Yay! The 7-day lock down has ended. My sweet is free to roam the dorm. And shower. And get decent (by prison standards) food. :D I'm so happy I could cry! Oh wait...I did cry. LOL
So here's the scoop: Apparently there is a new law in the state of Georgia where if there is a gang-related fight (and that is a term used loosely), there will be a mandatory 7-day lock down of the entire dorm. And gang can be defined as real Crips versus Bloods type of violence or anything more than one-on-one fighting. Sigh. Is it just me or does it seem like they never solve the problem, they just make things worse for all? Contrary to popular belief, peer pressure does not work in a prison setting, so punishing everyone for the actions of one, or more than two as it were, does nothing but punish those who are unlucky enough to cohabit in the same dorm.
Even as I'm writing this, I can hear the collective sound of apathy. Unless you have been in a prison or have a loved one who is, the issue of humane treatment of prisoners is probably pretty low on your priority list. After re-posting a video on Facebook yesterday that I ultimately had to take down, it really hit home with me that there are so many people in this country who either just don't get it or just don't care. That pains me because not only is the love of my life in prison for something he didn't do, but he has also met other "good" guys in there who have helped him, and I feel for them, as well. Nobody should be treated the way they are.
So this brings up the debate: Government says that people are imprisoned to rehabilitate them, not punish them. Studies prove that their intentions are suffering miserably. And I agree that there are guilty prisoners who have committed heinous acts, and I want those people to stay in there. But even before Jason's unfortunate situation I have always disagreed with capital punishment because there are SO MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE IN PRISON. Unless someone confesses or there is irrefutable evidence (like video of them carrying out the crime), you cannot be certain. I would rather let a few guilty go free than to put to death even one innocent person. I'm sure a lot of people would disagree. I can't even entertain the thought of what would have happened if Jason had gotten the death penalty. No, we won't go there...
Though it may be unpopular to do so, I will continue to try to bring light to the plight of prisoners in the US. I understand that there are some prisons here that do treat inmates well. But I think the vast majority do not. Imagine for a moment that you were locked down for 7 days in the Georgia heat with no air flow, only one shower in that seven-day period, eating food that is so bad you would rather not eat at all, no cold clean water to drink, as you are punished for something you didn't do. You have nothing to do except to talk to your bunk mate, and you are in a tiny space. You can't communicate with or see your loved ones.
Jason said it was as bad as being in the hole. The hole is solitary confinement. I told him about that Facebook post, and that I had shown the video to let people know that prisoners do not have it as good as they think they do, as I see people posting all the time on Facebook how well they think prisoners are treated. For the first time ever in the smallest voice I have ever heard him use I heard, "They REALLY think that?" It broke my heart to hear the hurt and disbelief in his voice. And then I changed the topic.
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