Untitled

By Jay Goodman

Prison life can be hectic without a doubt. The stress of being here year after year does tax a man mentally, some physically. Before anyone says what did you expect prison to be? Well not a place where people would leave worse than they came in. Of course, that has to do with both the prison system and the prisoners. I am not a man who believes there shouldn’t be prisons. I of all people realize there is a need for these places. Some people in here are animals, others just won’t change no matter what. They can see the light but for whatever reason they still decide to continue in their criminal thinking. What about the people who are not animals? What about the people who see the light? Of course, for the ones that do see the light, the biggest part of the rehabilitation begins with them.

Of course, there should be real programs in classes that inspire the prisoners. I believe if prisoners went to some type of class that they truly help them change their thinking, there would be a big drop in the recidivism rate. But I do understand that’s not going to happen, the last thing they want is for anyone to be rehabilitated. The sad thing is, because the state and federal government is run like this, most of the men and women incarcerated now will spend the majority of their lives in prison. And you want to know what’s crazy, our states and federal government know this, but do nothing to change it. Another sad thing, a lot of prisoners can see this also, but won’t change. I am sure that some people who work for the federal government would love to ask me, what do you want us to do?

Well, let’s take a look at the last year and a half. The United States of America has been in a pandemic. Hell, the whole world. But how many months did it take for our country to come up with a vaccine? Not just one vaccine, but three.

When our government saw that tens of thousands of America’s were dying, or in the hospital, they did everything in their power to put an into it. And these vaccines were created with record speed. Now if our own government can do this, don’t you think for one minute that they can come up with something to solve the prison pandemic that’s played out for decades? The money that’s being spent on these programs that are here are jokes. And they are a waste of the tax payer’s money. I have sat in these classes and watched the people running them pass out some papers and tell everyone to read over them and we’ll talk about it tomorrow. Then they’ll go play games on the computer. I have seen some prisoners try to ask questions but we’re told not to worry, just put down whatever you want. In the drug class I’m in now, the lady said don’t worry no one has ever failed this class. Some people told her the first day that they don’t use drugs, she said just go along with it, it’ll look good on your file. The class itself is really geared toward someone in high school. The prisoners that are in here are hard-core dope users. She’s talking about the effects of marijuana, when the guy sitting next to me has been shooting drugs for 40 years. One would think that after decades of these type of bullshit classes, someone who works for the government would say it’s not working.

I understand giving it a chance but let’s be for real, decades have gone by and nothing is changing. In fact, we are at an all-time high of incarcerated people in the US. We have more prisoners than any other country in the world. I have wondered if anyone in Washington has ever thought about that. Here, we are the greatest country in the world, and yet our prison system has more incarcerated people than anywhere else. The United States is only 245 years old and we have left the rest of the world in every aspect. But here we are with the worst prison population. Americans have created the light, car, plane, jet, rockets, put the first man on the moon. But they just let the prison system keep growing and becoming worse by the year. Every now and then someone will bring up the growing need for change, or you will hear it brought up during an election. But once in office the last thing on their mind is prison reform. Because of that the prison system continues to grow like a cancer. I forgot how many millions are incarcerated now in America, but if they think it’s bad now can you only imagine what it’s going to be like in another 10 or 20 years? I have been hearing for years how the federal government is going to change the drug laws. And why I believe that’s a great thing, I would like to point out what’s going to happen. Because there’s not no service programs or classes to help people change in here. The men that’s been sitting in here for years or decades are no different than the day they arrive. Those are still sitting in here using drugs every day, while the others have been sitting around plotting or planning with others how they are going to still sell drugs once they leave. So, tens of thousands are going to leave prison all at once. What do you believe is going to happen? For one the crime rate is going to explode across the United States. Why? Because of the thousands who have been sitting in prison using drugs for years or decades. Do you believe that when they change the drug laws and let these men and women out they’re going to see the light and go straight? These people are at ex, and they are going to do what addicts do. Which is get high, and do whatever it takes to get money to stay high. Now the other half is going to leave prison and start hooking up with everyone they met in here who will help them start their next run. Heroin, fentanyl, meth, Coke, and any other drug they can get their hands on will be popping up at every location they have been released to. This is an absolute fact. If they never stopped in here, they damn sure will not stop out there. And of course, all Juan Hass to do is look at the history of what has been happening over the last 40 or 50 years to the prisoners that’s left prison. Now, if a guy sitting in prison like myself can see what’s been happening, don’t you believe the federal government sees what’s happening?

I would say 75% of all people released from prison over the last 40 to 50 years have been arrested again, and been sent back to prison. But if someone would look at the last 10 years, I’m sure those numbers would jump to 90%. And a lot of the problem Hass to do with what’s been allowed to happen inside the prisons across the United States. So many prisons have been built over the last 30 to 40 years because of the war on drugs, that the states and federal government has had to hire thousands of men and women who are not even qualified to work at a prison. Because of this, they have been easily manipulated by prisoners to bring in drugs. And in some cases, even guns.

This is why I blame the states and the federal government. They understand what’s going on in here, they see the numbers, they know how many inmates are coming back. But they all have sat on their asses all these years and done absolutely nothing. And because of that they’ve created a bigger problem than already existed.
Yes, before someone says something, the prisoners are also to blame. Without a doubt the prisoners as a whole have made it easy for all this to happen. As frustrated as I am at the way these prisons are run, a lot of the fall does fall on the inmates. They come in here and fall right into the ignorance of prison life. Not even stopping for one minute to consider the outcome of their actions. Prison conversations are usually not like a conversation to two people have in the free world. When I sit down in the day room or the chow hall and listen to inmates talk, it’s amazing to hear how they’ve adapted to present thinking. All of their conversations are based around prison life. Very rarely do I hear two people talking about anything that will help them as far as becoming a better person.
I have often wished that I could record everyone for a week or two and allow them to listen to themselves. But truthfully, I seriously doubt any wood would change anything. This place has become such a big part of who they are and how they think. For me after almost 17 years of incarceration the very last thing on my mind is prison politics or spending my time in trash ass conversations that have absolutely no benefit to me.

This may sound like I’m being hateful, but until you take a stand of what’s best for you, all you can hope for is a life behind bars.