Saturday, April 7, 2018

In Defense of Sanity: Visions for the Near Future


“In Defense of Sanity: Visions for the Near Future”
by Connor Stevens

“Supporting prison reforms likely to lead to the eventual complete abolition of the prison-industrial complex, such as amnesty programs, abolition of solitary confinement past 15 days, decriminalization of non-violent crimes, etc, can and will lead to an eventual abolition of prisons.”
                                                            -From the PAPS Mission Statement

            Criminal justice reform has become something of a mainstream topic. However, all too few people seem to grasp the fuller implications of substantive reforms. We are talking about a fundamental transformation of society.
            The way in which a society defines the boundaries of what is permissible and what is forbidden and how that society handles transgressions of these boundaries, is at the heart of the identity of that society.
            In truth, in this society, in which so much is permissible, the vast majority of crimes stem  from poverty. They are crimes related to property. Therefore, it follows that the reduction of poverty through increased educational and employment opportunities, as well as social safety nets and increased wages and benefits, will significantly reduce crime.
            The vast majority of crime is drug-related (which is directly related to attempts at escaping poverty). The real significance of criminal justice reform is that, by achieving substantive reforms, many of society’s ills can be addressed simultaneously. Just as many of the problems that plague us are interconnected and self-reinforcing, so too are the solutions. By decriminalizing non-violent crimes we can drastically reduce prison populations. By legalizing drug use, we can not only reduce prison populations but, crucially, we can meaningfully address the epidemic of substance abuse. It has been definitively proven that when you legalize hard drugs and administer them (through licensed medical professionals) in a controlled setting, you will drastically reduce crime, sexually transmitted diseases, and overdoses. When you combine this administering of what is called a maintenance dose drug addiction will drop consistently, year after year.
            Not only does this reduce prison populations and allow human beings to live more productive lives, but it also reduces disease and, crucially, overdoses. Additionally, it essentially destroys the black market, seriously undermining the growing power of the Cartels and the corruption they breed.
            This is the true significance of criminal justice reform. Freeing human beings from cages and from addiction, as well as from the terror of organized crime.
            What follows is a list of other necessary reforms, but this is by no means exhaustive. The emphasis is on the federal system, but many of these reforms are applicable at local and state levels.
            Mandatory minimums must be done away with.
            The career criminal offender laws must be reformed.
            Perhaps the most crucial reform needed on the trial and sentencing side of things, is a complete overhaul of conspiracy laws. At present, mere testimony is enough to gain convictions. The laws must return to the standard “beyond a reasonable doubt” to establish guilt.
“Good time” should be increased to a full 35%, so that prisoners serve 65% of their sentences. Ideally, this would be made retroactive, leading to the immediate release of many.
            Conjugal visits should be re-introduced. It is nothing short of perverse to expect heterosexual men and women (many of them young) to go years without sexual intercourse. There [] no reason this right should not be extended to homosexuals as well.
            The security point system should be overhauled. There are many in the overcrowded penitentiaries who could immediately be placed in lower security settings without any adverse effects. Typically, an individual will adapt to their environment. If you put a man in an FCI, he will act like a medium security inmate. It is both inhumane and catastrophically destructive
for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to place so many men in the penitentiaries, many with no good cause whatsoever.
            All prison construction must be halted immediately and indefinitely.
            Private prisons must be banned for good.
            Through the overall reduction in prison populations achieved through the above reforms, specific facilities should be repurposed for the treatment of sex offenders. Pedophilia in particular is rampant in this society and the federal system is increasingly filled with such people. They should be receiving psychological treatment, not mere placement behind razor wire. I have heard that the Ohio Department of Corrections, for instance, has had significant success with such programs. Pedophilia is a mental illness and it is long past time that the FBOP starts treating it accordingly.
            Free access to higher education must be re-introduced, whether it be through the PELL grant or other means. It has been definitely proven that the acquisition of a college degrees directly correlates to a sharp decline in recidivism. The focus must be shifted to rehabilitation and re-entry, away from punishment and mere confinement.

            “Transformative justice, restorative justice, nonviolent conflict resolution, forgiveness, community rehabilitation can and will replace the prison-industrial complex.”
                                                            -From the PAPS Mission Statement

            Through criminal justice reform and environmental sustainability may not be typically thought of as being interrelated, they absolutely are. There is the toxic and insane waste of the prison industrial complex, surely. And healthier communities serve to reduce crime and oppression.
            More immediately, the single greatest factor that drastically reduces recidivism is meaningful employment.
            Environmental scientists have worked out a concrete roadmap for how the United States can transition to 100% renewable (and sustainable) energy use in several decades. This vital transition requires substantial job creation, and many of these jobs pay decent wages. While automation will increasingly pose a problem for employment opportunities, these new industries will continue to generate jobs, including solar panel installers, manufacturing jobs at the factories that produce solar panels and wind turbines, etc. The necessary overhaul of the nation’s infrastructure will also provide many employment opportunities.
            In addition to energy production and infrastructure, there is the pressing need to transform agricultural base of our society. Sustainable urban farming will be necessary to mitigate the on-setting effects of climate change, reduce dependency on unsustainable distribution systems, dampen long-term effects of climate change, address food deserts, and provide employment opportunities for the inner cities. Such farms can increase the physical, economic, and social health of the communities they serve.
            By tying ex-prisoners into such initiatives, we can provide not only much-needed jobs but also assistance in acquiring the necessary skills to branch off and start their own small business enterprises. It is well-known that ex-prisoners prefer self-employment, and they typically would do best in such circumstances. Therefore, cultivating entrepreneurial knowledge and ability is a crucial aspect of meaningful re-entry efforts.
            The opportunities are extensive, with proper vision and ambition to equal the incredible [] we are living in. Whether it’s combating mass incarceration, mass drug addiction, or the Cartels; whether it is combating climate change or income inequality or joblessness, our solutions are pragmatic, all the more so because they are self-reinforcing.
            We must have the courage to share our dreams and visions, and we must use our love as the raw material for the creation of whole new realities.

With a gentle strength from a hard place,

Connor Stevens 
#57978-060
Cleveland4solidarity.org 

Connor Stevens is currently in "protective" administrative segregation for having converted away from Islam and is awaiting transfer. Please check the BOP Inmate Locator for his most up-to-date address. If you liked this article, please put some money on his commissary. 
             

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