From the coauthor of “Rehabilitation in Prison”
Sean D. French – On behalf of The NATIONAL LIFER’S ASSOCIATION
America is plagued with mass incarceration, inequality, & Jim Crow-esque laws that continue to drastically affect black & brown communities!
As noted in the previous letter (part 2), if we truly seek to reform our justice system alongside prison reform, then the etiology of crime is where we must first look to.
Studies have shown that 2/3 of black & brown offenders who victimize (be it through drug crimes or crimes more physical in nature), have also themselves been victimized through various forms of systemic racial abuses, the condition of their environments, (i.e., the culture of these environments), broken family units, addiction and mental illness. Because of this, it is absolutely imperative to look deeper into the causes of crime and criminal behavior rather than the effects.
Epistemology (the theory of knowledge), it is here that advancements are made. The knowledge that one possesses about a thing, is what equips them to perform wisely.
Wisdom brings about understanding and understanding leads to sound and just decisions! The psalmist states, “get thee wisdom and knowledge, but above all, get thee understanding.” This is the type of wisdom that will usher in just & righteous acts!
America, Michigan included, has for many decades, refused to look at the damages that its biased racial system has caused black & brown people.
How its draconian policies have given birth to counterproductive ambitions, most of which are out of the necessity to survive both subjugation, oppression, & the psychological and physical abuses that these dilapidated environments create!
To fully comprehend this, the justice system and the MDOC must establish constructive and empathic systems that are better equipped to rehabilitate rather than retaliate against.
The MDOC must look to restorative justice!
Facilities/prisons geared towards this philosophy, would be more efficient in meeting the psychological & social needs of those who have been systematically ostracized and deemed “expendable!” Institutions that convert to a more “prison reform/restorative justice,” would stand upon “moral” principles and not just their bottom lines!
Join the NLA Rally in Lansing at the Capitol in October! For more info, call 1-810-309-5260:
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