Earlier this year, following a triple-murder in the suburbs, Governor Rell instituted a statewide ban on parole for those convicted of violent crimes, causing many individuals currently serving time to become ineligible for parole, and some individuals already home in their communities (and working to support their families) to return to [already overcroweded] prisons. While the parole ban is “temporary,” there are no plans of action in place for dissolving it.
Politicians are exploiting a tragedy to place this community under attack. A study by the Department of criminology at CCSU from 2006 found that prisoners who come out on parole are much less likely to be re-incarcerated than full-time prisoners, so it makes no sense to ban parole.
It is amazing how quickly legislators can pass legislation when those whom they wish to protect come from a selective segment of our society. What’s even more amaznig is that their sense of justice will mean 20,000 prisoners and their families must pay the bitter price for the actions of 2. We all know who will be most impacted by their knee jerk reactions to this horrific crime. Instead of spending our money on human services, some politicians want to sink $260 Million into new prisons in a so-called “Anti-Crime” bill. We say that money should go to improving our community, not militarizing it.
What: Protest Against the CT Parole Ban [called by the Coalition against the Parole ban, and endorsed by People Against Injustice, Youth Rights Media, Unidad Latina en Accion, and A.N.S.W.E.R. CT)
When: today, Monday, November 26, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Where: Outside Whalley Avenue Jail, 245 Whalley Ave., New Haven
thinking that incarceration equals public safety is an understandable mistake– the media and “tough on crime” political campaigns ( both right-wing and not) present it as such.however, the literature proving and explaining that locking people up isnt directly reducing crime, especially in relation to how much crime would be reduced by spending the money on education, housing, employment, etc, instead, is out there. there is a lot of it.
thinking that incarceration equals public safety is an understandable mistake– the media and “tough on crime” political campaigns ( both right-wing and not) present it as such.
however, the literature proving and explaining that locking people up isnt directly reducing crime, especially in relation to how much crime would be reduced by spending the money on education, housing, employment, etc, instead, is out there. there is a lot of it.
“it takes a LOT for them to lock you up for more than a few days”mmm…It would take a lot for them to lock WHO up for more than a few days?
“it takes a LOT for them to lock you up for more than a few days”
mmm…
It would take a lot for them to lock WHO up for more than a few days?
Putting aside the “wrongly convicted” argument, or assuming at least that the majority of people in prison were not wrongly convicted, since when is putting criminals behind bars not improving our community? Since when is it “militarizing” our community? I sure as hell don’t want these people living next to me or my parents or grandparents. Please, enough with the misguided laments that the people in prison are all victims of our society and the evils within. I came from a nasty neighborhood, I know several people who have gone to jail and whoa re in prison. We all make choices. It’s not easy to make the right choice. But that doesn’t mean if you make the wrong choices again and again – and trust me, it takes a LOT for them to lock you up for more than a few days – you deserve to go to jail. What they should do is put these convicted criminals to work in ways that CAN benefit the community. Have them repair roads, build schools, homeless shelters, inner city heath care centers, and even more (and better equipped) prisons.
Putting aside the “wrongly convicted” argument, or assuming at least that the majority of people in prison were not wrongly convicted, since when is putting criminals behind bars not improving our community? Since when is it “militarizing” our community? I sure as hell don’t want these people living next to me or my parents or grandparents. Please, enough with the misguided laments that the people in prison are all victims of our society and the evils within. I came from a nasty neighborhood, I know several people who have gone to jail and whoa re in prison. We all make choices. It’s not easy to make the right choice. But that doesn’t mean if you make the wrong choices again and again – and trust me, it takes a LOT for them to lock you up for more than a few days – you deserve to go to jail. What they should do is put these convicted criminals to work in ways that CAN benefit the community. Have them repair roads, build schools, homeless shelters, inner city heath care centers, and even more (and better equipped) prisons.
Last anonymous: That’s certainly true under one interpretation of the justice system – the one that says that prison time should be punishment, that one “deserves” to be in prison. In my opinion, if someone is ready to re-enter society and not be in prison anymore, they should be allowed to. Hence (in my opinion) parole is a (very) good and (very) important part of the system.Estrella: Well, no, I personally don’t think we should just get rid of the whole system because it’s flawed (though some abolitionists definitely would think so, and I can see their point). But keeping parole around isn’t getting rid of the whole system. It’s keeping around an important part of the check & balance system: if someone is in prison, and they’re on good behavior and there’s a very good chance they could reenter society safely, they should be able to. And you’re right that there are other reasons for eliminating parole right now – Jodi Rell herself isn’t [publicly] against parole on principle, but just thinks the implementation is wrong right now – in the process, the vast majority of those who are on parole and deserve to be on parole are the ones getting screwed. So that’s why I think this moratorium on parole needs to end ASAP.person needing a ride: I totally would, if I were on campus, but unfortunately I’m in Hungary right now :( sorz.
Last anonymous: That’s certainly true under one interpretation of the justice system – the one that says that prison time should be punishment, that one “deserves” to be in prison. In my opinion, if someone is ready to re-enter society and not be in prison anymore, they should be allowed to. Hence (in my opinion) parole is a (very) good and (very) important part of the system.
Estrella: Well, no, I personally don’t think we should just get rid of the whole system because it’s flawed (though some abolitionists definitely would think so, and I can see their point). But keeping parole around isn’t getting rid of the whole system. It’s keeping around an important part of the check & balance system: if someone is in prison, and they’re on good behavior and there’s a very good chance they could reenter society safely, they should be able to. And you’re right that there are other reasons for eliminating parole right now – Jodi Rell herself isn’t [publicly] against parole on principle, but just thinks the implementation is wrong right now – in the process, the vast majority of those who are on parole and deserve to be on parole are the ones getting screwed. So that’s why I think this moratorium on parole needs to end ASAP.
person needing a ride: I totally would, if I were on campus, but unfortunately I’m in Hungary right now :( sorz.
The system is fooked. Time sentenced should equal time served. If the crime merits 3 years, then don’t sentence them to 10 and lest them out in 3.
The system is fooked. Time sentenced should equal time served. If the crime merits 3 years, then don’t sentence them to 10 and lest them out in 3.
I don’t need to be convinced that the system’s screwed up. Working to fix it is kind of what I want to spend my life doing. All I meant to suggest is that there may be justifications for eliminating parole regardless of the problems criminal justice system. Surely you don’t suggest that we just get rid of the whole system because its flawed, right?Also, sorry, I know I’m being rather inarticulate, my brain is fried from too many hours spent in the law library.
I don’t need to be convinced that the system’s screwed up. Working to fix it is kind of what I want to spend my life doing. All I meant to suggest is that there may be justifications for eliminating parole regardless of the problems criminal justice system. Surely you don’t suggest that we just get rid of the whole system because its flawed, right?
Also, sorry, I know I’m being rather inarticulate, my brain is fried from too many hours spent in the law library.
Anyone willing to give me a ride?
Anyone willing to give me a ride?
That part was quoted from another source, Estrella, the one originally advertising to recruit for the protest, so clearly a biased one.That said, dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned is a huge part of the issue, especially since it’s not just “rightly imprisoned” or “wrongly imprisoned” – the entire system is full of biases from the start. If a black person and a white person arrested for the same violent crime, the white person is statistically much more likely to get off in the first place. You can’t separate “being jailed [sic] to begin with” from “dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned”. The system IS imperfect, and to assume otherwise is just… false.Anonymous #1, are you suggesting that once someone commits a violent crime, they forfeit all claims to a normal life in society? I’m not defending those who commit violent crimes – clearly I think the action is terrible, and it causes me grief – but if someone is up for parole, and is found deserving of parole, they surely should get a chance to turn their life back around. What is the purpose of prison, to you? Is it just punishment, and keeping “bad” people completely removed from “good” society? Because I see it as a step toward getting people back into good society, rehabilitating them so ideally we could live together. No, I don’t want this person to commit another violent crime, but I also think [in most cases] they probably deserve a second chance. They don’t need to be imprisoned forever, and it makes me sad if you think they do.
That part was quoted from another source, Estrella, the one originally advertising to recruit for the protest, so clearly a biased one.
That said, dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned is a huge part of the issue, especially since it’s not just “rightly imprisoned” or “wrongly imprisoned” – the entire system is full of biases from the start. If a black person and a white person arrested for the same violent crime, the white person is statistically much more likely to get off in the first place. You can’t separate “being jailed [sic] to begin with” from “dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned”. The system IS imperfect, and to assume otherwise is just… false.
Anonymous #1, are you suggesting that once someone commits a violent crime, they forfeit all claims to a normal life in society? I’m not defending those who commit violent crimes – clearly I think the action is terrible, and it causes me grief – but if someone is up for parole, and is found deserving of parole, they surely should get a chance to turn their life back around. What is the purpose of prison, to you? Is it just punishment, and keeping “bad” people completely removed from “good” society? Because I see it as a step toward getting people back into good society, rehabilitating them so ideally we could live together. No, I don’t want this person to commit another violent crime, but I also think [in most cases] they probably deserve a second chance. They don’t need to be imprisoned forever, and it makes me sad if you think they do.
I would have to read more on the matter to voice an educated opinion, but it does seem to me that its unfair to say that 20,000 are going to suffer for the actions of 2, the actions of those 20,000 are the reason that they were jailed to begin with. (Lets assume for a moment to keep the debate easier that we’re not dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned, which while related is really a separate issue.)
I would have to read more on the matter to voice an educated opinion, but it does seem to me that its unfair to say that 20,000 are going to suffer for the actions of 2, the actions of those 20,000 are the reason that they were jailed to begin with. (Lets assume for a moment to keep the debate easier that we’re not dealing with cases of those wrongly imprisoned, which while related is really a separate issue.)
Yes! Let’s go and make sure violent offenders and other criminals are back on the street “supporting their families” as soon as possible. If not sooner. And let’s put them up in High Rise, West Co and Clark, too, just to show how high minded and liberal we truly are!
Yes! Let’s go and make sure violent offenders and other criminals are back on the street “supporting their families” as soon as possible. If not sooner. And let’s put them up in High Rise, West Co and Clark, too, just to show how high minded and liberal we truly are!