Comments on: The Poor Get Prison, The Rich Get Pardoned http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/ Prison News and Commentary Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:07:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 By: Michael Santos http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-218 Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:42:08 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-218 Dear Chad:

I appreciate your thoughtful comments and I welcome this opportunity to respond. To answer your first question, I’ve known several prisoners who earned two-year degrees and I’ve known fewer than a dozen who earned four-year degrees. Although I’m sure there are some, I’ve not known any other prisoners who earned graduate degrees. Statistics on education in prison, however, clearly show that prisoners who earn academic credentials are far more likely to succeed upon release.

It is to that fact of the relationship between success upon release and education that I base my responses to your subsequent questions. From my perspective, taxpayers ought to have the goal of a successful prison system. Success would imply a system that promotes respect for the law and prepares more offenders to emerge from the prison system as law-abiding citizens.

Although education certainly succeeds better than oppressive conditions in reforming prisoners, few prisoners commit themselves wholeheartedly to education. As a matter of public policy, that should concern our leaders and our citizens. We want our country’s institutions to be effective. The high recidivism rates show that we need improvements, and I am convinced that prison reforms that include incentives can offer promise.

I do not dispute that long sentences can have a place in the system. Yet leaders ought to augment the system with mechanisms that encourage prisoners to earn freedom through merit. I don’t mean overnight. But if more prisoners could comprehend that a sustained and measurable personal investment in education could advance his release date, then more prisoners would commit to positive adjustments. It is the absence of hope that is responsible for such a paucity of prisoners who commit to education.

With more prisoners working to earn freedom, society wins through lower recidivism rates, fewer gang problems, lower prison operating costs, and safer communities. That’s my take, and I hope it helps your understanding of my perspective. I aspire to influence a more effective prison system, not an easier prison system. I am convinced incentives would help.

Best wishes,
Michael Santos

]]> By: Chad Swanson http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-145 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:25:26 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-145 Hello Mr Santos, I am a student of Dr. Torres and have a few questions for you. First off, I wanted to know if you knew of any people who received their degrees while incarcerated and if they were succesful in changing their lives. Second, I noticed that you said that your friend David Munoz was never encouraged to receive an education because his family was not very well educated themselves. Don’t you think then, that this lengthy prison term is actually a blessing since it gives him the opportunity to get a degree which will give him the opportunity to break the cycle that claimed him before. And also, if he does receive the degree do you believe the prison term will have been justified since he will have been rehabilitated?And even if he does not earn a degree I think its safe to say that when he is released he will do all that he can to stress to his family and anyone else who will listen the importance of an eduaction which could also be a justification for, and a benefit of such a long sentence. I would like to say that i understand where you are coming from in regards to your view on the prison terms being too lengthy for non-violent drug offenders but i do not. I do not mean to offend you in anyway and apologize if i do so, but in my eyes the lengthy prison term is what has given you this opportunity to change your life and has given you the drive that you will need to suceed when you get out. If the terms for non-violent drug offenders were shortened I don’t beleive that as many people would “see the light,” change their ways and try to go straight. Even if those who appeared to have changed were let out early I beleive that it would still decrease the amount people who would be rehabilitated by the long sentancing, and people would just fake that they have changed so they could get out quicker. What are your thoughts?

Thank you for your time and i look forward to reading your reply.

]]> By: Maria Perez http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-127 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:13:47 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-127 Hello Mr. Mrs. Santos. My name is Maria Perez. I am a student of Dr. Torres in the corrections class he teaches at Cal State Long Beach. I would like to ask a few questions about the article above.

Questions:

1. Why did you give this article that title?
2. Why do you believe that?
3. Do you believe that you felt very motivated to help Mr. David Muniz because you could almost see yourself in his position, when you were his age?
4. Was it the fact that he was approximately the same age you were when you got arrested for your crime and that it was for a somewhat similar crime?
5. If not, what did inspire you to help him?

Thank you.

]]> By: Carole Santos http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-23 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:36:52 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-23 Hi Brandon,

Here is Michael’s response to your question:

http://prisonnewsblog.com/2009/02/are-all-prisoners-criminals/

Best wishes,
Carole

]]> By: Michael Santos http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-22 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:08:07 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-22 Hi Brandon,
Thanks for writing. I’ve mailed your comments/questions to Michael and will post his reply to you as soon as I receive it back.
Carole Santos

]]> By: Brandon R. http://prisonnewsblog.com/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-21 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:46:50 +0000 http://70.87.13.10/~prison/2009/02/the-poor-get-prison-the-rich-get-pardoned/#comment-21 Hello Michael,
As I read your article I wanted to ask, do criminals who try to reform in prison actually succeed and be law abiding citizens? Do you know of any?
I ask the question because it seems as though prisoners are more likely to reoffend. I believe those who serve a considerable amount of time use education as a tool to show the adminstrators they’re changing or changed. Why does it take prison or jail time to show inmates education is the essential tool to have when your outside the joint and not inside?
On the upside I do believe prisons need a reform on harsher penalities for nonviolent drug offenders as they overcrowd our jail systems. Do you believe societies will accept such radical move by the government?
A Dr. Torres Student,
Brandon

]]>