re: So I just went to prison...

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Many CAN'T read/write well enough to fill out job applications, resume's, cover letters, and many DON'T speak or act in a manner/way during an interview or introduction that will help them get the kind of income they want from a job. They aren't going to earn a living working at Walmart or McD's. They want a $50K+ yr job but they can't even seriously apply for one. So this leads them to recidivism.

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This is the aspect I plan on volunteering with in the future. I agree that higher salaries are unrealistic, but think a concrete purpose and work skills as well as interview skills can be beneficial. It really also comes down to individual accountability and responsibility, but I think there are people who could get on track if they worked on the tools needed for successful job applications and interviews.

The deputy warden is new to the area, but I thought he was spot on when he spoke. Concrete goals and skills are essential, especially to break the cycle early.

I guess what threw me was the whole topic about sex offenders. It is difficult to really discuss on so many levels. I won't lie, the whole topic gave me pause today.

I am just thinking through it by writing some about it and reading responses.

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CockInYourEar

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Great post.

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Part of that algorithm is how many public school 3rd graders in FL FAILED the 3rd grade achievement test.

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Its amazing how many elementary teachers can accurately predict which students will end up in jail.

Also, I have been a building principal of older students. Another correlation I found was if the kids parent always blamed the school for any trouble the kid gets in. I have told more than one parent they were setting their child up for failure by placing blame on a teacher.

ETA: And it does not matter that the school punishment remains in effect. What is important is who the child hears blamed at home. If the kid is not forced to own his behavior at home he can easily begin to feel he did nothing wrong and is the victim.

As many have already stated, personal accountability is a major component of this. Until someone genuinely acknowledges they are responsible for their choices, no matter how bad the deck has been stacked against them, they will continue to make very bad choices. May not be "fair", but life does not care about fair.



And Higgs, good luck. I currently work in alternative education. Very frustrating and sometimes very rewarding. If you are not 100% sold on working with any subset, stay away from it. You will not help them and most likely burn yourself out. Someone else has the calling for that subset. Work with the ones you 100% believe can be rehabilitated.

I am 100% for CJ reform in every way. However, I'm also for spending that space and money keeping certain criminals locked up. Many sex offenders and violent criminals among them.

I hear you.

I worked for more than 15 years teaching at a school referred to as a pipeline to prison. I was grateful for homeroom. That was a time when we could do things like work with the kids on things that they needed like how to wear a tie, and some basic interview skills.

My biggest issue with where I taught was that we did not adequately fund programs in career tech that could lead to good jobs out of school. We had a full auto garage that was abandoned, as well as a full welding shop that was vacant.

Honestly, by the time I taught the kids, you could improve writing and reading skills a good bit, but the gap in early development was going to be difficult to overcome for about 30% of the students. And yet, the system wanted everything geared to potential college.

Back to the prison issue though, I think it is two fold about job skills. First many could get decent jobs learning skills like masonry, but then they would also need to learn how to spotlight those skills in interviews and applications.

I believe individual accountability is key, but we need to find better ways to help those who want to correct their lives. The support structure seems pretty overwhelmed here, and honestly, it looks like many people are returning to the same toxic environments that encouraged them getting incarcerated in the first place.

And the more I listen the worse some of it sounds. One of the Church volunteer groups says they are getting overwhelmed, especially with people suffering from mental illness who are often in and out of the county jail. Several of the surrounding counties are very poor, and the Church said these counties are buying bus tickets for these mentally ill people, sending them to this county, because of the resources known within the Church organization. While I am sure some of the motive of this is getting people help, it is resulting in increased jail time and further strains the support system.

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I had academic offers to mit and cal tech... signed as sec athlete... still have been to jail, repeatedly.

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Some of the biggest dumb asses I know are intelligent.

and

That is bullshite. There needs to be some common sense law reform. Labeling people charged in these types of incidents among actual crimes committed by real pedophiles, ought to be a crime in and of itself. That is a tragedy.

He is now a registered sex offender, so yeah he was convicted.

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The whole "feeding the system" bullshite is about the most inane, pointless discussion you can have about anything. Everything feeds the "system," being our culture.

Is our culture going to change? No. So you might as well try to make a difference on the micro-level rather than bitch about cultural hegemony and call for cultural, Marxist-esque revolutions and whatnot.

Complaining about our system is just an excuse to not try.

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To think that the perversion in everything from disney channel tv shows to young pop stars, commercials, or whatever else is inconsequential is absurd.

You sound like a real critical thinker.