Education for Prisoners

I came across an interesting article in the Oakland paper. On 6-11-09, in an article by Josh Richman, he cites a RAND corp study that tracked parolees and what kinds of services they get when they are paroled. The RAND report (which was done for the California Dept. of Corrections and (HaHa) Rehabilitation) found: Approx. 2/3ds of California inmates reported having a drug abuse or drug dependence problem, yet only 22 % reported that they received any treatment while in prison. Also, about 50% reported having a mental health problem, yet only about half of them received any care while in prison. To add to all this, our esteemed leader Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to cut all in prison substance abuse treatment. No amount of projected savings was mentioned but I really don’t think it will be a drop toward filling the $24 Billion sink hole this state is in, with regard to its budget. It’s bad in here already. I’ve watched men parole from prison just to come right back. Revolving door is true: Because there is absolutely NO effort to help any prisoner not to come back. The whole system is a JOKE. Unfortunately, the Joke is on the California Tax Payer. YOU—the tax payer are getting no return on your investment when it comes to state prisons. Don’t we all want men and women not to commit more crimes when they get out of state prison? Of course we all want that so why isn’t it? It’s because the prison system is not designed to help our fellow citizens: It’s designed to ensure they keep coming back. Think about that. The state of California is willing to parole completely unprepared men and women knowing full well that about 70% will return to prison. The state is knowingly putting you, the reader, and your friends and your family at risk because they, the state and prison system, fail to even attempt to rehabilitate a captive group of people who want nothing more than to never come back to prison. I’ve read about various European prison systems and the crime rates and how those countries deal with their prisoners. The differences are stark. Which I put a lot of thought into why our prisons cannot achieve the levels of success that the other western democracies achieve. I think we, as Americans, are not being educated at the same level as the other countries are. We are allowing a government to educate our youth and when the government does a crappy job, as too often happens in poor and minority neighborhoods, the kids or failed adults are simply locked up in jails and prisons. The whole cycle of bad education and worse treatment in prison of course is going to produce a person who is prone to crime as a way to survive. The difference between the US and Europe is when a youth or adult is sent to prison-Generally—that person is given serious attention to whatever problems that person may have. The goal is to return a youth or person back to society that can function. The education plus job skills learned will give that person an excellent chance to rejoin society. In California I’ve not seen a serious attempt to rehabilitate a prisoner in the 12 years I’ve been in various prisons. One example: A person got his GED (high school equivalency). He was so proud. Then about a week later he came to me to help him figure out how much he had spent on the months canteen purchase—I had to add up the items for him! And he just got a GED! What’s wrong with this picture? Do you, the reader, believe that the person I just wrote about is going to succeed when he is paroled? I don’t and I like the young man, but he has very little chance of NOT coming back. All of this is a rip off on the tax payer. NO ONE is safer. It’s a great big illusion. You, the tax payer are told, “Lock ‘Em Up” and “Tough On Crime” And yeah, that’s great but now what? There are about 170,000 men in California State Prisons and about 95% are going to get out. Yes, out on the streets and just think, the majority have no marketable job skills; about 75% have drug problems. About half have a mental health problem—That’s the man or woman sitting next to you at the intersection. Do we Californians want this to keep going? I don’t. I want real education reform not just in the prisons but at the local school level. That might keep a few poor and minority men and women from ever coming to prison. What is also needed are half-way houses. Right now there is no way to slowly and under controlled conditions get a prisoner used to free society. Think about it: A man has been in prison for 20 years, that’s before cell phones, how well will his adjustment go? It will be like stepping in a time machine and going twenty years in the future. We in this state need a way to slowly introduce men and women back into society. The Federal Prison System does it-Why aren’t we? These few ideas in this blog are just the tip of a huge political and bureaucratic organization with all the turf wars, egos and agendas that make change a near impossible task. However, change has to take place simply because the cost of the California Prison System is unsustainable—currently $10 billion plus budget and the recidivism rate twice what the next state is. This clearly shows a need for improved, in prison rehabilitation programs. The Tax Payer should Demand it! Long sentences are NOT the solution. I know my suffering will never leave me, in prison or out. All that is being done is spending $40,000 a year to torture me. You don’t need to torture me I do a good enough job on myself, Please turn to education and rehabilitation. I believe they are the keys to saving the lives of millions of men and women, and, it will stop turning petty criminals into big time gangsters. Until Next Time, Peace. Veritas