News FeedReform the Pardon Process
President Obama ought to order the Department of Justice to reform the pardon process. Access to a Presidential pardon could be an effective tool in motivating prisoners to commit to prison adjustments that would help them emerge as successful, law-abiding citizens. For pardons to serve as a force for good, however, the President must order […]
Squandering Billions on Corrections
America squanders $59 billion each year on a system that ridiculously calls itself corrections. According to the famous social scientist James Q. Wilson, society should limit the purpose of this system to isolating and punishing offenders. I wonder when American citizens will tire of this failed public policy. Too many American citizens live with delusions […]
Bad Leadership in the Bureau of Prisons
We have bad leadership in the Bureau of Prisons! The Second Chance Act of 2007 provided federal prison administrators with the authority to release prisoners to halfway houses one year before their sentences expired. That Act also urged administrators to expand programs that would help prisoners build stronger family and community ties while the prisoners […]
Prison Reform For Justice
Recently I contributed an article for the readers of change.org that describes the absurdity of using the amount of time spent in prison as the primary gauge of justice. We need prison reforms that will encourage more offenders to work toward reconciling with society. That type of prison adjustment would yield far more in the […]
Spreading Awareness for Prison Reform
David C. Fathi blogged on some of the absurdities associated with the Prison Litigation Reform Act in the Huffington Post. He called for new prison reform legislation that would amend laws that make it so difficult for those in prison to seek justice for abuses they suffered during confinement. As a long-term prisoner, I am […]
Prison Reform Will Come
Senator Jim Webb introduced a congressional bill to establish the National Criminal Justice Commission on March 26, 2009. That bill has wide support, and upon its passage, it will create a commission to study the criminal justice system and reform the process. The commission will pay particularly close attention to the prison system. After 18 […]
Senator Stevens Escapes Justice
As I waited in my prison cubicle for a census count to clear this morning, I listened to an NPR news broadcast over the radio describing how the former Senator Ted Stevens would avoid a term in prison. Senator Stevens had been convicted on political corruption charges last fall. Ever since then, I’d been waiting […]
First Quarter Report, 2009
April of 2009 marks my 260th consecutive month in prison. Some may think that serving so much time in prison could lead to insanity. I remember reading about the character Dr. Manette in Charles Dickens’ classic novel A Tale of Two Cities. That character went crazy during the 17 years he served in prison. In […]
Prisons Do Not Inspire Growth
Prisons used in moderation serve as a useful tool for society. Used in excess, however, prisons lose their potency. I was convicted of a nonviolent crime in 1987 and I have been in prison ever since. My adjustment has made me better qualified to offer positive contributions to society, though I do not attribute my […]
Senator Jim Webb Brings a Voice to Prison Reform
Please support this effort by contacting your Congressional representatives! Tell them to support Sentator Webb and embrace prison reform. Find your representatives here: http://www.vote-smart.org. America has too many people languishing in prisons for too many years, causing social and financial consequences that are destructive and wasteful. ****** Read Senator Webb’s Message to American Citizens****** http://webb.senate.gov/email/criminaljusticereform.html The […]
Senator Webb Moves Forward On National Panel for Prison Reform
The article below brings very exciting news! It’s what we’ve been waiting for… President Obama is positively endorsing Senator Jim Webb’s efforts to reform the current state of the prison system. Please write, call, fax, email… any way you can think of to contact the individuals identified in the message below and voice your support. Ask […]
Warehousing vs. Rehabilitation as the Goal of Prison
I would like to believe that rehabilitation mattered in the prison system. If rehabilitation mattered to the system, administrators would have released me many years ago. After all, during my first eight years of confinement, I earned an undergraduate degree from Mercer University and a graduate degree from Hofstra University. I was 31 and as […]
Media and the Subject of Prison Reform
Upon my release, or while I’m serving these final years of my sentence if possible, I will strive to work closely with the media to promote the need for prison reform. With statistics showing that America incarcerates more people per capita than any other nation, I am convinced our citizens ought to know more about […]
Incentives Would Improve Prison Culture
The U.S. Congress published findings that show how much prisons cost taxpayers to operate. They swallow more than $59 billion each year. According to the Pew Report, those funds are diverted from social programs like education, health care, and unemployment assistance. What taxpayers may find especially troubling is that despite the massive expenditures, recidivism rates […]
Alternatives to Prison
The U.S. Sentencing Commission issued a report that said “alternate sanctions [to imprisonment] are important options for federal, state, and local criminal justice systems.” The report went on to hold that “alternatives to incarceration can provide a substitute for costly incarceration. Despite the published statements by the United States Sentencing Commission, judges rely on imprisonment […]
