorized the formation of the earth, the universe and life itself.

I’m not claiming that reading a single science book gives a full education, but in reading A Short History of Nearly Everything, at least I now know what people mean when they discuss “a quantum leap” or “a quasar” or “a polaris” or “carbon dating”. Bill Bryson’s writing skills made it more enjoyable to develop a surface understanding of these scientific concepts. 

How reading A Short History of Nearly Everything will contribute to my success upon release:

My aspirations of building a career in communications require that I broaden my understanding of numerous subjects. I don’t intend to discuss much about the natural or physical sciences, as my area of concentration focuses on human development and achieving optimal performance levels. Yet my work does consider balance, the interconnectivity of all life, and God’s influence. Understanding more about how scientists perceive the origins of the universe, earth and life will help my message.

The post A Short History of Nearly Everything appeared first on Prison News Blog.