Prison: A Waste of Human Life

[syrenn]

I write to prisoners and I am friends with a few. What I'm struck by is that the sentences don't always match the crime and that the innocent also wind up in prison.

I would like to discuss the transformation that sometimes occurs to remarkable prisoners as a result of their incarceration.

Some truly self-heal, and IMO, it is a waste of resources to keep them locked or to execute them.

Jarvis Masters is the author of Finding Freedom. He is one such remarkable man, living on Death Row in San Quentin Prison.

Prison work has been part of my spiritual path for ten years.

Your thoughts?

Some people can truly change behind bars, however that doesn't lessen the severity of their crimes. People look deep in themselves in tough situations, hell I know people that have changed by going on deployments in the Military.

Jarvis Masters is a transformed man.

Tough. He is being punished for the man he WAS and what he already DID.

Karma

 

[syrenn]

Both men I currently write to were in gangs as kids and that's how they got in trouble. Both are changed men. IMO, it is a waste of tax payer dollars to keep them in prison. They could be working, benefiting society and paying taxes.

Jarvis is an exceptional man.

It is a waste of taxpayer money to keep them alive.

 

[syrenn]

Both men I currently write to were in gangs as kids and that's how they got in trouble. Both are changed men. IMO, it is a waste of tax payer dollars to keep them in prison. They could be working, benefiting society and paying taxes.

i couldn't agree more; they'd be of much more utility dead.

It happens to cost more money to execute a prisoner than to house them for life. Go figure.

The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases. This process is needed in order to ensure that innocent men and woman are not executed for crimes they did not commit, and even with these protections the risk of executing an innocent person can not be completely eliminated.

If the death penalty was replaced with a sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Parole*, which costs millions less and also ensures that the public is protected while eliminating the risk of an irreversible mistake, the money saved could be spent on programs that actually improve the communities in which we live.
Death Penalty : The High Cost of the Death Penalty

It only costs more if the sentence drags on and on and on. Give them a year to appeal... if not acquitted in that time period.... kill them.

 

[syrenn]

Same case with alot of the Blacks who convert to Islam behind bars, when they are released some stay commited to their new Islamic life style, but others will go back to drinking, smoking weed, fucking women and going back to the same behaviors that got them locked up.

Religions is a pass time...something to do while locked up. It meas nothing... except to help them look good for parole. Its all bullshit.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Jarvis Masters is an extraordinary human being. Whether he is ever released from prison or not, he benefits others.

Executing him is wrong.

There have been 13 executions in California since they became legal in 1976. I wouldn't worry about him being executed anytime soon, especially with the courts approving his appeals.

 

[syrenn]

Same case with alot of the Blacks who convert to Islam behind bars, when they are released some stay commited to their new Islamic life style, but others will go back to drinking, smoking weed, fucking women and going back to the same behaviors that got them locked up.

That is often true. That doesn't mean that it is impossible for a man or woman to change radically while they are incarcerated.

No one is saying that at all. What they become does not mitigate what they were or what they have done. They are where they are for what they have already done in life.

No one cares if they change. I sure as hell don't.

I care that the sentence that was handed out.... gets carried out.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Jarvis Masters is an extraordinary human being. Whether he is ever released from prison or not, he benefits others.

Executing him is wrong.

he conspired to commit murder.

like any rabid animal, he should be put down.

At the time, he was mean enough to do it, willing to do it, but he didn't do it. Further, the two men who actually did the stabbing of the prison guard got LWOP, and Jarvis got life.

He isn't a "rabid animal". He is a completely peaceful and transformed individual whose life is valuable to many others, whether he is ever released or not.

You don't know much about this man, I do.

The other two probably plead guilty, he should have also. The criminal justice system deals with crimes, not rehabilitation. It is actually pretty easy to be peaceful inside prison, outside is a different matter.

 

[High_Gravity]

Same case with alot of the Blacks who convert to Islam behind bars, when they are released some stay commited to their new Islamic life style, but others will go back to drinking, smoking weed, fucking women and going back to the same behaviors that got them locked up.

Religions is a pass time...something to do while locked up. It meas nothing... except to help them look good for parole. Its all bullshit.

Religion is very appealing when you are restricted from the shit you do on the streets like alcohol, women, sex etc, when an inmate is released the real test begins, anyone can be a Monk when you are locked up.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

At the time, he was mean enough to do it, willing to do it, but he didn't do it. Further, the two men who actually did the stabbing of the prison guard got LWOP, and Jarvis got life.

He isn't a "rabid animal". He is a completely peaceful and transformed individual whose life is valuable to many others, whether he is ever released or not.

tell it to the guards widow and kids

pffffft

You ask the widow and kids if it benefits them to execute a man who didn't kill Burchfield.

If they say yes will that shut you up? If not, don't challenge me, or others, to ask.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Jarvis Masters is an extraordinary human being. Whether he is ever released from prison or not, he benefits others.

Executing him is wrong.

There are so many other jailed murdering ******* you can be friends with.

Wow. "Jailed murdering *******". You just outed yourself, racist.

I'm friends with another man who is serving a long sentence. He's Vietnamese. Have you got a slur for him too?

As someone who has been called a "****** lover" all my life, your words are meaningless.

Actually, he outed himself a long time ago. I just ignore anything he says.

 

[FuelRod]

Same case with alot of the Blacks who convert to Islam behind bars, when they are released some stay commited to their new Islamic life style, but others will go back to drinking, smoking weed, fucking women and going back to the same behaviors that got them locked up.

Religions is a pass time...something to do while locked up. It meas nothing... except to help them look good for parole. Its all bullshit.

Religion is very appealing when you are restricted from the shit you do on the streets like alcohol, women, sex etc, when an inmate is released the real test begins, anyone can be a Monk when you are locked up.

Not these two guys.

 

[syrenn]

Same case with alot of the Blacks who convert to Islam behind bars, when they are released some stay commited to their new Islamic life style, but others will go back to drinking, smoking weed, fucking women and going back to the same behaviors that got them locked up.

Religions is a pass time...something to do while locked up. It meas nothing... except to help them look good for parole. Its all bullshit.

Religion is very appealing when you are restricted from the shit you do on the streets like alcohol, women, sex etc, when an inmate is released the real test begins, anyone can be a Monk when you are locked up.

Thing is... it makes no difference to me if they have coming to jesus moments or not. It makes no difference to me if they really believe or not. It makes no difference to me if they keep it up after they are let out. I would be happy if prisoners were all in a pelican bay like facility.... a concrete box. No contact with anyone or anything but themselves.



If a sentence is handed down... then i care about is that the sentence is carried out....

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Both men I currently write to were in gangs as kids and that's how they got in trouble. Both are changed men. IMO, it is a waste of tax payer dollars to keep them in prison. They could be working, benefiting society and paying taxes.

Jarvis is an exceptional man.

So everyone who is locked up who undergoes a "change" should be released?

I'm not saying that. I think they should be evaluated thoroughly. Anyone who knows Jarvis feels the same way about him that I do.

He is well respected by all who know him.

Can we bet on that? I am willing to bet that if we interview everyone who knows him we can find at least one person who neither likes nor respects him.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Here is one of Jarvis' stories. I'm a writer, I can't help it if I appreciate his work.

Drunken Boat | Jarvis Jay Masters

Better than the average drivel I read on the internet. My guess is that if he were not in prison he would be an unpublished writer, he is not very good.

 

[High_Gravity]

Religions is a pass time...something to do while locked up. It meas nothing... except to help them look good for parole. Its all bullshit.

Religion is very appealing when you are restricted from the shit you do on the streets like alcohol, women, sex etc, when an inmate is released the real test begins, anyone can be a Monk when you are locked up.

Thing is... it makes no difference to me if they have coming to jesus moments or not. It makes no difference to me if they really believe or not. It makes no difference to me if they keep it up after they are let out. I would be happy if prisoners were all in a pelican bay like facility.... a concrete box. No contact with anyone or anything but themselves.



If a sentence is handed down... then i care about is that the sentence is carried out....

I agree, it doesn't matter if they turn into Gandhi when they are locked up, they commited a crime which is why they are in there to begin with, he should have tried to enlighten himself before he was incarcerated.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Religion is very appealing when you are restricted from the shit you do on the streets like alcohol, women, sex etc, when an inmate is released the real test begins, anyone can be a Monk when you are locked up.

Thing is... it makes no difference to me if they have coming to jesus moments or not. It makes no difference to me if they really believe or not. It makes no difference to me if they keep it up after they are let out. I would be happy if prisoners were all in a pelican bay like facility.... a concrete box. No contact with anyone or anything but themselves.



If a sentence is handed down... then i care about is that the sentence is carried out....

I agree, it doesn't matter if they turn into Gandhi when they are locked up, they commited a crime which is why they are in there to begin with, he should have tried to enlighten himself before he was incarcerated.

I'm talking about capital punishment. Jarvis Masters can benefit others while he serves his time in prison.

It would be wrong to execute him. He did not committ murder.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Here is one of Jarvis' stories. I'm a writer, I can't help it if I appreciate his work.

Drunken Boat | Jarvis Jay Masters

Better than the average drivel I read on the internet. My guess is that if he were not in prison he would be an unpublished writer, he is not very good.

He's an excellent writer. He's now published two books.

 

[Sky Dancer]

So everyone who is locked up who undergoes a "change" should be released?

I'm not saying that. I think they should be evaluated thoroughly. Anyone who knows Jarvis feels the same way about him that I do.

He is well respected by all who know him.

Can we bet on that? I am willing to bet that if we interview everyone who knows him we can find at least one person who neither likes nor respects him.

I bet if we interviewed everyone who knows you we might find someone who neither likes nor respects you.

That doesn't mean you should forfeit your life.

 

[Sky Dancer]

tell it to the guards widow and kids

pffffft

You ask the widow and kids if it benefits them to execute a man who didn't kill Burchfield.

If they say yes will that shut you up? If not, don't challenge me, or others, to ask.

No, I will never shut up about opposing capital punishment.

 

[Tank]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK4Xd57Br0A]Women Who Love Men In Prison P 1 - YouTube[/ame]