News FeedResponse to Readers
Prison Environments Influence Prison Guards
Sarah Dooley asked me whether I thought the prison environment influenced the behavior and attitudes of those who staff prisons. My answer is yes. Administrators at every prison establish the culture that exists within the prison boundaries. When they admonish staff members for interacting with the prisoners on human being to human being level, they […]
Sex in Prison Visiting Rooms
Cindy Bedolla wrote to ask whether my wife and I ever violated the visiting rules of a federal prison. She also wanted to know whether we ever saw other prisoners violating the rules with their visitors. I’m grateful for this opportunity to share my experiences and to help Cindy understand more about prison life. As […]
Prisoners Have Right to Marry
Molly Woods asked me some questions about people who marry in prison. I am thrilled to talk about prison marriages, as I married Carole in a prison visiting room. My marriage to her has been the greatest blessing in my life. Our relationship inspires me to work harder to prepare for the obstacles I must […]
Prisons are Profit Centers for Lobbyists
Linda Pacheco is a college student who is expanding her understanding of the prison system by reading my work. I welcome the privilege of being able to contribute to her education. Clearly, she understands that I write from the perspective of a long-term prisoner. In an article I wrote about the interests of prison lobbyists, […]
Limited Intimacy in Prison
Joe Gonzalez asked me how prisoners coped with prison visiting rules. He thought that rules prohibiting prisoners from expressing more intimacy than a single kiss and embrace at the start and conclusion of each visit could lead to emotional struggle. He was right. As a prison family, Carole and I have had to cope with […]
Prison Made Me Liberal
Ana Diaz is a criminal justice student who takes issue with my assertion that prisons condition failure. She asks whether I have any suggestions on better alternatives to deter crime. As I read her question, I understood that it came from the premise of the conservative principle that prisons deter crime. I am much more […]
26 Years in Prison is Too Long
Maria Iniguez, a college student studying criminal justice, expressed her beliefs that a judge’s political leanings could influence a sentence imposed. She believed that judges espousing liberal philosophies imposed lighter sentences than conservative judges. That theory may not be as clear cut as it would seem on the surface. In the mid-1980s, legislators passed laws […]
Family Ties Lower Prison Recidivism
Asha Nettles asked me how I thought family ties, and personal commitments such as marriage influenced whether prisoners would revert to crime upon release. She also asked whether I thought prison administrators should limit their hiring to those who believed in the power of rehabilitation. I’m grateful that Asha has given me this privilege of […]
Prisons Need Fundamental Changes
Timothy Perea commented on an article I wrote about prison policies. He disagreed with my position that we needed reforms to improve the effectiveness of prison. Timothy felt convinced that prisons should result in harsh punishment and that providing any type of incentives would only breed more crime. I disagree, and I appreciate the opportunity […]
Purpose of Prisons
I received a comment from Angelica who was responding to an article I wrote about prison staff members. I titled that article They’re Prison Guards, Not Correctional Officers. From that article, Angelica had some questions. She wanted me to elaborate. All of my responses, of course, come from the observations and experiences I’ve had as […]
Prison Staff Can Help Prisoners Emerge Successfully
Stephanie asked several questions about my perceptions of correctional officers, or guards who take a sincere interest in helping prisoners emerge successfully. During the 21 years that I have served, I have interacted with many, many people who pursued careers with the prison system. Although the system itself is designed in such a way to […]
Incentives Would Lessen Lure of Prison Gangs
Kassandra Fraga commented on my article entitled Prison Reforms Can Help Solve Gang Problems. She wondered whether I thought most prisoners would take advantage of opportunities to earn incentives rather than succumb to gang influences. Kassandra also asked how I thought prison gangs would respond to those who pursued incentives. My experience of living in […]
Hope Leads to Positive Prison Adjustments
Daisy Gonzalez commented on my article entitled Motivating Prisoners to Make Positive Changes. She asked whether I thought the correctional system had an influence on the decisions prisoners made. She also asked about the influences family members had on prisoner decisions. I feel grateful for this opportunity to respond to both of Daisy’s questions. As […]
Giving Prisoners Access to E-Mail Could Result in Safer Communities
Roberto Gabino asked some questions with regard to an article I wrote about providing e-mail access to people in prison. He wanted to know whether I thought such a program would provide criminals with more opportunity to direct criminal activity from inside prison. He also wanted to know whether I thought administrators ought to exclude […]
Prison Reforms Save Money
Ana Plascencia responded to an article I wrote about the need for work-release and study-release programs for those in prison. She recognized that due to the difficult economy, such prison reforms were unlikely to find funding. Ana asked my thoughts on how we could incorporate such prison reforms when our society had other priorities. As I […]
