Absence of Light: We must redefine justice as prison rehabilitation fails
Our writer argues our rehabilitation system is overbooked and outdated. He suggests community-based programs that provide local correctional settings may be the solution. Hannah Mesa | Illustration Editor
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There is an ongoing issue in addressing the violence crisis in our nation. Our prison rehabilitation is failing us, and recidivism rates confirm this. The cry within us urges that we do something about it. Though not all may be religious, there is a belief in the higher power working for the good of us all.
If not, why would our justice system be designed as it is?
Alternative Sentences to Violent Crimes believes that true and exact justice is served under the banner in every courtroom that every judge presides under: “In God We Trust,” along with the Holy Bible, upon which witnesses swear to ultimate truth and elected officials take their solemn oath to uphold and protect the highest office.
So, the understanding is we entrust our justice to God. Justice that God gives us is founded upon teachings that guide us to love thy neighbor as thy self, do unto others as you want done to yourself, pray for those who spitefully use you, bless those who curse you and do good unto those that hate you.
Ask yourselves what justice is. What does it mean to you? Is it merciless or merciful?
The United States, not too long ago, faced a drug crisis, which we addressed with drug courts and treatment programs. These alternatives delivered justice to both dealers and drug abusers, ending much of the war on drugs. Alternative sentencing proved to be an effective measure in rehabilitating offenders.
Drug court programs in the U.S. have demonstrated significant success in reducing recidivism, promoting rehabilitation and providing cost-effective alternatives to incarceration.
Yet when it comes to violent crimes, our only response has been long prison terms and even longer ones upon re-offense. There would be no complaints if our prison rehabilitation was successful at its attempt.
But recidivism proves it’s failing us. In leaving the violence crisis unaddressed, we forsake the truth that true justice is merciful, not merciless. Being merciful doesn’t rule out punishing offenses; it simply rules out unfair treatment. Our sentencing guidelines have made justice merciless. And justice just less. True justice is never without mercy.
Examining our prison system, we find that it’s a culture of violence itself. Our television shows depict this. The formerly incarcerated also describe it as being so.
Prison vocational services are inadequate, not meeting the requirements for inmate reentry to be successful. So, in attempting to rehabilitate our at-risk citizens, we have instead reinforced the culture of the prison population. Why, then, do we continue to think that sending offenders to prison is the best rehabilitation society has to offer?
Examining our prison system, we find that it’s a culture of violence itself.Shaheen Elmore, Writer
Examples after examples have come out among us, and yet we have wondered because God has never been silent about his children. Sometimes when it rains, it’s God crying; when it’s thundering, it’s God shouting and when it’s lightning, it’s heartbreaking. For he subjected the world in hope.
The solution has been before us far too long. Many legal documents have been filed, arguments have been heard and the war waged on. But, now is the time we be a country to our fellow Americans and do what is right: Alternative Sentences To Violent Crimes.
There are both community-based and prison-based alternatives for offenders. Community-based programs provide local correctional settings to house offenders while rehabilitating them. The training would simply be to work out their differences nonviolently with one another in a controlled setting long enough for it to become a first response behavior.
Prison-based alternatives involve less severe sentences for certain crimes and ASTVC programs within alternate correctional settings, separate from the general inmate population, that would allow them to successfully train in non-violence. This is the answer to solving our violent crisis.
We are Americans. The waters of liberty. The soil that produces heroes. The treasured land of the world. The chosen light. Let us rise.
Alternative Sentences To Violent Crimes (ASTVC) is an advocacy for prison and community-based sentencing for violence.
Shaheen Elmore, founder of ASTVC and formerly incarcerated, can now be reached at shaheenelmore44@gmail.com.
