Whether we like it or not, our prison system is failing us, and is in dire need of reform. All kinds of cases of abuse of power in the prison system have been reported, yet somehow this all too important topic remains elusive. I honestly believe it is the fact that most people do not even consider prisoners to be real human beings; it is almost as if, when a person make the wrong choice in this nation, they are forever stripped of their humanity, cast out and forced to go it alone. I don't really think that there is all that much separating us from "the bad people". That doesn't mean that you should invite Tony from the block to hang out with you at your next baby shower. I shouldn't have to make that clarification; it does, after all, seem a bit silly to assume that anyone would argue for such a thing. Yet, according to twitter experts, and far right pundits, the left is now calling for old women to invite dangerous criminals into their homes to murder them because, you know, after I'm finished writing podcast descriptions, I totally fantasize about harming old ladies. The right has so twisted the minds of their followers and opponents when it comes to the topic of prison reform that whenever anyone discusses it now they are immediately called a monster for even suggesting such a thing as lightening up a bit. I swear it almost seems as if the staunch position that these people hold to enforcing their cruelty on others comes from a place of deep hatred. It is quite hypocritical for a nation that supposedly prides itself on forgiveness. What sort of forgiveness turns a man into a slave, crippling his ability to thrive in the world? Should we really be designating an archaic form of punishment as a type of forgiveness? Is this yet another manifestations of humankind's tendency to self destruct? How can we forgive, and punish simultaneously? Is it even possible? I believe so. I think that we can get away from a punishment based prison system, and move toward an incentive based prison system. Instead of paying prisoners a bullshit wage (as low as $.30 an hour) that they can't even use to afford basic supplies like tampons and toiletries, how about we pay the state minimum wage so they can afford their basic needs, and use the rest of the money to provide those who can handle it with training in a skill they can then use to get a job. Let's go one step further, and even set them up with a job before they leave the prison, after they have been sufficiently trained in that job, as opposed to throwing them into a difficult system that most in prison have trouble assimilating to. Sometimes people just need a little extra help, but that help does not have to come in the form of a boot on the neck, or a club on the head. Let's take a humane approach to humans. Yes, even bad people deserve human rights. We cannot become the torturers if we want justice. The point is never to make the enemy suffer, but to force him to analyze his own folly. Prison is indeed a form of torture. It doesn't have to be a beating that breaks a person when they are inside; it could simply be the yearning for a better life that does one in. When they throw you in that cage your humanity is forever torn asunder. There is a bit of you that is somehow lost forever. This does not mean that we should fear those who are different from us; it means that we should try to understand them. We don't have to go on any witch hunts to feel safe; all we have to do is remain vigilant. Making the prison system a reliable place to turn, as opposed to a nightmarish hell house to fear would benefit law enforcement tremendously, returning police to their original position in the community as protectors of the general welfare. Politics may be a continual struggle, but basic rehabilitation deosn't have to be. Let's not shy away from problems we can fix Let's reform our prison system and refund our communities. Image credit goes to M. Shiva. Music credit goes to bensound.com