Second of three parts
First part is available at thevoice.us/beginning-the-long-journey-significant-change-in-prisons
Mary Rinaldi and Ashish Prashar posted the following article in Fast Company, a business magazine in print and online.
“Imagine a world without prisons. It may sound radical, but for millions of black and brown Americans, this fantasy is urgent and necessary. Part one called for a redesign for rehabilitation.
“No further sentence, written or unwritten, should be imposed on top of the loss of liberty. It includes lack of medical treatment, lack of privacy, lack of food and water, solitary confinement, or any other abuse. In practice, this means providing as many critical non-security services to incarcerated people using local and municipal, non-correctional, service providers.
“Prisons should not have their own staff members for medical, education, employment, clerical, or library services; these instead should be imported from the local community and overseen by local municipalities. Incarcerated people should have normal contact with community members and organizations while in prison. As a result, continuation of care and services after release would be relatively easy, while community perceptions of incarcerated people would improve and enable their reintegration into society. In this system, once a sentence is served the debt to society is paid: Previously incarcerated people are able to move freely and without prejudice.
“If this approach sounds impossible, let’s look to Norway, which has followed this path since 1968. Correctional facilities in Norway focus on restorative justice and rehabilitation, making sure the offender can become a functioning member of society again. Norway has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world, currently 20%, with approximately 3,933 offenders in prison, and one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
“In the U.S., the nine-year recidivism rate is a whopping 83%—meaning five in six prisoners are arrested at least once in the nine years following their release. Prisons here hold 25% of the global prison population, making the U.S. the most incarcerated country in the world.
How do we Reduce the Prison Population
in the U.S.?
“This points to a deep history of enslavement in America, institutionalized over centuries, from the American slavery system up until the Civil War to the development of Jim Crow laws—which flowed from the 13th Amendment itself, which freed the slaves but inserted a loophole, making slavery still legal as punishment for a crime. These kinds of laws and policies continue to proliferate today.
“This oppressive yet “legal” subjugation of black people and poor people spawned an entire system of institutions to perpetuate it—criminal courts and their employees, jails and prisons and their employees, and of course, police departments. This expansion necessitated building prisons, bidding for government contracts, requiring bail payments, appointing a lot of judges, and running marketing campaigns to ensure this system would continue.
“Because of this American history (and present) entrenchment in enslavement, dismantling the entire carceral system in one fell swoop poses many challenges.
“But, as Americans observe and experience the violence and oppression present in the system from policing to prosecution to prison, there is a readiness and desire to push for change. So how do we get on the road to a Norway-like rehabilitation program based on restoration? We need to commit to decarceration and begin implementing reform measures rooted in care, rather than harm and punishment.
“About 40% of the incarcerated population doesn’t present a public safety concern, according to a 2016 Brennan Center for Justice report. If we commit to a restorative justice system, instead of a punitive one, there is a huge opportunity for fundamental change and community-based alternatives to incarceration and detention.
“Let’s begin with three policies already in play in parts of the U.S., which, if more fully embraced, could fundamentally redefine the criminal justice system: Restorative justice, misdemeanor reform, and legislation that would eliminate punishment for parole violations.
Restorative justice, not punitive justice
“Restorative justice focuses on the relationship between the offender and the victim and tries to serve the needs of survivors in ways that the traditional court system does not do.”
Continued at thevoice.us/a-world-without-prisons-radical-or-possibly-real