Beyond Scared Straight

[Guitarhack]

I'm offended

You wouldn't want me in your neighborhood?

No sir.

I had one of my bigger knuckle headed inmates (stupid, loud, and a gang member) tell me he was going on vacation (he was paroling). He said "I'll probably be back in a few months. Maybe I'll stop by and see ya (he was joking)." I told him that be fine and that I'd fill him so full of holes his body would whistle on the way to the pavement (I was partially joking).

 

[Guitarhack]

John W. Whitehead: Jailing Americans for Profit: The Rise of the Prison Industrial Complex

Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year | Alternet


Penn Rages: 1 In 6 In Prison For Marijuana; Let The Marijuana People Go! | Prometheus Unbound

Not everyone in jail belongs in jail.

I'm not a fan of the privately run prisons for many reasons. There are real ethical issues raised when your profit is determined by the numbers you incarcerate and how long you keep them incarcerated. Additionally, the staff is not trained nor are they payed well. This leads to safety and security issues that can compromise the physical and moral integrity of the prison.

There are very likely a large number of inmates in on drug violations. But I'm telling you, very, very few are individuals that got caught with an oz of marijuana for personal recreational use. Most of the guys I deal with are gang related and were caught either dealing or carrying and were violated. There are tweakers inside but I wouldn't consider those in the same catagory as recreational marijuana users because their addiction usually leads to behavior that gets them in trouble.

Whether or not marijuana should be legal or illegal. That's for the public to decide. Do I think its any worse than alcohol. Hell no. We have inmates who make thier own alcohol inside (against the rules) and it causes all kinds of stupid behavior. We have inmates who get marijuana snuck into them - Don't usually see these guys kicking the crap out of each other.

Keep an eye on California. We're under going a huge reduction in our inmate population due to a court order. Over the past few months I've seen hundreds moved. Sadly I think this will end poorly for the citizens of California. Some of those being released were in for a low level offense however they have violent priors. Its only a matter of time before this takes a turn for the worse.

OP - Sorry for the hijacking and going off on a tangent.

 

[Groove Toad]

One of our school's former students was just on that show. Larry is the one. The little darling is now a celebrity at his new school.

San Bernardino, CA Full Episode - Beyond Scared Straight - A&E

 

[Publius pro tem]

Not everyone in jail belongs in jail.

Our oldest is 23.

He does.

All the talking in the world could not keep him out.

He should be proud now.
Six years of wanting to be a Big Wheel in the 'hood, and fancying himself a "gangsta" have finally paid off.
He may very well graduate from Sheriff Joe's jail and get a nice bunk in the prison system.
We'll learn something after Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, all the idealistic second-guessing and "Glad that's not ME" reality TV watching don't help his mother.



When people LEARN something about it, speculation, assumption, and fxck-all else walks.

That's enough for now, eh?

.​

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

Sorry to hear it Neo. Kinda sounds like that's what he wants though, eh?

 

[Skintaster]

Yeah, sorry to hear about your son Neo.

 

[Gin&Pentatonic]

Sorry to hear it Neo. Kinda sounds like that's what he wants though, eh?

What's even crazier is that some thugs don't even plan on/want to live past the age of 25. Its as if getting killed during a drug transaction or a turf dispute is the ultimate badge of honor.

If only they knew that the worms of the earth couldn't care less if we lived as angels or devils during our time on earth.

 

[MineGoesTo11]

Or you could also look at it as being a deterrent for going there. You wouldn't want it to be a place that criminals wouldn't mind going.

Or a cash cow for the private contractors.

 

[Publius pro tem]

Yeah - thanks guys.

It's a complex thing - NOBODY ELSE put him there.

What's even crazier is that some thugs don't even plan on/want to live past the age of 25.
Its as if getting killed during a drug transaction or a turf dispute is the ultimate badge of honor.

If only they knew that the worms of the earth couldn't care less if we lived as angels or devils during our time on earth.

If there's one problem I have - above all else - it's the slap-on-the-wrist bullsh!t when he was a minor.

It's like the more stupid sh!t he got arrested for, the less trouble he got into.
He didn't need "help" at all - he knew EXACTLY what he was doing.
Very intelligent kid.

I told him that when he turned 18, the world would suddenly be a very cold, lonely place for a sh!t-head.
It was.

So he headed straight for the bottom.

There are drug issues, fueled by anxiety and lack of self-esteem.
Or there are psychological demons that everybody told him were the mark of a "victim" so he ran to drugs.
Or he's lazy as fxck and hangs around with people who do not care - and the drugs were a good idea.

Whatever...

He knows why he is where he is, and he can feed a great line of sh!t to his homeboys.
He has a huge extended family though, who do not believe a fxcking word of it - so we rarely see or hear from him.
Well, unless he gets his ass kicked and winds up in the hospital - or wants money put on his account in jail.


And what for?
He's NEVER harmed anyone, far as we know.
I always felt that jail wasn't for inmates, but for the safety of society.

Should he be there?
Well...

.​

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

sending non-violent people to jail, tends to make them violent. (at least from the limited experience I've seen on the subject.)

 

[Publius pro tem]

sending non-violent people to jail, tends to make them violent. (at least from the limited experience I've seen on the subject.)

So does the ever-spiraling addiction to drugs, if left unchecked, eh?
He started out just like every other kid - smoking cheap-ass stink weed and Beavis/Buttheading it up with his buddies.
No harm in THAT, right?

Part of the conundrum.

Can you imagine Mrs. Neo's heartbreak when she realizes 7 years in prison is possibly the BEST option?


Fxck me....

.​

 

[GuitarToneFreak]

Good lord, you want to talk about inmates getting rough? Turns out 'Beyond Scared Straight' ain't nothin'.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nuQYWxjABE]BEST OF SCARED STRAIGHT '99 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

So does the ever-spiraling addiction to drugs, if left unchecked, eh?
He started out just like every other kid - smoking cheap-ass stink weed and Beavis/Buttheading it up with his buddies.
No harm in THAT, right?

Part of the conundrum.

Can you imagine Mrs. Neo's heartbreak when she realizes 7 years in prison is possibly the BEST option?


Fxck me....

.​

That sucks man.

We've had our differences but that kind of family pain I wouldn't wish on anyone.

 

[MineGoesTo11]

 

[Publius pro tem]

MGT11 - don't even get me started on the politicization of the courts.
Knee-jerk three strikes bullsh!t, yadda, yadda, yadda...


The war on drugs?

CLOSE THE FXCKING BORDERS TO ALL ILLEGAL CROSSING - 95% over.

Law enforcement could mop up the last five percent as the bad guys show their faces.



GTF - no slam on you - but I've tried to watch that sh!t.

LONG before our kids got into any trouble.

Scares the sh!t outta my wife - because she's a mommy and a teacher.
She can't stand it.

I can't stand it, because it's simply morons aping for the camera that EVERYONE but the viewer knows is there.


If that show is financially successful - and it is - THAT'S why it's still on the air.

If it actually works?
Cool.

Our kid watched it, laughed his ass off at it, and then later proceeded to tell us how it REALLY is in jail.

Mom was SO proud.

You guys watch it all you want - I won't slam you for it.
I'll stick with the reality show that appears every day when I walk out my door.

.​

 

[Guitarhack]

Our oldest is 23.

He does.

All the talking in the world could not keep him out.

He should be proud now.
Six years of wanting to be a Big Wheel in the 'hood, and fancying himself a "gangsta" have finally paid off.
He may very well graduate from Sheriff Joe's jail and get a nice bunk in the prison system.
We'll learn something after Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, all the idealistic second-guessing and "Glad that's not ME" reality TV watching don't help his mother.



When people LEARN something about it, speculation, assumption, and fxck-all else walks.

That's enough for now, eh?

.​

Sorry to hear about your son. My wife's Step-Mom is going through the same thing with her grand son. Bright, good looking kid but just drawn to that lifestyle. I sat down with him and talked to him about what it was really like inside. I don't know how effective the talk was. He hasn't been put in juvenal hall or the state system, yet....

I guess, sometimes kids just have to learn the hard way. I know prison is filled with them. Not a thing thier families could've said or done would've changed their minds about what they were going to do. A few learn that being incarcerated is no way to live and straighten out. A whole lot of other ones just keep coming back.

A couple of years back I had a kid in my wing parole after a two year stretch. A year latter he was back with his third strike, 25 to life for armed robbery - he was 21 at the time of his 3rd strike. Sad thing is I knew he'd be back.

Neo, I hope it all works out for your son and you and your wife.