Once the cell door slams shut, a life is severed. For the individual, a prison sentence imposes a "social death" in the form of isolation from family, social networks, and the economy. Less visible is the collective punishment that prison metes out against the families on the outside, broken up by the state and shattered by economic crisis.
more...Hard Times after Hard Time for the the Formerly Incarcerated
Great article, Jules.
ReplyDelete"And then there is the long-term project of weaning America off of its prison addiction in general, by moving toward alternative sentencing programs for low-level and nonviolent offenders, and issuing penalties that are actually commensurate with real public safety concerns. There are some signs that states are already leaning in this direction, in part due to fiscal pressures."
I say let's go COLD-TURKEY to end America's prison addiction-forget all this never-ending long-term nonsense...
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