| LET'S BE REALISTIC ABOUT PRISON INMATES |
| Published in The Monterey County Herald, December 8, 1996 |
There seems to be a growing outcry over the quality of life we offer our prisoners. We hear about overcrowding, inhumane conditions, how prisoners are brutalized by guards, how they brutalize one another, etc.
A main concern is that there is so much human potential in our prisons that we are failing to cultivate. Some say that we nee to do more than simply punish the offenders. We need to educate them, encourage them, give them goals to work toward, equip them for a fruitful life outside prison. Which brings us to a sincere and well intentioned piece written by S. E. (Soapbox, Nov. 17). She stated, “Our prisons are ineffective...They are focused on punishment, when they should be focused on rehabilitation.”
And what does she propose? Putting computers in our prisons. She believes that computers would give prisoners “...something to look forward to, a way top release the anger and replace it with a way to be productive.”
Is this perspective just a trifle lopsided? I’m not without compassion for an individual who truly wants to rehabilitate himself. But I submit that compassion has to be tempered with justice and cold, hard sense.
Let’s not forget that prison, first and foremost is a loss of freedom, a loss of privilege, a loss of opportunity—in extreme cases, a loss of life itself. However grim life behind bars may be, a person who has committed a crime has, one could argue, brought this misery upon himself.
According to E., “People commit crimes because they are angry, hurt and frustrated. Sometimes it is because of some thing that happened in their childhood.”
Indeed! There are thousands of moral, law abiding citizens who struggle for years, working two and three jobs (those who can find jobs) and can’t send themselves or their children to college, can’t even afford health care or a decent place to live—much less a computer.
Can anything be more hurtful, more frustrating, or more infuriating than knowing that someone who has violated the laws of society—someone who has cheated or assaulted you, terrorized your neighborhood, injured members of your family—not only receives free housing, free food and free health care, but also has more opportunities to better himself than you do?
And as if it weren’t bas enough knowing that your hard-earned taxes are helping to pay for all; these benefits, you live in fear that some crazed, unregenerate misfit will be released back into the world to prey on you anew.
You bet people are angry! Is it any wonder some of them turn to crime?
It’s time we stop punishing the host and pitying the parasite. For the record, I’m not against prison reform in principle. I’m aware that many rehabilitated convicts have gone on to do tremendous things for humanity.
But I say we need tro keep our priorities in order. Show a little more compassion for people on this side of the law. Let’s focus our resources on rewarding decency and hard work so that a person won’t feel that the only way to better himself is to go to prison.