Life in Prison for Crimes Committed When They Were Kids

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In my experience, prison is a violent and demoralizing environment. If I estimated how often I witnessed overt acts of violence, it would number in the hundreds. If I included threats and other types of aggression and domination short of physical attack, the number would go into the thousands. In every prison, in every state, violence, fear, and hopelessness are constant factors. Often the victims of attack are “natural targets” for those who perpetrate violence.

Modern Child Slavery Alive and Well in the World and Nation

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As the nation gears up for this year’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis, law enforcement officials there are getting ready for the influx of children and their captors who make up a large part of the sex trade industry. This business always gets a boost from the “anything goes” atmosphere of the Super Bowl. Last year authorities made nearly 60 prostitution arrests during the time around the game, 11 of which were believed to have involved human trafficking. This uptick in activity is only a symptom of a huge problem, both here in the United States and around the globe. Worldwide, the U.S. State Department estimates that 800,000 people, roughly equal to the population of San Francisco, are trafficked across international borders, about 17,500 of which are brought into the United States. Total revenues of the trade worldwide are estimated by UNICEF to be around $12 billion dollars.

Kids Skipping School and the Wrong Way to Fix It

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The first time I skipped school I was 13 years old. Up until then I had achieved perfect attendance for eight years. But in ninth grade I put an ignominious end to my record. That year, I had a friend, Jack, who lived down the street. His parents both went to work early, and he was left to his own devices to get to school.

Reflections on the New Year In and Out of Prison

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I was released from prison on December 29th, 2009. The New Year took on significance for me that it hadn’t had in a long time. Behind bars one year was pretty much like the next. Usually I would sleep through the midnight showing of the celebration in Times Square, and wake up the next day to the same world. In 2009, I spent New Year’s Eve at a church in Valdosta, staying there all night long singing and praying and watching skits and children’s plays.

The High Cost of Ineffective Juvenile Justice Policy

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Anyone who has been involved with governmental agencies can probably attest to their generally poor quality of service and high level of ineptitude. Bureaucracies by their nature are designed to remove decision making power from those best able to make the decisions. They attempt to automize decision making, and the results are often predictably absurd. Juvenile justice systems are usually no exception. A recent study of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) found it to be ineffective and costly according to a December 13th story in the Chicago Tribune.

The People Who Bring Joy to Those Behind Bars at Christmastime

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Christmas was usually a good time for me, when I was in prison. One of the nicest things was getting packages from home. My mom, sister, or someone else would be able to send me a cake, candy, nuts and other goodies I couldn’t get during the rest of the year. Besides these packages we would also usually get a “Happy Sack” from the authorities. These would be grocery bags filled with various things that came from the inmate store and from donations.

When a State Fails to Protect a Child

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The Lexington Courier-Journal reported in late November that 18- year- old Garrett Dye was sentenced to 50 years for the murder of his adopted sister, Amy Dye, who was 9- years-old. Amy was removed from her mother in Washington state at the age of three.  For two years she was shuffled between foster homes and relatives. Finally, at the age of five, her great aunt petitioned to adopt her, a seemingly happy ending to her ordeal. She came to Kentucky first as a foster child, into a home approved by state authorities, and then as an adopted daughter. The aunt received $550.60 a month to support the adoption.

When Home for Thanksgiving is Nothing More Than a Dream for a Boy and his Mom

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I know a woman in Tennessee whose son was just sent to a youth detention center. He has had some problems with petty crime and drugs, and was sent to a treatment program for kids awhile back. He did not adapt very well to the program, and now he has been sent to this YDC for an indefinite period. He is 17 and the state can hold him until he is 21 if authorities decide he is not ready to be released. She is trying to figure out how she can go see him for Thanksgiving.

In Parts of the South, a Shortage of Occupy Energy

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The Occupy movement has been in the news a lot the last few days. The latest developments include the evictions of protesters around the country, even in New York and Oakland where it was strongest. My own exposure to the protests came when my lady and I were in downtown Athens, Ga., a few days ago. We had a tasty Southern breakfast at the Mayflower, a nice little restaurant just off the campus of the University of Georgia. Afterwards, we took a stroll.

From Behind Bars, the Capacity to Change

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When I started doing time in 1985, I was not a model prisoner. I was young and not particularly respectful of authority. I had a buddy, Pat, who worked with me in the kitchen. Pat was not usually interested in doing anything against the rules, but we had other things in common and managed to develop a friendship. Both of us had life sentences and were looking to do a lot of time.