“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.
