Automaton Truth Laws by Kwayera Jackson August 1, 2010
The Illinois prison system has been corroded over the years by an influx of prisoners systematically placed there by the automaton that is Truth-in-Sentencing. Maximum security penitentiaries have been affected the most by these sentencing guidelines; turning them from centers of education & rehabilitation to death camps geared towards the act of punishing its occupants, offering nothing more. This dissolution of the betterment of mankind is encouraged further by the cessation of all rehabilitative & educational programs within maximum security prisons; an undermining of the Unified Code of Corrections (c), (d), and outright violation of the Illinois Constitution. These laws refuse to acknowledge the various spectrums that make up the human collective & the propensity the mind within those spectrums have to correct or better itself. Consequently, the entire prison system has taken on an ominous air that has permeated both prisoner & prison official, resulting in an intercircular deterioration of human advancement that, ultimately, percolates into the “free-world.” If there is no restructuring of these laws, they will continue to help contribute to the steadily rising deficit that is anchoring the state of Illinois under water.
In spite of its original intent, Truth-in-Sentencing(truth) laws have taken on an entity all its own that does nothing to curb the problem with violence in Illinois. Most natives of this state are familiar with its history of violence. Therefore, there is no need for this writer to delve into that history any further than what is already understood between fellow natives. That having been said, the history of violence in Illinois is indisputable, rising incrementally throughout the years. As a result of this perpetual violence, lawmakers gradually became more & more tough on crime which, eventually, led to the enactment of “truth” laws. Its original intent was to not only punish those who commit violent crimes, but to discourage others from committing similar acts. Although this line of reasoning is understandable, “truth” laws have done little to deter criminals. It has, in fact, contributed mostly in the overcrowding of Illinois state prisons.
Due to this overcrowding, prisons across the state that were built to only house 30,000 prisoners now house over 45,000 prisoners. The state’s escalating deficit influences the amount of money rationed to each prison from the state’s budget. To adjust to this dwindling budget, maximum security prisons have stripped all educational & rehabilitative programs that were being financed by the State, thereby, transforming those prisons from playgrounds of education and rehabilitation to death valleys of pestilence & nothing more. Prisons are a very necessary entity built for those who commit crimes or who are otherwise unable to be wholly functional, productive citizens of society. But, to reduce the role of prisons to housing units constructed solely to incapacitate humans seems a bit inhumane.
When “truth” laws were initially enacted, those voting for it did so without understanding fully the impact it would have not only on the financial structure of the state’s prisons, but also the vacuum it would leave in the family structure in terms of the voids left in the lives of children whose fathers have elaborate prison terms to serve. Lawmakers never took into account the effect that prisons with no means of rehabilitation would have on the minds of individuals who (evidenced by their own incarceration) already have some form of mental defect or instability that needs to be addressed, nurtured & corrected. They never factored in how the lack of access to rehabilitative programs would, ultimately, affect the children of fathers who have no positive re-enforcing tools to share with them; children who potentially grow to commit crimes themselves (sometimes violent) further contributing to the overflow of prisoners in Illinois prisons.
Truth-in-Sentencing seems like a pristine & effective law on the surface, but what lies underneath is a cauldron of inadequacy and convolution. The enforcement of this law does little to motivate positive re-enforcement, nor rehabilitation. It is the direct antithesis of what the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections constitutes (c), (d), and is in blatant violation of the Illinois Constitution. Both require that punishment be proportionate to the seriousness of the offense & recognize an offender’s potential for rehabilitation (art. 1 & subsection 11). Truth laws do very little to, “prevent arbitrary or oppressive treatment of persons or delinquents,” and it does absolutely nothing to, “restore offenders to useful citizenship.” If it is the State’s contention to solely house prisoners then the lack of rehabilitative programs in maximum security prisons is not an issue. It would only become one when the machine of death in which prisoners are housed ceases to only affect those sentenced under “truth” laws; those who, by definition of the law, would have to spend virtually their entire lives in prison. But, the sobering reality is that the houses of pestilence to which “truth” laws have helped to create do not solely house violent criminals or criminals with lengthy sentences. The turnover rate of Illinois prisons has been so immensely affected by “truth” laws that, inevitably, those who would ordinarily serve short stints in medium security prisons (where there are an assortment of rehab & educational programs) are forced to serve large portions of their time inside of this valley of desolance that are maximum security prisons. One must ask the question, “What becomes of those people who are subjected to this reckless, irresponsible influence of negative re-enforcement promoted by prisons once they are released back into society?” Statistics will, undoubtedly, show that these are among the many who contribute to the recidivism rate in the state of Illinois.
The most dangerous aspect of the “truth” laws is its use as an automaton; a machine that supposes to know without equivocation that everyone who commit’s a class x felony or murder is deserving of a life sentence (regardless of the circumstances of the crime) and are, therefore, amongst the unredeemable. It purports that there is no rationale in rehabilitating class x felons, and those who commit the act of murder, nor should they be given an opportunity at redemption. It is common logic to say that not all who commit violent crimes are able to be rehabilitated. But, the “truth” law professes that those who committed crimes before June 19, 1998 are more deserving of a second chance in life than those sentenced under “truth” guidelines. It supposes that those sentenced under “truth” laws are less redeemable than all others; irrespective of the person & the circumstances of his or her crime. The inefficiency of “truth” laws fails to take into account the rehabilitative potential of “first-time” felons; those who, were they to be given a chance to rehabilitate & educate themselves along with a reasonable sentence that would allow them the time to capitalize on those learned tools, would more than likely become productive citizens; never to return to prison again.
“Truth” guidelines state that the good conduct credit (that, incidentally, is also attached to rehabilitative programs) afforded to prisoners is only applicable to those who have not been sentenced under “truth” laws; more specifically, those who have committed the act of murder. The implication is that all murderers are unworthy of both rehab & redemption; as if to say that they are a broken species that can never be mended. Incidentally, it is lower level criminals with light sentences who tend to become repeat offenders; regardless of how much access they are given to various programs. Thus, giving prisoners incentives to better themselves becomes less about the prospect of a prisoner’s rehabilitative qualities & more about whether or not he or she has committed an egregious act that the courts deem both reprehensible & unforgivable. Ultimately, the courts reward those who continue to come to prison with incentives, not those who are making viable efforts to correct within themselves the wrongs or fallacies that contributed to their imprisonment.
No more sound an example can be found than that of the recent hostage situation in Pickneyville. This repeated sex offender, who was serving a respectively short sentence for sexual battery, determined that it was rational to attack-and take hostage-an elderly woman, resulting in what prison officials felt was a justifiable death. Now, to psychoanalyze someone this writer knows nothing about would be unfair. But, his action further proves the point of this writer in that this person had access to every rehabilitative tool offered to prisoners, yet he still chose to commit such a reprehensible act. He was someone whom the courts determined was worthy of not only being rehabilitated, but worthy of being given a chance to redeem himself once he returned to society. Although it is not this writer’s intention to imply that all offenders (of whatever sort) share in the distorted mind-set of this repeated sex offender, his actions establishes the argument that the law can not accurately assess who is & who is not among the redeemable based solely on the class of crime that person commits.
This writer has witnessed prison’s calloused hands choke the very life out of some. He has witnessed the air of misery become so unbearably dense that, instead of enduring a tedious & suffocating death, some have taken their own lives in order to escape their emotional tumult. Others lose hope in the promise of life, choosing instead to allow themselves to give in to any & every whimsical thought that invades their head; irrespective of how grossly irrational the thought may be. They eventually allow their minds to deteriorate to a level of complete irrationality; at times acting out in a way that reflects this mind-set. This is the precariousness of the unchecked mind; it wanders and has the propensity to lash out at whomever at any given moment.
Charles Fasano, prisoner monitor for the John Howard Association, stated that tough-on-crime policies of the past three decades are now haunting the state of Illinois. Since 2002, state employees have been reduced by 25%. Due to the state’s dwindling budget, Illinois prisons have been adversely affected. It has caused most prisons to lay off a fair portion of its correctional officers. There is currently a call for a “modernized tax structure (within the state that includes the raising of both income & corporate taxes). The intimation is that, without the passage of a tax increase, state employees will continue to face layoffs. Consequently, these layoffs have contributed to a layer of stress within correctional officers that festers & eventually spills over into the prison atmosphere; an atmosphere that is already laced with volatility. So, the constant threat of being laid off & other stresses of life causes some officers to take their frustrations out on selective prisoners; inflaming an already blazing fire of tension. Add to the equation the whimsical ignorance of an unchecked, malnourished mind that wanders haphazardly from the lack of being mentally stimulated, intellectually challenged or rehabilitated; and the atmosphere within maximum security prisons has the potential to combust.
In conclusion, the Illinois prison system’s gradual increase of prisoners is being greatly influenced by “truth” laws. The maximum security prisons have been reduced from centers of correction to facilities constructed solely to house bodies. Subsequently, this has helped to create institutions of psychological death and contributes nothing to the advancement of mankind. The courts’ way of punishing those sentenced under “truth” laws is by depriving them of access to any means of rehabilitation, stripping them of all good conduct credit and stifling any hopes of having a second chance at life. But, lawmakers never accounted for the full ramifications of Truth-in-Sentencing when voting it into law. This practice is not only in direct violation of the Illinois Constitution (art. 1 subsection 11), it is the antithesis of what the Unified Code of Corrections (c), (d) constitutes. Both require that punishment be proportionate to the seriousness of the offense and recognize an offender‘s potential for rehabilitation. Truth laws do nothing to address the mental conflictions that has afflicted the minds of humans for centuries; the same mental ineptitude that causes them to commit crimes to this very day. To simply lock this disturbed, troubled mind away, housing it in prison without even an attempt to nurture & correct it, is not efficient enough a practice to make a positive difference in this world. That mind, that ignorance is not only being bred in the “free-world”, once confined, it is placed within a cocoon of depravity that further cultivates, enables & pacifies ignorance. This line of reasoning, this policy would not be an issue if it is the State’s contention to ignore the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections & brazenly promote the degradation & debilitation of the prisoners housed in maximum security prisons. If this is not the State’s intention then the truth cannot be ignored. Therefore, strong consideration should be given to the reassessment & restructuring of “truth” laws. At the very least, lawmakers should acquiesce that “truth” laws do nothing to address the essence of the problem with violence in Illinois & only contributes to the overcrowding of prisons; an issue that further exacerbates the State’s deficit. These guidelines do not weed out those who can not be wholly functional citizens, giving second & third chances to those who only end up becoming a part of the recidivism rate in the state. Meanwhile, “first-time” felons & others who have no prior criminal history; those who may show potential of being productive citizens and have the capacity to actually contribute to society get lost within the automaton that is Truth-in-Sentencing.
Thoughts on Love by Kwayera Jackson August 10, 2010
The evidence of love can not be measured by words or actions alone. Anyone can say with words that they love you, but have their actions prove differently. Conversely, one's intentions can be easily cloaked within a subtle deceit in order to gain a tactical advantage over someone. Therefore, love must be constantly examined in order to be kept honest. In this way, love does not become complacent, nor neglectful, believing that yesterday's love is sufficient for today.
Love must be reproached if it has wronged you, but forgiven when it fails to exemplify the extraordinary traits many have come to expect from it. One must not be disillusioned by fantasies of a love so lofty. The very idea of it becomes unattainable by virtue of its own grandiosity. We must realize that love can, in fact, be astounding at times. Other times, it is normal (even regular). Love can taste like the sweetest drop of honey; other times, love is blatantly bland. Our goal is to recognize love in all its various forms, & learn to appreciate each one of them.
A Spirit of Contrition vs. A Heartless Society by Kwayera Jackson January 2007
As the days slowly pass, I am constantly reminded of the fact that I have been castigated from society in a way that may never allow me the opportunity to redeem myself, or make right of the mistakes I have made in life. I have been eternally shunned by them and made to be avoided like the black plague. My removal from society has made me a stranger to them; one who they have come to greatly distrust due to the stigmas that are attached to prisoners, and to be perfectly honest, I can not find much fault in them. In a way, I have betrayed their trust. Even though my crime was an accident, it is one that was committed nonetheless. And for this, the ink of shame will forever be stenciled onto my forehead; a permanent stain never to be removed. It is a constant reminder of my mangled past, and each time that I look into the mirror I can feel guilt’s glaring eyes staring me in the face. This feeling is inescapable & will haunt me for the rest of my life. I am sure there are some who may argue that it should, that I should be held accountable for my actions for the rest of my life. But, should it always be this way? Should the rest of my days on this earth be made to suffer for a mistake I made when I was a young child, or should there be an expiration date for suffering? Should that one mistake serve to blot out all that I had worked so hard to achieve up to that point? Should it make void all that I have achieved thereafter; thus, defining who I am? Or, should the merits of who I am be based on the totality of how I have represented myself in this lifetime?
I often wonder if there is still compassion in our society anymore. Not only for those who have been wronged; that kind of compassion comes naturally. I am talking about the kind of compassion that allows us to view life from outside of our own selves, placing ourselves in the shoes of another, and making an attempt to understand what the person who has done the wrong may have been thinking at the time he or she committed this act. It is this kind of compassion that allows us to be merciful with our understanding instead of being blindly enraged. This does not mean that we excuse a person’s actions or try to diminish what someone else has had to endure as a result of them; if only means that we are allowing ourselves to be rational when trying to make sense of any given situation.
But, in today’s society, it appears as though people are growing increasingly intolerable when it comes to the imperfections of others. It has been said that this society has a tendency to, “eat its young.” This means that society creates an environment that is volatile, hostile, chaotic, & imperfect. They give life to children who are themselves trying to find their way through all of this confusion, and society even tries to nurse them along, guide them and love them; but only up to a certain point. Society has become an entity that will disavow their young if that person shows any signs of the imperfection or volatility they were born into and, undoubtedly, a victim of. Again, to understand why someone may react to situations differently from others, is not excusing their actions. It only means that we understand the sin instead of simply vilifying the sinner. Understanding the sin leaves room for compassion rather than closing ourselves off from it completely.
There are arrays of emotions within us all that need to be confronted, processed, and made sense of before any of us can truly say that we are making a valid attempt at being better human beings. The sad truth is that most people can not conceive what it means to better themselves. But, as for someone like me, someone who is in prison, we must take these necessary steps if we are serious about positive change. We must, first, be honest enough with ourselves to accept that we are not the perfect creatures we thought ourselves to be at one point. We have to recognize that we are not infallible and that we do make wrong decisions at times. We must accept that we do not have all the answers and that there just may be someone on this earth who is wiser than we are. Secondly, we must be humble enough to accept the criticism that accompanies our fallacies; no matter how vulnerable they may make us feel. Only then, when we rid ourselves of ego, will we be able to allow our spirit to grow from life’s lessons. The book of Isaiah (57:15) speaks of God reviving, “The spirit of the humble…and the heart of the contrite.” This is what the journey of my life has given to me; a spirit of contrition.
Although accountability for ones’ own actions is a very necessary step toward the road of contrition, I am not certain if society realizes or takes into account how incredibly difficult it is for most people to “man up” to the mistakes they have made; especially when that mistake has a direct affect on the lives of others. This is something that possibly becomes easier to do as we mature with time. So, it is sufficient to say that it was no easy feat for me to, as an eighteen year old child, admit it was my indefensible actions that took another’s life. Coming to terms with this fact may have been the single most difficult task I have ever had to take on, next to dealing with his death itself. And still, I have chosen to take this burden on at that tender age. As a result, it has humbled me immeasurably. It has produced within me a spirit of contrition that has allowed me to be molded by God’s sculptural hands. It is my willingness to accept responsibility for my actions that humbles me and defines who I inherently am. It is what separates me from the typical prisoner. But, what good is a contrite spirit if it is only made to be beaten relentlessly, over & again, by a heartless society? What good is that spirit if it is only made to feel utterly useless by those whose main objective is to ensure that it suffers all the days of its life?
A crime that was committed, say, twenty years ago, should not be viewed as though it were committed yesterday. The whole concept of there being things such as prisons is not only so that people who are unable to interact appropriately with others in society may be housed away from that society. Prisons are also supposed to be so that those who may have made a mistake in society by committing some sort of crime can pay their debt to that society in which they have aggrieved. The root of the word “penitentiary” comes from the word “penitent” which means to be repentant. This infers that prisoners are paying a form of repentance to society for what they have done. Therefore, there should be room for forgiveness for the crime that person has committed. Of course, this does not mean that an individual is automatically forgiven by society, or even that he or she is necessarily remorseful, or wants to be forgiven by society. This only means that for those who have shown genuine remorse, and have taken legitimate incremental steps towards the betterment of themselves while paying their debt to society; those individuals should, at the very least, be allowed the opportunity to be forgiven and viewed in a different light. Although there may be some prisoners who may be an actual threat to society (and themselves), and therefore can serve no other purpose in life other than to cause misery and pain to those they are around, this does not mean that all who commit a crime should be thought of this way. Prison is a necessary body to house those individuals who can not be wholly functional citizens in this world, but we should not all be lumped into one uniform group. Not every prisoner wants to be released from prison just so they can unleash a torrent of terror onto society. Some of us actually have something to contribute. We should not be thrown away to rot as though we are waste, as if there is no use in this world for us now, nor will there ever be again.
So, again I ask: Where has compassion gone? Does it no longer exist? If it indeed does, who does society extend it to? Is it only applicable to the aggrieved, or can someone who has devoted his life to reconciling every wrong he has ever committed (whether big or small) qualify? Am I to be forever sentenced to a life of guilt & shame, or will society find it in their hearts to forgive me? The birth of compassion itself lies within the womb of the human heart; it is the nucleus to which the heart is able to draw its sustenance. Compassion is harbored within the heart. It helps to nourish and cultivate compassion’s delicate frame until the time comes when it may be poured onto the lives of others. The two are inextricably linked; for without one the other will surely die. And, what is a heart but an empty vessel when it is not inhabited by nor filled with compassion? Still, there has been an extraction of compassion from the heart of society that has caused it to become increasingly obdurate towards those who display any signs of imperfection; an imperfection that they simply inherited when born into this chaotic world. This society has become merciless in its insatiable quest to implacably punish with long prison terms all who commit any kind of criminal act. And, compassion has seemingly become a thing of the past; a myth of some sort talked about exclusively amongst those who were alive at a time when it still existed.
Create a World of Compassion & Peace!!!
The Retardation in America's Evolution by Kwayera Jackson March 2008
There are no souls that can be attributed to maximum security prisons in the state of Illinois. These prisons have distanced themselves from all semblances of life, allowing various forms of fear and hatred to rot its insides. They are heartless zombies stoically masquerading themselves as lovers of the living when they are, in fact, designed to suck the very life out of its inhabitants. Prisons are the black holes of the industrialized era whose position amongst the ethos lies not at the center of our Milky Way but in the middle of obscure towns conveniently hidden away from all major cities within the state. This blatant practice of deterring families from driving hundreds of miles in order to visit loved ones is a tool used to discourage prisoners and only adds further to the deterioration of human advancement. That advancement is constantly being threatened by this violent torrent of wind whose gravity stretches thin and eventually disintegrates the hopes and dreams of all prisoners who would dare to have them.
Maximum security prisons in Illinois have one main objective and this is to promote the illusion of hopelessness; to encourage the feeble-minded with words of despair; to enable the broken spirit by pacifying it with instruments of complacency. A defeated mind is born when the spirit has been broken and max prisons advocate both so that officials are better able to control prisoners. From a prison official's point of view, if they are able to maintain order by ensuring the prison mind works with a monolith of ignorance and uncertainty of its own self-worth, they have met their objective. For the most part, the prison mind collectively embraces this hopelessness (unconsciously or otherwise) feeling as though the fruit of its existence is confined to- and will never be any greater than- the misery by which it is surrounded. Prison officials not only tolerate this defeatist mentality but they encourage it. But, to fan the embers of an already volatile mind is counterproductive, not to mention dangerous. It is like purposefully infecting someone's mind with a cancer expecting that cancer not to eventually metastasize and become uncontainable. Manipulating the human mind with methods of repression and oppression only causes it to regress back to a more primitive state of existence; devaluing humanity, adding nothing to it.
It is the society in which prisons are encased, by that which deems prisoners as the pariahs of this world. We are viewed as a foreign oddity; a subordinate species whose value does not even equal that of the overly humanized dog. Who is man's best friend? It is not another man, nor is it a woman; it is, in fact, a four-legged furry animal. And this animal has, over the centuries, garnered more sympathy, more compassion from humans than those same humans will give to themselves. It is as though humans feel they are better able to connect with and relate to this animal. To further solidify this connection, the dog has been assigned human characteristics by man. They are taught to do tricks that resemble human gestures. It has been adorned with human clothing and pampered with lavish gifts in the same way a young child would. In fact, there are many dog owners who have replaced the idea of having a baby with buying a dog, referring to the dog as their very own child. Some owners have constructed wills leaving entire inheritances to their dog. Laws have been enacted to prohibit the abuse and killing of a dog. If violated, humans face potential prison sentences. Meanwhile, there are deer everywhere across the country crossing their hooves in hopes that such a law is one day enacted to protect their right to live. Police dogs have been empowered with the same rights and the same fortress of protection as their human counterparts. In this sense, there are instances where a human can be given a virtual life sentence for taking the life of a police dog. In contrast, that same dog could attack, maim, disfigure, or even kill a human while in the line of duty and be given a medal of valor for their actions.
What kind of world do we live in where the life of an animal has become more valuable than that of a human? Where does this leave the value of the prisoner; someone whose sense of self-worth has already been defined for him and made evident by the cage he is forced to inhabit? How does man show compassion for the prisoner when he does not believe its worth is equal to that of the dog; an animal who has been placed a notch higher on the totem pole over the prisoner? Because of this subjugation, this demotion in humanity, it makes it easy for society to perceive prisoners as a subordinate species. And, if something is viewed as sub-human, why then should anyone ever think to treat it as anything more? When a criminal commits a vile act against society, the consensus of that intolerant society is that the criminal is deserving of whatever punishment the law calls for; even if that punishment is disproportionate to the actual crime. Because some prisoners have committed crimes that are viewed as deplorable acts or society, as a whole, views as inhumane, it becomes that much easier for that same society to also view a prisoner as being less than human. This was of thinking validates the various methods of repression and oppression that are used against prisoners whether humane or otherwise. Therefore, prisoners have been green lit to be treated by prison officials in whatever manner they fashion and with the impunity. It matters not what happens to the captured, because the captors are believed to be liberators who have rid society of its unmanageable waste. As long as that waste no longer festers among the lives of the innocent, what eventually becomes of – or is done to- it seems much less important to them.
Even if a correctional officer's actions were to come under scrutiny, they will always be able to evade the consequences of them. We see this occurring often in a society where there are police officers taking the lives of innocent unarmed victims and not even receiving so much as a verbal reprimand for doing so; let alone being held accountable for what they have done by a court of law. How does such an atrocity happen in this country without there being a public out-pouring of emotion so influential it brings about the desired change that keeps tragedies like these from ever happening again? How does a society become so indifferent about these kinds of incidents; to the point where these actual acts of violence are being caught on tape and still society has become immune to them?
It is with this immunity that the prison officer is able to operate. There is a power that is given to them by a society who has a tendency to label people of authority as infallible; to exalt people who are in positions of authority to a level of supreme nobility that renders them incapable of doing any wrong. Whenever a trial is conducted and a jury is left to deliberate over the opposing testimonies of the defendant versus a sworn officer of the law, it seems almost instinctual for that jury to believe the words of those who are in positions of authority before that of the defendant. The assumption made on the part of the jury is that those who have taken oaths to uphold the law would never break those same laws. No one wants to believe that a person could be given so much power over others only to abuse it. The thought of it is too sinister, too conspiratorial, too frightening to imagine. And, when people do not want to accept a frightening thought as truth they tend to plunge into a pool of denial. They turn a blind eye to that which frightens them as though they were the ostrich hoping that the sand their heads are immersed in will shield them from this terrifying reality. But the reality in which we live is that we are all human beings plagued with the same imperfections and fallacies that have lead to the corruption scandals from the classroom to the courtroom; from the House of Representatives to the White House. If these fallacies and imperfections have the ability to alter the decisions of the most powerful our country has to offer, how naïve would it be to believe that these same ailments do not affect the lowly correctional officer?
Society's lack of concern for- or indifference towards- the prisoner, undoubtedly, opens the floodgates for those castigated, forgotten people who are considered society's undesirables, to become increasingly susceptible to the abuse of totalitarianism. There is a need for prison officials to exert complete control over prisoners and to keep them in a state of subservience so that officers may maintain order. But, the problem with a totalitarian rule lies not within the dictatorship itself. It is within one body of people who have become enthralled within the throes of an absolute power; it is within one body of people that feel they can commit any kind of act against another group of people simply because there are no superiors by which they are held accountable. It is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but where does this corruption lead? What becomes of the unchecked ego that is fueled by the need to see others live in misery? What happens to this ominous impetus that takes deliberate measures to ensure the ego is fed, all the while, feeling as though it is impervious to ridicule or blame? Prison is a society that governs itself based on a completely separate set of laws than those that constitute the free-world. In this sense, a totalitarian agenda that is corrupted by an insidious ego is able to mask its intentions within the guise of that unorthodox governing. It is able to terrorize prisoners under the pretense that its' actions can always be justified or explained away due to the unique circumstances to which it has to govern over. Ultimately, it becomes convenient for prison officials to excuse all of their actions within the haven of laws they have created, laws strategically designed to leave them without blemish if they were to ever encroach upon them.
Laws, rules and regulations of maximum security prisons in the state of Illinois may vary depending on the facility. And it is a widely held belief that these laws or rules have been put into place for three main reasons. These reasons are to, first, protect society from the imprisoned by ensuring they are never given enough freedoms or enough movement to encourage a prisoner's escape (in this way, the prisoner's access to various parts of a prison is severely limited), to maintain some sense of decorum and order within the prison which, subsequently, affects the security of prison staff and, lastly, to protect the prisoner, one from the other. But, within these unyielding laws which have been constructed in reason and rationale, are a sub-set of rules shrouded in fickleness. They are illogical and, at times, unreasonable just for the sake of being ornery. And, because there is no real challenge to the rationality or effectiveness of these series of laws established by people of authority, people who are automatically trusted to do the right thing due to the title they hold, these unjustified laws are allowed to persist. Because these precepts have not been grounded within the stability of any sound set of laws, they are capricious in nature, in that they are subject to change at any given moment. The definitions within these laws are subject to whims based on the various moods or prejudices that dictate the moral consciences of different correctional officers. So, a prisoner could be going through his bit under the impression that he is living well within the laws to which he has become accustomed only to find that, because an officer is having a bad day at home and has packed his problems alongside his lunch, bringing both to work, he has violated some re-written rule that is enforced by that officer only. A new rule will be created, emerging from no other logical origin than from the depths of fear and hatred.
Even if this new rule has no basis within any of the already established set of laws, the prisoner does not dare offend or challenge it, because he knows that is lone voice is no match for the powerful many. He knows he has no voice against an establishment that operates on “croni-ism”; an establishment that backs their fellow officer, believing their word over that of a prisoner whether right or wrong. This feeling of hopelessness creates a level of inferiority that festers in the hearts and minds of those subjected to it. And what good can ever come from entire prisons embittered with a sense of hopelessness?
There is a repression of the human emotion taking place withing the prisoner at the hands correctional officers. This repression is unnatural, inhumane, and only adds to the depravity of the mind which is ultimately a detriment to mankind. Correctional officers have become so inebriated with the need to punish prisoners and the satisfaction that comes with watching them suffer that they are now blinded by their lust. This lust is not only addictive but it compels them to constantly invent new ways in which to feed their addiction. In this way, governing is no longer about what is in the best interest of the society to which that prisoner will eventually be released, but more about an officer getting his or her jollies off on some unsuspecting schmuck. Their motives present themselves through an accompaniment of antics specifically designed to demoralize, demean, and dehumanize prisoners. These methods of repression and oppression include: The Discouragement of Family Structure and Cohesiveness; Racially Motivated Rules Targeting People of Color; The Provocation of Prisoners for Political and Financial Interest; The Brazen Practice of Theft from Prisoner and State; The Cessation of Pictures.
Although these are but a few tactics used to vitiate the prisoner, they are the most significant. And, they are practiced at a time when the prisoner's mind is at one of its' most vulnerable states. If the evidence of there being something inherently broken within the mind of a prisoner is his or her need to be imprisoned inside of a “correctional” facility then it would only seem logical for that mind to receive the correcting it needs once incarcerated. But this is no longer the focus of maximum security prisons in Illinois. These prisons shamelessly promote their main function as being to incapacitate prisoners; to house bodies for the sole purpose of punishing them and nothing more. But these prisons should not be so hell-bent on retribution alone. They should also help to correct that which has been deemed by the courts as dysfunctional. Without these corrections, prisoners will one day be released back into society plagued with the same warped sense of reality that lead them to prison in the first place.
Consequently, lawmakers have attempted to remedy this fact by passing laws that sentence prisoners to exorbitant amounts of time. The logic behind this is to exile this problem to some distant isle in the middle of nowhere. Instead of confronting- and dealing with head-on – the underlying issues behind the prisoner's dysfunction, they choose to shun them; locking them away for decades and centuries at a time in hopes that they will either correct themselves or simply be so far out of sight that they will never have to confront them again. This practice does a disservice not only to the prisoner but also to the very society in which lawmakers aim to protect. Locking people away for overly-excessive amounts of time without any attempt to rehabilitate them does nothing to address the mental confliction that has afflicted the minds of humans for as long as man has existed. Simply locking a troubled mind away for decades and centuries at a time does not get to the rudiment elements of man's psychological and physiological ailments; and it is not efficient enough a practice to make any substantial difference in this world.
According to the American Century Dictionary, life is the continual growth of all living organisms up to the point of death. In this, we are able to deduce that living things grow and, when done doing so, will meet their fate, which is to die. So, to live is to grow. To grow is to evolve, which means we are gradually developing; we are becoming fuller, bigger, more mature; we are becoming more advanced, more intelligent. This seems to be the history of man on this earth: Evolution. So, to evolve is to be aligned with the natural order of life. When we have stopped evolving, it is then that we die. Life is the evolution of the body, spirit, and mind; therefore, we will experience some form of death whenever we cease to grow in any of these areas. If we neglect the nourishing of our bodies, we experience a physical death. If we ignore the cultivation of our spirit then we give way to our lower nature, ultimately, enduring a spiritual death. And, when we are negligent in developing and nurturing our minds, we succumb to a mental or intellectual death. So, it is imperative that we nurture ourselves (and each other) in these areas of our lives in order to be properly balanced human beings who are in alignment with the natural order of life. In this way, we are constantly adding to the advancement of humanity instead of impeding it. Repressing and oppressing the human mind and spirit seems a bit counter-productive, and it places the natural order of evolution in a state of disarray, regressing it to a more primitive realm of existence.
There may be those who do not mind, and even encourage, the oppression of the prisoner. They may feel that the prisoner deserves whatever treatment that comes its' way and that such a practice is not destructive to the moral fabric of America's tapestry. But the oppression and out-right degradation of prisoners in the state of Illinois, and other states across the country, should be viewed in this light: There is a litmus test given to third-world countries to determine how advanced that country's civilization has become. This test involves the observation of how socially, economically, and politically advanced the women of that country are. It is believed that, if the women of a country are being oppressed or trampled upon in any way, the advancement of that country will be greatly impeded and the people will ultimately suffer as a result. This same test should be applied to this country when determining how the prisoner's mind is intrinsically connected to its continual growth and development. The prisoner is America's dark little secret. We are the unwanted step-child who is locked in their room whenever company comes over. America is ashamed of us; ashamed to have ever given birth to such imperfection. And so, she tries to get rid of us by banishing prisoners to remote areas in hopes that we will just fade away into nothingness. But we are still here. We still exist. And, in the same way that a battalion is only as strong as its weakest soldier, America is only as evolved as its most primitive-minded citizen. This is why she should always discourage all practices that are geared towards the debasing of any man. Whenever America turns a blind eye to the blatant and brazen oppression of any of her people, she is unwittingly promoting the inter-circular deterioration of human advancement. And, she is negligently encouraging the retardation in America's evolution.
The Illinois prison system has been corroded over the years by an influx of prisoners systematically placed there by the automaton that is Truth-in-Sentencing. Maximum security penitentiaries have been affected the most by these sentencing guidelines; turning them from centers of education & rehabilitation to death camps geared towards the act of punishing its occupants, offering nothing more. This dissolution of the betterment of mankind is encouraged further by the cessation of all rehabilitative & educational programs within maximum security prisons; an undermining of the Unified Code of Corrections (c), (d), and outright violation of the Illinois Constitution. These laws refuse to acknowledge the various spectrums that make up the human collective & the propensity the mind within those spectrums have to correct or better itself. Consequently, the entire prison system has taken on an ominous air that has permeated both prisoner & prison official, resulting in an intercircular deterioration of human advancement that, ultimately, percolates into the “free-world.” If there is no restructuring of these laws, they will continue to help contribute to the steadily rising deficit that is anchoring the state of Illinois under water.
In spite of its original intent, Truth-in-Sentencing(truth) laws have taken on an entity all its own that does nothing to curb the problem with violence in Illinois. Most natives of this state are familiar with its history of violence. Therefore, there is no need for this writer to delve into that history any further than what is already understood between fellow natives. That having been said, the history of violence in Illinois is indisputable, rising incrementally throughout the years. As a result of this perpetual violence, lawmakers gradually became more & more tough on crime which, eventually, led to the enactment of “truth” laws. Its original intent was to not only punish those who commit violent crimes, but to discourage others from committing similar acts. Although this line of reasoning is understandable, “truth” laws have done little to deter criminals. It has, in fact, contributed mostly in the overcrowding of Illinois state prisons.
Due to this overcrowding, prisons across the state that were built to only house 30,000 prisoners now house over 45,000 prisoners. The state’s escalating deficit influences the amount of money rationed to each prison from the state’s budget. To adjust to this dwindling budget, maximum security prisons have stripped all educational & rehabilitative programs that were being financed by the State, thereby, transforming those prisons from playgrounds of education and rehabilitation to death valleys of pestilence & nothing more. Prisons are a very necessary entity built for those who commit crimes or who are otherwise unable to be wholly functional, productive citizens of society. But, to reduce the role of prisons to housing units constructed solely to incapacitate humans seems a bit inhumane.
When “truth” laws were initially enacted, those voting for it did so without understanding fully the impact it would have not only on the financial structure of the state’s prisons, but also the vacuum it would leave in the family structure in terms of the voids left in the lives of children whose fathers have elaborate prison terms to serve. Lawmakers never took into account the effect that prisons with no means of rehabilitation would have on the minds of individuals who (evidenced by their own incarceration) already have some form of mental defect or instability that needs to be addressed, nurtured & corrected. They never factored in how the lack of access to rehabilitative programs would, ultimately, affect the children of fathers who have no positive re-enforcing tools to share with them; children who potentially grow to commit crimes themselves (sometimes violent) further contributing to the overflow of prisoners in Illinois prisons.
Truth-in-Sentencing seems like a pristine & effective law on the surface, but what lies underneath is a cauldron of inadequacy and convolution. The enforcement of this law does little to motivate positive re-enforcement, nor rehabilitation. It is the direct antithesis of what the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections constitutes (c), (d), and is in blatant violation of the Illinois Constitution. Both require that punishment be proportionate to the seriousness of the offense & recognize an offender’s potential for rehabilitation (art. 1 & subsection 11). Truth laws do very little to, “prevent arbitrary or oppressive treatment of persons or delinquents,” and it does absolutely nothing to, “restore offenders to useful citizenship.” If it is the State’s contention to solely house prisoners then the lack of rehabilitative programs in maximum security prisons is not an issue. It would only become one when the machine of death in which prisoners are housed ceases to only affect those sentenced under “truth” laws; those who, by definition of the law, would have to spend virtually their entire lives in prison. But, the sobering reality is that the houses of pestilence to which “truth” laws have helped to create do not solely house violent criminals or criminals with lengthy sentences. The turnover rate of Illinois prisons has been so immensely affected by “truth” laws that, inevitably, those who would ordinarily serve short stints in medium security prisons (where there are an assortment of rehab & educational programs) are forced to serve large portions of their time inside of this valley of desolance that are maximum security prisons. One must ask the question, “What becomes of those people who are subjected to this reckless, irresponsible influence of negative re-enforcement promoted by prisons once they are released back into society?” Statistics will, undoubtedly, show that these are among the many who contribute to the recidivism rate in the state of Illinois.
The most dangerous aspect of the “truth” laws is its use as an automaton; a machine that supposes to know without equivocation that everyone who commit’s a class x felony or murder is deserving of a life sentence (regardless of the circumstances of the crime) and are, therefore, amongst the unredeemable. It purports that there is no rationale in rehabilitating class x felons, and those who commit the act of murder, nor should they be given an opportunity at redemption. It is common logic to say that not all who commit violent crimes are able to be rehabilitated. But, the “truth” law professes that those who committed crimes before June 19, 1998 are more deserving of a second chance in life than those sentenced under “truth” guidelines. It supposes that those sentenced under “truth” laws are less redeemable than all others; irrespective of the person & the circumstances of his or her crime. The inefficiency of “truth” laws fails to take into account the rehabilitative potential of “first-time” felons; those who, were they to be given a chance to rehabilitate & educate themselves along with a reasonable sentence that would allow them the time to capitalize on those learned tools, would more than likely become productive citizens; never to return to prison again.
“Truth” guidelines state that the good conduct credit (that, incidentally, is also attached to rehabilitative programs) afforded to prisoners is only applicable to those who have not been sentenced under “truth” laws; more specifically, those who have committed the act of murder. The implication is that all murderers are unworthy of both rehab & redemption; as if to say that they are a broken species that can never be mended. Incidentally, it is lower level criminals with light sentences who tend to become repeat offenders; regardless of how much access they are given to various programs. Thus, giving prisoners incentives to better themselves becomes less about the prospect of a prisoner’s rehabilitative qualities & more about whether or not he or she has committed an egregious act that the courts deem both reprehensible & unforgivable. Ultimately, the courts reward those who continue to come to prison with incentives, not those who are making viable efforts to correct within themselves the wrongs or fallacies that contributed to their imprisonment.
No more sound an example can be found than that of the recent hostage situation in Pickneyville. This repeated sex offender, who was serving a respectively short sentence for sexual battery, determined that it was rational to attack-and take hostage-an elderly woman, resulting in what prison officials felt was a justifiable death. Now, to psychoanalyze someone this writer knows nothing about would be unfair. But, his action further proves the point of this writer in that this person had access to every rehabilitative tool offered to prisoners, yet he still chose to commit such a reprehensible act. He was someone whom the courts determined was worthy of not only being rehabilitated, but worthy of being given a chance to redeem himself once he returned to society. Although it is not this writer’s intention to imply that all offenders (of whatever sort) share in the distorted mind-set of this repeated sex offender, his actions establishes the argument that the law can not accurately assess who is & who is not among the redeemable based solely on the class of crime that person commits.
This writer has witnessed prison’s calloused hands choke the very life out of some. He has witnessed the air of misery become so unbearably dense that, instead of enduring a tedious & suffocating death, some have taken their own lives in order to escape their emotional tumult. Others lose hope in the promise of life, choosing instead to allow themselves to give in to any & every whimsical thought that invades their head; irrespective of how grossly irrational the thought may be. They eventually allow their minds to deteriorate to a level of complete irrationality; at times acting out in a way that reflects this mind-set. This is the precariousness of the unchecked mind; it wanders and has the propensity to lash out at whomever at any given moment.
Charles Fasano, prisoner monitor for the John Howard Association, stated that tough-on-crime policies of the past three decades are now haunting the state of Illinois. Since 2002, state employees have been reduced by 25%. Due to the state’s dwindling budget, Illinois prisons have been adversely affected. It has caused most prisons to lay off a fair portion of its correctional officers. There is currently a call for a “modernized tax structure (within the state that includes the raising of both income & corporate taxes). The intimation is that, without the passage of a tax increase, state employees will continue to face layoffs. Consequently, these layoffs have contributed to a layer of stress within correctional officers that festers & eventually spills over into the prison atmosphere; an atmosphere that is already laced with volatility. So, the constant threat of being laid off & other stresses of life causes some officers to take their frustrations out on selective prisoners; inflaming an already blazing fire of tension. Add to the equation the whimsical ignorance of an unchecked, malnourished mind that wanders haphazardly from the lack of being mentally stimulated, intellectually challenged or rehabilitated; and the atmosphere within maximum security prisons has the potential to combust.
In conclusion, the Illinois prison system’s gradual increase of prisoners is being greatly influenced by “truth” laws. The maximum security prisons have been reduced from centers of correction to facilities constructed solely to house bodies. Subsequently, this has helped to create institutions of psychological death and contributes nothing to the advancement of mankind. The courts’ way of punishing those sentenced under “truth” laws is by depriving them of access to any means of rehabilitation, stripping them of all good conduct credit and stifling any hopes of having a second chance at life. But, lawmakers never accounted for the full ramifications of Truth-in-Sentencing when voting it into law. This practice is not only in direct violation of the Illinois Constitution (art. 1 subsection 11), it is the antithesis of what the Unified Code of Corrections (c), (d) constitutes. Both require that punishment be proportionate to the seriousness of the offense and recognize an offender‘s potential for rehabilitation. Truth laws do nothing to address the mental conflictions that has afflicted the minds of humans for centuries; the same mental ineptitude that causes them to commit crimes to this very day. To simply lock this disturbed, troubled mind away, housing it in prison without even an attempt to nurture & correct it, is not efficient enough a practice to make a positive difference in this world. That mind, that ignorance is not only being bred in the “free-world”, once confined, it is placed within a cocoon of depravity that further cultivates, enables & pacifies ignorance. This line of reasoning, this policy would not be an issue if it is the State’s contention to ignore the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections & brazenly promote the degradation & debilitation of the prisoners housed in maximum security prisons. If this is not the State’s intention then the truth cannot be ignored. Therefore, strong consideration should be given to the reassessment & restructuring of “truth” laws. At the very least, lawmakers should acquiesce that “truth” laws do nothing to address the essence of the problem with violence in Illinois & only contributes to the overcrowding of prisons; an issue that further exacerbates the State’s deficit. These guidelines do not weed out those who can not be wholly functional citizens, giving second & third chances to those who only end up becoming a part of the recidivism rate in the state. Meanwhile, “first-time” felons & others who have no prior criminal history; those who may show potential of being productive citizens and have the capacity to actually contribute to society get lost within the automaton that is Truth-in-Sentencing.
Thoughts on Love by Kwayera Jackson August 10, 2010
The evidence of love can not be measured by words or actions alone. Anyone can say with words that they love you, but have their actions prove differently. Conversely, one's intentions can be easily cloaked within a subtle deceit in order to gain a tactical advantage over someone. Therefore, love must be constantly examined in order to be kept honest. In this way, love does not become complacent, nor neglectful, believing that yesterday's love is sufficient for today.
Love must be reproached if it has wronged you, but forgiven when it fails to exemplify the extraordinary traits many have come to expect from it. One must not be disillusioned by fantasies of a love so lofty. The very idea of it becomes unattainable by virtue of its own grandiosity. We must realize that love can, in fact, be astounding at times. Other times, it is normal (even regular). Love can taste like the sweetest drop of honey; other times, love is blatantly bland. Our goal is to recognize love in all its various forms, & learn to appreciate each one of them.
A Spirit of Contrition vs. A Heartless Society by Kwayera Jackson January 2007
As the days slowly pass, I am constantly reminded of the fact that I have been castigated from society in a way that may never allow me the opportunity to redeem myself, or make right of the mistakes I have made in life. I have been eternally shunned by them and made to be avoided like the black plague. My removal from society has made me a stranger to them; one who they have come to greatly distrust due to the stigmas that are attached to prisoners, and to be perfectly honest, I can not find much fault in them. In a way, I have betrayed their trust. Even though my crime was an accident, it is one that was committed nonetheless. And for this, the ink of shame will forever be stenciled onto my forehead; a permanent stain never to be removed. It is a constant reminder of my mangled past, and each time that I look into the mirror I can feel guilt’s glaring eyes staring me in the face. This feeling is inescapable & will haunt me for the rest of my life. I am sure there are some who may argue that it should, that I should be held accountable for my actions for the rest of my life. But, should it always be this way? Should the rest of my days on this earth be made to suffer for a mistake I made when I was a young child, or should there be an expiration date for suffering? Should that one mistake serve to blot out all that I had worked so hard to achieve up to that point? Should it make void all that I have achieved thereafter; thus, defining who I am? Or, should the merits of who I am be based on the totality of how I have represented myself in this lifetime?
I often wonder if there is still compassion in our society anymore. Not only for those who have been wronged; that kind of compassion comes naturally. I am talking about the kind of compassion that allows us to view life from outside of our own selves, placing ourselves in the shoes of another, and making an attempt to understand what the person who has done the wrong may have been thinking at the time he or she committed this act. It is this kind of compassion that allows us to be merciful with our understanding instead of being blindly enraged. This does not mean that we excuse a person’s actions or try to diminish what someone else has had to endure as a result of them; if only means that we are allowing ourselves to be rational when trying to make sense of any given situation.
But, in today’s society, it appears as though people are growing increasingly intolerable when it comes to the imperfections of others. It has been said that this society has a tendency to, “eat its young.” This means that society creates an environment that is volatile, hostile, chaotic, & imperfect. They give life to children who are themselves trying to find their way through all of this confusion, and society even tries to nurse them along, guide them and love them; but only up to a certain point. Society has become an entity that will disavow their young if that person shows any signs of the imperfection or volatility they were born into and, undoubtedly, a victim of. Again, to understand why someone may react to situations differently from others, is not excusing their actions. It only means that we understand the sin instead of simply vilifying the sinner. Understanding the sin leaves room for compassion rather than closing ourselves off from it completely.
There are arrays of emotions within us all that need to be confronted, processed, and made sense of before any of us can truly say that we are making a valid attempt at being better human beings. The sad truth is that most people can not conceive what it means to better themselves. But, as for someone like me, someone who is in prison, we must take these necessary steps if we are serious about positive change. We must, first, be honest enough with ourselves to accept that we are not the perfect creatures we thought ourselves to be at one point. We have to recognize that we are not infallible and that we do make wrong decisions at times. We must accept that we do not have all the answers and that there just may be someone on this earth who is wiser than we are. Secondly, we must be humble enough to accept the criticism that accompanies our fallacies; no matter how vulnerable they may make us feel. Only then, when we rid ourselves of ego, will we be able to allow our spirit to grow from life’s lessons. The book of Isaiah (57:15) speaks of God reviving, “The spirit of the humble…and the heart of the contrite.” This is what the journey of my life has given to me; a spirit of contrition.
Although accountability for ones’ own actions is a very necessary step toward the road of contrition, I am not certain if society realizes or takes into account how incredibly difficult it is for most people to “man up” to the mistakes they have made; especially when that mistake has a direct affect on the lives of others. This is something that possibly becomes easier to do as we mature with time. So, it is sufficient to say that it was no easy feat for me to, as an eighteen year old child, admit it was my indefensible actions that took another’s life. Coming to terms with this fact may have been the single most difficult task I have ever had to take on, next to dealing with his death itself. And still, I have chosen to take this burden on at that tender age. As a result, it has humbled me immeasurably. It has produced within me a spirit of contrition that has allowed me to be molded by God’s sculptural hands. It is my willingness to accept responsibility for my actions that humbles me and defines who I inherently am. It is what separates me from the typical prisoner. But, what good is a contrite spirit if it is only made to be beaten relentlessly, over & again, by a heartless society? What good is that spirit if it is only made to feel utterly useless by those whose main objective is to ensure that it suffers all the days of its life?
A crime that was committed, say, twenty years ago, should not be viewed as though it were committed yesterday. The whole concept of there being things such as prisons is not only so that people who are unable to interact appropriately with others in society may be housed away from that society. Prisons are also supposed to be so that those who may have made a mistake in society by committing some sort of crime can pay their debt to that society in which they have aggrieved. The root of the word “penitentiary” comes from the word “penitent” which means to be repentant. This infers that prisoners are paying a form of repentance to society for what they have done. Therefore, there should be room for forgiveness for the crime that person has committed. Of course, this does not mean that an individual is automatically forgiven by society, or even that he or she is necessarily remorseful, or wants to be forgiven by society. This only means that for those who have shown genuine remorse, and have taken legitimate incremental steps towards the betterment of themselves while paying their debt to society; those individuals should, at the very least, be allowed the opportunity to be forgiven and viewed in a different light. Although there may be some prisoners who may be an actual threat to society (and themselves), and therefore can serve no other purpose in life other than to cause misery and pain to those they are around, this does not mean that all who commit a crime should be thought of this way. Prison is a necessary body to house those individuals who can not be wholly functional citizens in this world, but we should not all be lumped into one uniform group. Not every prisoner wants to be released from prison just so they can unleash a torrent of terror onto society. Some of us actually have something to contribute. We should not be thrown away to rot as though we are waste, as if there is no use in this world for us now, nor will there ever be again.
So, again I ask: Where has compassion gone? Does it no longer exist? If it indeed does, who does society extend it to? Is it only applicable to the aggrieved, or can someone who has devoted his life to reconciling every wrong he has ever committed (whether big or small) qualify? Am I to be forever sentenced to a life of guilt & shame, or will society find it in their hearts to forgive me? The birth of compassion itself lies within the womb of the human heart; it is the nucleus to which the heart is able to draw its sustenance. Compassion is harbored within the heart. It helps to nourish and cultivate compassion’s delicate frame until the time comes when it may be poured onto the lives of others. The two are inextricably linked; for without one the other will surely die. And, what is a heart but an empty vessel when it is not inhabited by nor filled with compassion? Still, there has been an extraction of compassion from the heart of society that has caused it to become increasingly obdurate towards those who display any signs of imperfection; an imperfection that they simply inherited when born into this chaotic world. This society has become merciless in its insatiable quest to implacably punish with long prison terms all who commit any kind of criminal act. And, compassion has seemingly become a thing of the past; a myth of some sort talked about exclusively amongst those who were alive at a time when it still existed.
Create a World of Compassion & Peace!!!
The Retardation in America's Evolution by Kwayera Jackson March 2008
There are no souls that can be attributed to maximum security prisons in the state of Illinois. These prisons have distanced themselves from all semblances of life, allowing various forms of fear and hatred to rot its insides. They are heartless zombies stoically masquerading themselves as lovers of the living when they are, in fact, designed to suck the very life out of its inhabitants. Prisons are the black holes of the industrialized era whose position amongst the ethos lies not at the center of our Milky Way but in the middle of obscure towns conveniently hidden away from all major cities within the state. This blatant practice of deterring families from driving hundreds of miles in order to visit loved ones is a tool used to discourage prisoners and only adds further to the deterioration of human advancement. That advancement is constantly being threatened by this violent torrent of wind whose gravity stretches thin and eventually disintegrates the hopes and dreams of all prisoners who would dare to have them.
Maximum security prisons in Illinois have one main objective and this is to promote the illusion of hopelessness; to encourage the feeble-minded with words of despair; to enable the broken spirit by pacifying it with instruments of complacency. A defeated mind is born when the spirit has been broken and max prisons advocate both so that officials are better able to control prisoners. From a prison official's point of view, if they are able to maintain order by ensuring the prison mind works with a monolith of ignorance and uncertainty of its own self-worth, they have met their objective. For the most part, the prison mind collectively embraces this hopelessness (unconsciously or otherwise) feeling as though the fruit of its existence is confined to- and will never be any greater than- the misery by which it is surrounded. Prison officials not only tolerate this defeatist mentality but they encourage it. But, to fan the embers of an already volatile mind is counterproductive, not to mention dangerous. It is like purposefully infecting someone's mind with a cancer expecting that cancer not to eventually metastasize and become uncontainable. Manipulating the human mind with methods of repression and oppression only causes it to regress back to a more primitive state of existence; devaluing humanity, adding nothing to it.
It is the society in which prisons are encased, by that which deems prisoners as the pariahs of this world. We are viewed as a foreign oddity; a subordinate species whose value does not even equal that of the overly humanized dog. Who is man's best friend? It is not another man, nor is it a woman; it is, in fact, a four-legged furry animal. And this animal has, over the centuries, garnered more sympathy, more compassion from humans than those same humans will give to themselves. It is as though humans feel they are better able to connect with and relate to this animal. To further solidify this connection, the dog has been assigned human characteristics by man. They are taught to do tricks that resemble human gestures. It has been adorned with human clothing and pampered with lavish gifts in the same way a young child would. In fact, there are many dog owners who have replaced the idea of having a baby with buying a dog, referring to the dog as their very own child. Some owners have constructed wills leaving entire inheritances to their dog. Laws have been enacted to prohibit the abuse and killing of a dog. If violated, humans face potential prison sentences. Meanwhile, there are deer everywhere across the country crossing their hooves in hopes that such a law is one day enacted to protect their right to live. Police dogs have been empowered with the same rights and the same fortress of protection as their human counterparts. In this sense, there are instances where a human can be given a virtual life sentence for taking the life of a police dog. In contrast, that same dog could attack, maim, disfigure, or even kill a human while in the line of duty and be given a medal of valor for their actions.
What kind of world do we live in where the life of an animal has become more valuable than that of a human? Where does this leave the value of the prisoner; someone whose sense of self-worth has already been defined for him and made evident by the cage he is forced to inhabit? How does man show compassion for the prisoner when he does not believe its worth is equal to that of the dog; an animal who has been placed a notch higher on the totem pole over the prisoner? Because of this subjugation, this demotion in humanity, it makes it easy for society to perceive prisoners as a subordinate species. And, if something is viewed as sub-human, why then should anyone ever think to treat it as anything more? When a criminal commits a vile act against society, the consensus of that intolerant society is that the criminal is deserving of whatever punishment the law calls for; even if that punishment is disproportionate to the actual crime. Because some prisoners have committed crimes that are viewed as deplorable acts or society, as a whole, views as inhumane, it becomes that much easier for that same society to also view a prisoner as being less than human. This was of thinking validates the various methods of repression and oppression that are used against prisoners whether humane or otherwise. Therefore, prisoners have been green lit to be treated by prison officials in whatever manner they fashion and with the impunity. It matters not what happens to the captured, because the captors are believed to be liberators who have rid society of its unmanageable waste. As long as that waste no longer festers among the lives of the innocent, what eventually becomes of – or is done to- it seems much less important to them.
Even if a correctional officer's actions were to come under scrutiny, they will always be able to evade the consequences of them. We see this occurring often in a society where there are police officers taking the lives of innocent unarmed victims and not even receiving so much as a verbal reprimand for doing so; let alone being held accountable for what they have done by a court of law. How does such an atrocity happen in this country without there being a public out-pouring of emotion so influential it brings about the desired change that keeps tragedies like these from ever happening again? How does a society become so indifferent about these kinds of incidents; to the point where these actual acts of violence are being caught on tape and still society has become immune to them?
It is with this immunity that the prison officer is able to operate. There is a power that is given to them by a society who has a tendency to label people of authority as infallible; to exalt people who are in positions of authority to a level of supreme nobility that renders them incapable of doing any wrong. Whenever a trial is conducted and a jury is left to deliberate over the opposing testimonies of the defendant versus a sworn officer of the law, it seems almost instinctual for that jury to believe the words of those who are in positions of authority before that of the defendant. The assumption made on the part of the jury is that those who have taken oaths to uphold the law would never break those same laws. No one wants to believe that a person could be given so much power over others only to abuse it. The thought of it is too sinister, too conspiratorial, too frightening to imagine. And, when people do not want to accept a frightening thought as truth they tend to plunge into a pool of denial. They turn a blind eye to that which frightens them as though they were the ostrich hoping that the sand their heads are immersed in will shield them from this terrifying reality. But the reality in which we live is that we are all human beings plagued with the same imperfections and fallacies that have lead to the corruption scandals from the classroom to the courtroom; from the House of Representatives to the White House. If these fallacies and imperfections have the ability to alter the decisions of the most powerful our country has to offer, how naïve would it be to believe that these same ailments do not affect the lowly correctional officer?
Society's lack of concern for- or indifference towards- the prisoner, undoubtedly, opens the floodgates for those castigated, forgotten people who are considered society's undesirables, to become increasingly susceptible to the abuse of totalitarianism. There is a need for prison officials to exert complete control over prisoners and to keep them in a state of subservience so that officers may maintain order. But, the problem with a totalitarian rule lies not within the dictatorship itself. It is within one body of people who have become enthralled within the throes of an absolute power; it is within one body of people that feel they can commit any kind of act against another group of people simply because there are no superiors by which they are held accountable. It is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but where does this corruption lead? What becomes of the unchecked ego that is fueled by the need to see others live in misery? What happens to this ominous impetus that takes deliberate measures to ensure the ego is fed, all the while, feeling as though it is impervious to ridicule or blame? Prison is a society that governs itself based on a completely separate set of laws than those that constitute the free-world. In this sense, a totalitarian agenda that is corrupted by an insidious ego is able to mask its intentions within the guise of that unorthodox governing. It is able to terrorize prisoners under the pretense that its' actions can always be justified or explained away due to the unique circumstances to which it has to govern over. Ultimately, it becomes convenient for prison officials to excuse all of their actions within the haven of laws they have created, laws strategically designed to leave them without blemish if they were to ever encroach upon them.
Laws, rules and regulations of maximum security prisons in the state of Illinois may vary depending on the facility. And it is a widely held belief that these laws or rules have been put into place for three main reasons. These reasons are to, first, protect society from the imprisoned by ensuring they are never given enough freedoms or enough movement to encourage a prisoner's escape (in this way, the prisoner's access to various parts of a prison is severely limited), to maintain some sense of decorum and order within the prison which, subsequently, affects the security of prison staff and, lastly, to protect the prisoner, one from the other. But, within these unyielding laws which have been constructed in reason and rationale, are a sub-set of rules shrouded in fickleness. They are illogical and, at times, unreasonable just for the sake of being ornery. And, because there is no real challenge to the rationality or effectiveness of these series of laws established by people of authority, people who are automatically trusted to do the right thing due to the title they hold, these unjustified laws are allowed to persist. Because these precepts have not been grounded within the stability of any sound set of laws, they are capricious in nature, in that they are subject to change at any given moment. The definitions within these laws are subject to whims based on the various moods or prejudices that dictate the moral consciences of different correctional officers. So, a prisoner could be going through his bit under the impression that he is living well within the laws to which he has become accustomed only to find that, because an officer is having a bad day at home and has packed his problems alongside his lunch, bringing both to work, he has violated some re-written rule that is enforced by that officer only. A new rule will be created, emerging from no other logical origin than from the depths of fear and hatred.
Even if this new rule has no basis within any of the already established set of laws, the prisoner does not dare offend or challenge it, because he knows that is lone voice is no match for the powerful many. He knows he has no voice against an establishment that operates on “croni-ism”; an establishment that backs their fellow officer, believing their word over that of a prisoner whether right or wrong. This feeling of hopelessness creates a level of inferiority that festers in the hearts and minds of those subjected to it. And what good can ever come from entire prisons embittered with a sense of hopelessness?
There is a repression of the human emotion taking place withing the prisoner at the hands correctional officers. This repression is unnatural, inhumane, and only adds to the depravity of the mind which is ultimately a detriment to mankind. Correctional officers have become so inebriated with the need to punish prisoners and the satisfaction that comes with watching them suffer that they are now blinded by their lust. This lust is not only addictive but it compels them to constantly invent new ways in which to feed their addiction. In this way, governing is no longer about what is in the best interest of the society to which that prisoner will eventually be released, but more about an officer getting his or her jollies off on some unsuspecting schmuck. Their motives present themselves through an accompaniment of antics specifically designed to demoralize, demean, and dehumanize prisoners. These methods of repression and oppression include: The Discouragement of Family Structure and Cohesiveness; Racially Motivated Rules Targeting People of Color; The Provocation of Prisoners for Political and Financial Interest; The Brazen Practice of Theft from Prisoner and State; The Cessation of Pictures.
Although these are but a few tactics used to vitiate the prisoner, they are the most significant. And, they are practiced at a time when the prisoner's mind is at one of its' most vulnerable states. If the evidence of there being something inherently broken within the mind of a prisoner is his or her need to be imprisoned inside of a “correctional” facility then it would only seem logical for that mind to receive the correcting it needs once incarcerated. But this is no longer the focus of maximum security prisons in Illinois. These prisons shamelessly promote their main function as being to incapacitate prisoners; to house bodies for the sole purpose of punishing them and nothing more. But these prisons should not be so hell-bent on retribution alone. They should also help to correct that which has been deemed by the courts as dysfunctional. Without these corrections, prisoners will one day be released back into society plagued with the same warped sense of reality that lead them to prison in the first place.
Consequently, lawmakers have attempted to remedy this fact by passing laws that sentence prisoners to exorbitant amounts of time. The logic behind this is to exile this problem to some distant isle in the middle of nowhere. Instead of confronting- and dealing with head-on – the underlying issues behind the prisoner's dysfunction, they choose to shun them; locking them away for decades and centuries at a time in hopes that they will either correct themselves or simply be so far out of sight that they will never have to confront them again. This practice does a disservice not only to the prisoner but also to the very society in which lawmakers aim to protect. Locking people away for overly-excessive amounts of time without any attempt to rehabilitate them does nothing to address the mental confliction that has afflicted the minds of humans for as long as man has existed. Simply locking a troubled mind away for decades and centuries at a time does not get to the rudiment elements of man's psychological and physiological ailments; and it is not efficient enough a practice to make any substantial difference in this world.
According to the American Century Dictionary, life is the continual growth of all living organisms up to the point of death. In this, we are able to deduce that living things grow and, when done doing so, will meet their fate, which is to die. So, to live is to grow. To grow is to evolve, which means we are gradually developing; we are becoming fuller, bigger, more mature; we are becoming more advanced, more intelligent. This seems to be the history of man on this earth: Evolution. So, to evolve is to be aligned with the natural order of life. When we have stopped evolving, it is then that we die. Life is the evolution of the body, spirit, and mind; therefore, we will experience some form of death whenever we cease to grow in any of these areas. If we neglect the nourishing of our bodies, we experience a physical death. If we ignore the cultivation of our spirit then we give way to our lower nature, ultimately, enduring a spiritual death. And, when we are negligent in developing and nurturing our minds, we succumb to a mental or intellectual death. So, it is imperative that we nurture ourselves (and each other) in these areas of our lives in order to be properly balanced human beings who are in alignment with the natural order of life. In this way, we are constantly adding to the advancement of humanity instead of impeding it. Repressing and oppressing the human mind and spirit seems a bit counter-productive, and it places the natural order of evolution in a state of disarray, regressing it to a more primitive realm of existence.
There may be those who do not mind, and even encourage, the oppression of the prisoner. They may feel that the prisoner deserves whatever treatment that comes its' way and that such a practice is not destructive to the moral fabric of America's tapestry. But the oppression and out-right degradation of prisoners in the state of Illinois, and other states across the country, should be viewed in this light: There is a litmus test given to third-world countries to determine how advanced that country's civilization has become. This test involves the observation of how socially, economically, and politically advanced the women of that country are. It is believed that, if the women of a country are being oppressed or trampled upon in any way, the advancement of that country will be greatly impeded and the people will ultimately suffer as a result. This same test should be applied to this country when determining how the prisoner's mind is intrinsically connected to its continual growth and development. The prisoner is America's dark little secret. We are the unwanted step-child who is locked in their room whenever company comes over. America is ashamed of us; ashamed to have ever given birth to such imperfection. And so, she tries to get rid of us by banishing prisoners to remote areas in hopes that we will just fade away into nothingness. But we are still here. We still exist. And, in the same way that a battalion is only as strong as its weakest soldier, America is only as evolved as its most primitive-minded citizen. This is why she should always discourage all practices that are geared towards the debasing of any man. Whenever America turns a blind eye to the blatant and brazen oppression of any of her people, she is unwittingly promoting the inter-circular deterioration of human advancement. And, she is negligently encouraging the retardation in America's evolution.