This forum looks interesting so I signed up. I am married, 62, with three grown children. I work part time at a Texas prison. Thanks for letting me join.
Hi
miketx Welcome to USMB!
I respect the fact you work in Tx criminal justice. There are a lot of reforms needed.
People are lobbying on both sides of divisive issues, and by joining forces, we can achieve a lot more.
Texas often sets the stage for other states to follow.
Especially if we are going to fund health care reform, VA and immigration reforms,
the prison system is going to see some massive changes to reformat the state budgets and
programs for corrections, inside and out. A lot more mental health and medical reforms are needed.
Look forward to exploring old problems and new insights with you as our newest member.
Welcome and feel free to share your experiences here.
As I see it, a lot of govt is going to go through reformatting when the people running
the programs and paying for it have a more direct say in supporting what works cost effectively.
Any other corporate bureaucracy making money for private interests at taxpayers expense
is unsustainable and will have to go.
When we support a criminal corrections system that truly identifies, treats and cures the cause of ill behavior, that's what we should invest in, and replicate those programs along the border to clean up crime, not profit off it. All people I know on both sides, left and right, for inmates rights and for crime victims rights want real justice and security, not this system of running a revolving door warehouse.
Until we all come together in agreement on solutions, on what really works to deter prevent and correct criminal problems, the politicians can continue to play games, exploiting public fear to get votes and get elected. I'd like to unite the real advocates, experts and workers in the field of criminal justice to promote and expand correctional programs that are effective, and stop funding wasteful failed systems that sound good for political points but have nothing to do with real long term sustainable cost-effective solutions.
Would love to hear your input and background experience, if you post a related article or start a thread.
Thanks
miketx
Best Wishes for a Happy Prosperous New Year ahead!
Yours truly,
Emily in Houston
Thank you Emily for your warm welcome and thought provoking words. However, until you have worked in a prison, you don't have a clue. A lot of the offenders refuse any help. A lot of them are incorrigible and only want to get out of prison to resume their nefarious activities. While in prison, they align themselves with gangs who assault staff, assault other offenders, run a steady stream of drugs and other contraband into the prison, and cause multiple problems that we have to deal with. Some only want to do their time and go home and resume their life, which is a good thing.
One thing cons are extremely well versed at is telling believable lies.
So thanks for the kind words, but go work there 3 years and then we'll talk.
Hi
miketx Please do start a thread on this. Just post your experiences
and start from there.
I have an unfair advantage. I know special people personally who
have cured criminal illness through spiritual therapy, though some cases can take as many years of work.
I don't want to overload your Welcome intro thread,
so just post something, anything, on criminal justice in Texas,
PM me the link and I can post my references there that changed my mind on what is possible,
and how to tell the difference between when people are lying and when they are cureable or incureable.
Again, I have direct contact with sources that have proved to me the cause and cure of sickness.
If people don't see proof of this, they wouldn't believe it either.
It needs to be proven by medical science to cure criminal illness, addiction and abuse,
and we can revolutionize the mental health and criminal justice systems.
sorry to go on too long on your intro thread.
Please start others, as this is a big topic, that touches
on mental health and also immigration reforms.
If we can't cap and stop the growing abuse and crime, a lot of it drug related which is a huge issue unto itself,
we'll never be able to afford the prison system at this rate.
And yes, we do need longterm maximum security facilities for those who are just plain terminal.
Like cancer, and any other disease that can be prevented if stopped early,
there are always cases that can't be cured. Some can't be detected before they become deadly.
But most diseases do show signs in advance, and criminal and mental illness are diseases with stages
and symptoms.
To save our prison resources for the most dangerous ones who can't recover or be cured.
we need to catch and cure all the correctable cases of addiction and mental illness
(so these don't fill up the space and force mandatory release of dangerous predators)
Thank you
miketx!
Please start some threads, let me know by PM me the links,
and I'll be sure to post constructive comments where applicable.
Thank you for your service to the State of Texas and the public.
I hope the reforms pursued in the future make your
job EASIER and SAFER by separating and detaining the most dangerous from the
rest of the population. Look up the units that the Justice Fellowship
and Prison Fellowship took over. That is one way to manage the ones who can be rehabbed.
Some programs I really respect more are Alternatives to Violence Project and No More Victims, Inc.
But these don't get as much publicity and funding because they are secular nonprofits,
and more churches publicize and fund the Christian programs that tend to get all the credit.
Yours truly,
Emily
