Prison Reform: Avoid using Excessive Force and Establish Resources for Ex-offenders
There are many problems with the United States criminal justice system. People of color are arrested more frequently than any other race. The majority of people of color that are arrested are poor. The poor people can not afford a paid attorney and end up with free legal aid attorneys. Legal aid attorneys usually advises arrestees to plead guilty. Arrestees are advised to plead guilty so the attorney can close the case. The legal aid attorney has numerous amounts of cases and rather people plead guilty to get the case closed. Once arrested the inmates are subject to inhuman surroundings in prison. Inmates are locked away in cages or treated worse than animals. …show more content…
Browder was abused mentally and physically in prison because of unfair treatment from the criminal justice system. According to Gonnermann (2014), excessive force and isolation caused Kalief Browder to have mental illness (p. 7). There are videos of correction officers using excessive force on Kalief Browder. Browder was placed in solitary confinement for over 600 days which caused him to have mental issues and eventually he committed suicide. According to Gonnermann (2014), One day last November, six months after his release, Browder retreated to his bedroom with a steak knife, intending to slit his wrists. A friend happened to stop by, saw the knife, and grabbed it. When he left the house to find Browder’s mother, Browder tried to hang himself from a bannister (p.11-12). Browder committed suicide because his mind was still institutionalized. All of his friends graduated from high school while he was in prison. He could not adapt to being in society after 3 years of incarceration. He felt like the world changed without him. Browder felt left out and depressed after being released from prison. He spent most of his time pacing in his …show more content…
Parole officers should encourage parolee’s to remain positive and continue to look for jobs to support themselves. According to Vera Institute of Justice (2013), community correction officers can build better relationships with parolees to help reduce recidivism. Studies have shown ex-offenders that have good relationships with parole officers and family members are less likely to return to a life of crime. Most parole officers are overworked and have to supervise numerous amounts of parolees. Prisons are overcrowded because of recidivism. Overcrowding has caused more ex-offenders to be released on parole or probation. Parole officers do not have good relationships with parolees because there are too many for them to handle. According to Vera Institute of Justice (2013), In the 1970’s parole officers supervised an average caseload of 45 parolees. By 2003, parole officers were responsible for approximately 70 parolees, and probation officers for 130 probationers (p. 11). The parole officers rather try to find the parolee in violation of parole and send them back prison. Violations vary from associating with other known felons, drinking alcohol, and illegal drug use. By sending the parolee back to prison the parole officer will have a lighter caseload. Parolees need motivation to change their criminal
There are many problems with the United States criminal justice system. People of color are arrested more frequently than any other race. The majority of people of color that are arrested are poor. The poor people can not afford a paid attorney and end up with free legal aid attorneys. Legal aid attorneys usually advises arrestees to plead guilty. Arrestees are advised to plead guilty so the attorney can close the case. The legal aid attorney has numerous amounts of cases and rather people plead guilty to get the case closed. Once arrested the inmates are subject to inhuman surroundings in prison. Inmates are locked away in cages or treated worse than animals. …show more content…
Browder was abused mentally and physically in prison because of unfair treatment from the criminal justice system. According to Gonnermann (2014), excessive force and isolation caused Kalief Browder to have mental illness (p. 7). There are videos of correction officers using excessive force on Kalief Browder. Browder was placed in solitary confinement for over 600 days which caused him to have mental issues and eventually he committed suicide. According to Gonnermann (2014), One day last November, six months after his release, Browder retreated to his bedroom with a steak knife, intending to slit his wrists. A friend happened to stop by, saw the knife, and grabbed it. When he left the house to find Browder’s mother, Browder tried to hang himself from a bannister (p.11-12). Browder committed suicide because his mind was still institutionalized. All of his friends graduated from high school while he was in prison. He could not adapt to being in society after 3 years of incarceration. He felt like the world changed without him. Browder felt left out and depressed after being released from prison. He spent most of his time pacing in his …show more content…
Parole officers should encourage parolee’s to remain positive and continue to look for jobs to support themselves. According to Vera Institute of Justice (2013), community correction officers can build better relationships with parolees to help reduce recidivism. Studies have shown ex-offenders that have good relationships with parole officers and family members are less likely to return to a life of crime. Most parole officers are overworked and have to supervise numerous amounts of parolees. Prisons are overcrowded because of recidivism. Overcrowding has caused more ex-offenders to be released on parole or probation. Parole officers do not have good relationships with parolees because there are too many for them to handle. According to Vera Institute of Justice (2013), In the 1970’s parole officers supervised an average caseload of 45 parolees. By 2003, parole officers were responsible for approximately 70 parolees, and probation officers for 130 probationers (p. 11). The parole officers rather try to find the parolee in violation of parole and send them back prison. Violations vary from associating with other known felons, drinking alcohol, and illegal drug use. By sending the parolee back to prison the parole officer will have a lighter caseload. Parolees need motivation to change their criminal