A few weeks ago I was in traffic and behind an Illinois Department of Corrections vehicle. And yes, there was someone looking out the van’s back window through the bars.
I had a strange duet of feelings: sadness coupled with a tinge of fear – wondering who this person was, why they were there, and what did they do, or at least what were they accused of doing.
Not too long after that I saw an op ed in the New York Times by Robert Rubin, who describes his talk to prisoners in San Quentin and his ideas on how to improve their chances of survival -- and maybe even success -- when they get out. He argues that the more than 600,000 prisoners released each year are not getting the support they need, and that is a failure not only for them personally, but also for our economy and society.
I’ve been watching “Orange is the New Black,” and this latest season delves even deeper into the corporatization of our prisons. Prison Warden Caputo has been promoted to Director of Human Activity by the company that owns the overcrowded site. He proposes an educational program for the inmates, but upper management completely redirects it into basically a chain gang.
That’s the for-profit business model, and when applied to the prison system, I seriously doubt that the future of those incarcerated makes it into the corporate goals.
How do you re-enter society with any hope of not winding back behind bars if you don’t have a place to live, any job prospects, or guidance and help in making a go of it?
I’m Paula Garrett, and that’s my perspective.
