While both sides of the political aisle may wish to reduce funding within criminal justice, the early release of prisoners as a means of doing so usually appeals to only one side; who too often make criminal justice related decisions without a clear understanding of the danger of increasing the population of unreformed criminals—particularly from maximum security prisons—within communities.
Considering that the normal release strategy is currently rewarding us with a recidivism rate of 70%, the hope that early release may improve that is indeed hopeful.
In a new report from the Vera Institute, The Fiscal Crisis in Corrections: Rethinking Policies and Practices, a larger part of the rethinking revolves around early release of some form through an expanded use of community corrections.
My first salaried position within criminal justice was as a student research assistant on a federally funded program to create an evaluation instrument for community corrections programs and I spent as much of my time in the field visiting programs as in the office analyzing data.
What I gained from this experience was a great respect for evaluation but little hope that community corrections could play much of a role in criminal reformation and subsequent research results over the past 30 plus years since that initial experience have done little to change my opinion.
We’ve posted several times on the failure of current rehabilitative efforts and one informative post is here.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Theology & Ideology
The invisibility of ideas has always driven the visible actions of politics and perhaps at a much higher level in our country over the past few years than ever before.
The theology behind invisible ideas is often difficult to discern, but the signs are there for those wishing to study them.
In that respect the two books by a British historian—newly commented on by The Catholic Thing—are significant to help us understand today’s political movements, as we noted in an earlier post, with quotes and links to the books.
An excerpt from the review from The Catholic Thing.
“In two remarkable books, Earthly Powers and Sacred Causes, British historian Michael Burleigh, has traced the clash of religion and politics from the French Revolution to our own times. Burleigh shows that modern materialist creeds – Jacobinism, Fascism, Communism, and Nazism – had these common traits: They viewed man, not as a person created Imago Dei, but as a speck within mass society devoid of freedom, self-responsibility, and conscience; and to supplant organized religions, these secularists portrayed themselves as pseudo-divine and elevated their revolutions to religious status.
“The French Jacobins suppressed the Church (by 1794 only 150 of 40,000 churches were offering Mass) and replaced it with a civic religion. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a political gospel. Baptism was redefined “as the regeneration of the French revolution begun on July 14, 1789.” Communion: an association of French people “to form on earth only one family of brothers who no longer recognize or worship any idol or tyrant.” Penitence: “the banishment of all those monsters. . .unworthy to inhabit the land of liberty.”
“To eliminate the Lord’s Day, a calendar was created with ten-day weeks. Holydays were replaced with secular feast days called Virtue, Genus, Labor, Recompenses, and Opinion. Notre Dame Cathedral was converted into a “Temple of Reason.” An opera singer was worshipped as the “Goddess of Liberty.”
The theology behind invisible ideas is often difficult to discern, but the signs are there for those wishing to study them.
In that respect the two books by a British historian—newly commented on by The Catholic Thing—are significant to help us understand today’s political movements, as we noted in an earlier post, with quotes and links to the books.
An excerpt from the review from The Catholic Thing.
“In two remarkable books, Earthly Powers and Sacred Causes, British historian Michael Burleigh, has traced the clash of religion and politics from the French Revolution to our own times. Burleigh shows that modern materialist creeds – Jacobinism, Fascism, Communism, and Nazism – had these common traits: They viewed man, not as a person created Imago Dei, but as a speck within mass society devoid of freedom, self-responsibility, and conscience; and to supplant organized religions, these secularists portrayed themselves as pseudo-divine and elevated their revolutions to religious status.
“The French Jacobins suppressed the Church (by 1794 only 150 of 40,000 churches were offering Mass) and replaced it with a civic religion. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a political gospel. Baptism was redefined “as the regeneration of the French revolution begun on July 14, 1789.” Communion: an association of French people “to form on earth only one family of brothers who no longer recognize or worship any idol or tyrant.” Penitence: “the banishment of all those monsters. . .unworthy to inhabit the land of liberty.”
“To eliminate the Lord’s Day, a calendar was created with ten-day weeks. Holydays were replaced with secular feast days called Virtue, Genus, Labor, Recompenses, and Opinion. Notre Dame Cathedral was converted into a “Temple of Reason.” An opera singer was worshipped as the “Goddess of Liberty.”
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Professional Standards
Peer work within the criminal justice profession is several decades old and overdue for standards to be applied to those working to help in the field where they once were part of the problem.
This has been accomplished somewhat in the addiction field, and bringing the standards to street intervention programs, as this article in the Los Angeles Times reports, is an excellent idea.
An excerpt.
“Officials on Monday unveiled a federal bill that would create national standards and accountability for gang intervention workers as part of a Los Angeles-based effort to professionalize the growing and controversial field.
“The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), is the first such national initiative to regulate intervention workers who act as liaisons between law enforcement and communities. Police and intervention workers have a long history of distrust, but authorities have come to rely on intervention workers for such matters as monitoring street gossip and preventing retaliatory shootings.
"We gave the world the Crips and the Bloods," Watson said during a visit to the headquarters of Communities in Schools, a North Hills youth center. "Now it is time we take a leadership role and change the tremendous influence gangs have had on young people and the entire society."
“The bill is modeled after a similar, locally approved plan introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas.
“Among other provisions, the bill spells out those services the federal government expects intervention agencies to deliver, such as street mediation and crisis response at schools. It also seeks to hold intervention agencies accountable by using "evidence-based" accounting of gang-related violence and the numbers of young people who have been routed into job development programs.
“The standards would apply to intervention agencies seeking direct federal funding or local government agencies seeking federal funding for contracted intervention services. Watson said she will ask U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to sponsor a companion measure in the Senate.”
This has been accomplished somewhat in the addiction field, and bringing the standards to street intervention programs, as this article in the Los Angeles Times reports, is an excellent idea.
An excerpt.
“Officials on Monday unveiled a federal bill that would create national standards and accountability for gang intervention workers as part of a Los Angeles-based effort to professionalize the growing and controversial field.
“The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), is the first such national initiative to regulate intervention workers who act as liaisons between law enforcement and communities. Police and intervention workers have a long history of distrust, but authorities have come to rely on intervention workers for such matters as monitoring street gossip and preventing retaliatory shootings.
"We gave the world the Crips and the Bloods," Watson said during a visit to the headquarters of Communities in Schools, a North Hills youth center. "Now it is time we take a leadership role and change the tremendous influence gangs have had on young people and the entire society."
“The bill is modeled after a similar, locally approved plan introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas.
“Among other provisions, the bill spells out those services the federal government expects intervention agencies to deliver, such as street mediation and crisis response at schools. It also seeks to hold intervention agencies accountable by using "evidence-based" accounting of gang-related violence and the numbers of young people who have been routed into job development programs.
“The standards would apply to intervention agencies seeking direct federal funding or local government agencies seeking federal funding for contracted intervention services. Watson said she will ask U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to sponsor a companion measure in the Senate.”
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Film, Crime & Misdirection
In this review of the new film Public Enemies from America magazine, a common mistake is compounded, conflating white collar con men whose crimes are largely built upon the cupidity of folks striving to realize the American dream, with street criminals who take money (and often much more besides) from the innocent; and it is a conflation serving no purpose other than excusing street criminality through the portrayal of it being structural rather than individual.
Most of us do not fear con men, feeling, justifiably or not, that we can generally hold our own by operating from the old warning that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”; but we do fear street criminals, as we know that they often hurt us not only financially but also physically, and as certainly as we wish con men who rob the gullible of their life savings to be put away, we demand it of street criminals who prey upon the innocent.
An excerpt.
““Public Enemies” presents a good story, but nothing surprising: Dillinger went on a crime spree and the F.B.I. killed him as he came out of a Chicago movie house in July 1934. The film gains interest with spectacular action sequences. Mann offers enough bank robberies and shootouts to keep even a restless 12-year-old boy in his seat for the full two hours and 15 minutes. Yet the story lacks sparkle. And the characters, even Dillinger himself, fade into the narrative without demanding much emotional investment. One senses a conscious strategy here. Johnny Depp, as the protagonist, and Christian Bale, playing his nemesis Agent Melvin Purvis, stand at a distance from their characters, appearing content to accompany them as they wander from one action sequence to the next. Their motivation remains in the background. Does Dillinger need the money, or does he want to humiliate law enforcement agencies? Or does he merely enjoy living on the edge? Purvis becomes obsessed with his job, but does he seek personal satisfaction or a leading role in the new F.B.I.? Or has he allowed himself to become a Hoover sycophant?...
“Now Mann has given us a Dillinger for the bailout generation. The action sequences make him an old-time gangster, whose Tommy gun rains death on lawmen and bystanders without discrimination. Yet Dillinger remains opaque, in the image of today’s buttoned-down gangsters. Today’s mobsters do not rob banks; they loot them with credit-default swaps. Faceless and all but anonymous in their striped suits, they no longer race their black sedans down country roads to evade the sirens of their tormentors. Today, gangsters ride their corporate jets and stretch limos to board meetings and Senate committee hearings. They don’t brandish machine guns; they send e-mails from their laptops. They don’t have sworn enemies in law enforcement; they have well-paid lawyers who find the loopholes to make their activities appear legal. And what of their motives when they have more millions than they could possibly spend in a lifetime? Ego? Proving to themselves that they are above the law? The thrill of the chase? They are ruthless, but dull. Mann’s John Dillinger would fit right in. But would Jackie Reilly insist on being Bernie Madoff during our Saturday game of Ponzi scheme?”
Most of us do not fear con men, feeling, justifiably or not, that we can generally hold our own by operating from the old warning that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”; but we do fear street criminals, as we know that they often hurt us not only financially but also physically, and as certainly as we wish con men who rob the gullible of their life savings to be put away, we demand it of street criminals who prey upon the innocent.
An excerpt.
““Public Enemies” presents a good story, but nothing surprising: Dillinger went on a crime spree and the F.B.I. killed him as he came out of a Chicago movie house in July 1934. The film gains interest with spectacular action sequences. Mann offers enough bank robberies and shootouts to keep even a restless 12-year-old boy in his seat for the full two hours and 15 minutes. Yet the story lacks sparkle. And the characters, even Dillinger himself, fade into the narrative without demanding much emotional investment. One senses a conscious strategy here. Johnny Depp, as the protagonist, and Christian Bale, playing his nemesis Agent Melvin Purvis, stand at a distance from their characters, appearing content to accompany them as they wander from one action sequence to the next. Their motivation remains in the background. Does Dillinger need the money, or does he want to humiliate law enforcement agencies? Or does he merely enjoy living on the edge? Purvis becomes obsessed with his job, but does he seek personal satisfaction or a leading role in the new F.B.I.? Or has he allowed himself to become a Hoover sycophant?...
“Now Mann has given us a Dillinger for the bailout generation. The action sequences make him an old-time gangster, whose Tommy gun rains death on lawmen and bystanders without discrimination. Yet Dillinger remains opaque, in the image of today’s buttoned-down gangsters. Today’s mobsters do not rob banks; they loot them with credit-default swaps. Faceless and all but anonymous in their striped suits, they no longer race their black sedans down country roads to evade the sirens of their tormentors. Today, gangsters ride their corporate jets and stretch limos to board meetings and Senate committee hearings. They don’t brandish machine guns; they send e-mails from their laptops. They don’t have sworn enemies in law enforcement; they have well-paid lawyers who find the loopholes to make their activities appear legal. And what of their motives when they have more millions than they could possibly spend in a lifetime? Ego? Proving to themselves that they are above the law? The thrill of the chase? They are ruthless, but dull. Mann’s John Dillinger would fit right in. But would Jackie Reilly insist on being Bernie Madoff during our Saturday game of Ponzi scheme?”
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Wolves Among the Faithful
During the sexual abuse trauma that still stalks the Church, many calls were raised concerning the still unresolved responsibility of the bishops who supposedly knew about the actions of many of the predatory priests—and bishops—but did nothing.
This story from Catholic World Report of the satanic actions of one archbishop must certainly cause pause among the faithful, and one waits and wonders about the consequences from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and/or the Vatican.
An excerpt.
“It sounds like an over-the-top Tom Wolfe novel: a successor to the apostles conducts an affair with a male graduate student, is accused of “date rape” and emotional harm by said student, and raids the collection basket of the faithful to hush the student up, then, as the bishop settles into a cushy retirement, he pens a “coming out” memoir in praise of homosexual behavior, all the while retaining the canonical rights and privileges of a retired archbishop and receiving pats on the back from fellow clergy.
“Alas, this is no racy and risible fiction; it is the real story of Archbishop Rembert Weakland. The retired archbishop of Milwaukee released June 15 his autobiography, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop. In it he admits to several affairs with men, crowns himself the first voluntarily “out” bishop, and argues that the Church should endorse the “physical, genital expression” of homosexuality, as he put it to the New York Times in May.
“If we say our God is an all-loving god,” he said to the Times, “how do you explain that at any given time probably 400 million living on the planet at one time would be gay? Are the religions of the world, as does Catholicism, saying to those hundreds of millions of people, you have to pass your whole life without any physical, genital expression of that love?”
“Weakland gave this interview to the Times, by the way, from the “Archbishop Weakland Center, which houses the archdiocesan cathedral offices in downtown Milwaukee.” This small snapshot of episcopal decadence—an openly “gay” bishop spouting heresy while sitting in a diocesan office still named in his honor—would be amusing if it weren’t so sad and scandalous.
“If Church officials worried about the corruption and perdition of souls as much as they fret about “tolerance” and “collegiality,” they would end this disgusting farce and suspend Weakland’s faculties. Instead, they sit on their hands as Weakland, outfitted in his priestly collar, grants interviews to news outlets about the glories of mortal sin.”
This story from Catholic World Report of the satanic actions of one archbishop must certainly cause pause among the faithful, and one waits and wonders about the consequences from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and/or the Vatican.
An excerpt.
“It sounds like an over-the-top Tom Wolfe novel: a successor to the apostles conducts an affair with a male graduate student, is accused of “date rape” and emotional harm by said student, and raids the collection basket of the faithful to hush the student up, then, as the bishop settles into a cushy retirement, he pens a “coming out” memoir in praise of homosexual behavior, all the while retaining the canonical rights and privileges of a retired archbishop and receiving pats on the back from fellow clergy.
“Alas, this is no racy and risible fiction; it is the real story of Archbishop Rembert Weakland. The retired archbishop of Milwaukee released June 15 his autobiography, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop. In it he admits to several affairs with men, crowns himself the first voluntarily “out” bishop, and argues that the Church should endorse the “physical, genital expression” of homosexuality, as he put it to the New York Times in May.
“If we say our God is an all-loving god,” he said to the Times, “how do you explain that at any given time probably 400 million living on the planet at one time would be gay? Are the religions of the world, as does Catholicism, saying to those hundreds of millions of people, you have to pass your whole life without any physical, genital expression of that love?”
“Weakland gave this interview to the Times, by the way, from the “Archbishop Weakland Center, which houses the archdiocesan cathedral offices in downtown Milwaukee.” This small snapshot of episcopal decadence—an openly “gay” bishop spouting heresy while sitting in a diocesan office still named in his honor—would be amusing if it weren’t so sad and scandalous.
“If Church officials worried about the corruption and perdition of souls as much as they fret about “tolerance” and “collegiality,” they would end this disgusting farce and suspend Weakland’s faculties. Instead, they sit on their hands as Weakland, outfitted in his priestly collar, grants interviews to news outlets about the glories of mortal sin.”
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Abolish Life without Parole?
In what is surely the type of effort that seriously undercuts one plank of the intellectual position of the capital punishment abolition movement—that life without parole is sufficient to protect the innocent from the aggressor—a report from the Sentencing Project calls for the abolition of life without parole,
This article from the Boston Globe examines this position.
An excerpt.
“OF THE 2.3 million people in prisons and jails in the United States, roughly 140,000, or 6 percent, are serving life sentences. Of that number, about 41,000 - 1.8 percent of all inmates - were sentenced to life without parole. Both numbers are at an all-time high.
“Should Americans be troubled by this? The Sentencing Project thinks so. In a new report, the liberal advocacy group complains that the growth in life sentences has been costly and unjust. It “challenges the supposition that all life sentences are necessary to keep the public safe,’’ and particularly disapproves of life without parole.
“As a matter of policy, the Sentencing Project supports abolition of both the death penalty and life without parole, an eccentric position that most Americans don’t share. Nevertheless, the group’s new report - “No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America’’ - has drawn deferential media attention, with stories appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Agence France-Press.
“But good PR is not a substitute for sound analysis.
“In its very first paragraph, “No Exit’’ asserts that the high incarceration rate is the result of “three decades of ‘tough on crime’ policies that have made little impact on crime.’’
“America’s prison population has unquestionably grown in recent years, as prison sentences have lengthened and more criminals have been locked up. But far from negligible, the “impact on crime’’ has been dramatic. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Americans experienced 44 million crimes in 1973. By 2007, that number had dropped to 23 million - and this even as the population grew by more than 75 million.
“During those “three decades of ‘tough on crime’ policies,’’ in other words, crime in America was nearly halved. Since the mid-1990s, the plunge in violent crime has been especially steep: from more than 51 crimes of violence per 1,000 US residents in 1994 to 21 in 2005 - a 59 percent reduction.”
This article from the Boston Globe examines this position.
An excerpt.
“OF THE 2.3 million people in prisons and jails in the United States, roughly 140,000, or 6 percent, are serving life sentences. Of that number, about 41,000 - 1.8 percent of all inmates - were sentenced to life without parole. Both numbers are at an all-time high.
“Should Americans be troubled by this? The Sentencing Project thinks so. In a new report, the liberal advocacy group complains that the growth in life sentences has been costly and unjust. It “challenges the supposition that all life sentences are necessary to keep the public safe,’’ and particularly disapproves of life without parole.
“As a matter of policy, the Sentencing Project supports abolition of both the death penalty and life without parole, an eccentric position that most Americans don’t share. Nevertheless, the group’s new report - “No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America’’ - has drawn deferential media attention, with stories appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Agence France-Press.
“But good PR is not a substitute for sound analysis.
“In its very first paragraph, “No Exit’’ asserts that the high incarceration rate is the result of “three decades of ‘tough on crime’ policies that have made little impact on crime.’’
“America’s prison population has unquestionably grown in recent years, as prison sentences have lengthened and more criminals have been locked up. But far from negligible, the “impact on crime’’ has been dramatic. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Americans experienced 44 million crimes in 1973. By 2007, that number had dropped to 23 million - and this even as the population grew by more than 75 million.
“During those “three decades of ‘tough on crime’ policies,’’ in other words, crime in America was nearly halved. Since the mid-1990s, the plunge in violent crime has been especially steep: from more than 51 crimes of violence per 1,000 US residents in 1994 to 21 in 2005 - a 59 percent reduction.”
Saturday, August 8, 2009
A Sign of Contradiction
Though we know that standing with the Church often means standing against the world, it is good to be reminded, as in this article from Catholic News Service.
An excerpt.
“Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 5, 2009 / 05:23 pm (CNA).- On the second day of the Knights of Columbus’ annual conference, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, delivered a homily in which he spoke of Mary as a model for following God’s will and warned American Catholics that they too “will be pierced by that sword of opposition” if they are faithful to Christ.
“Noting that today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Cardinal Levada began by reflecting on the history of the feast and Mary’s role in the Incarnation.
“We see in the mystery of the Incarnation the most remarkable example of the power of God’s word: the Word himself becomes flesh, the Son of God is born in time.”
“The cardinal explained that there are two lessons connected with the Incarnation.
“First of all, he explained, “the work of creation and salvation is first, last, and always God’s initiative. Life is God’s gift, not our accomplishment.” Secondly, he continued, though it is God’s work, we also “have a role to play.”
“He went on to explain that Mary was not simply God’s instrument “by which the word became flesh, a lifeless patch of land made fruitful by the downpour of God’s word,” but she was a human “with a free will and she cooperated in God’s saving plan. Mary freely and joyfully embraced God’s will, and for this reason she is intimately connected with her Son’s mission.”
“The Mother of Jesus is involved in the whole mystery of the life of Christ, she is we might say a ‘co-conspirator’ in God’s plan of salvation,” he observed…
“As American Catholics, we can and we should work with all people of good will, regardless of their religious beliefs, to improve the lot of others.” However, he concluded, “no matter how remarkable its scientific accomplishments or technological advances,” America, “will always be a barren patch of earth without the life-giving refreshment of the word of God.”
An excerpt.
“Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 5, 2009 / 05:23 pm (CNA).- On the second day of the Knights of Columbus’ annual conference, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, delivered a homily in which he spoke of Mary as a model for following God’s will and warned American Catholics that they too “will be pierced by that sword of opposition” if they are faithful to Christ.
“Noting that today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Cardinal Levada began by reflecting on the history of the feast and Mary’s role in the Incarnation.
“We see in the mystery of the Incarnation the most remarkable example of the power of God’s word: the Word himself becomes flesh, the Son of God is born in time.”
“The cardinal explained that there are two lessons connected with the Incarnation.
“First of all, he explained, “the work of creation and salvation is first, last, and always God’s initiative. Life is God’s gift, not our accomplishment.” Secondly, he continued, though it is God’s work, we also “have a role to play.”
“He went on to explain that Mary was not simply God’s instrument “by which the word became flesh, a lifeless patch of land made fruitful by the downpour of God’s word,” but she was a human “with a free will and she cooperated in God’s saving plan. Mary freely and joyfully embraced God’s will, and for this reason she is intimately connected with her Son’s mission.”
“The Mother of Jesus is involved in the whole mystery of the life of Christ, she is we might say a ‘co-conspirator’ in God’s plan of salvation,” he observed…
“As American Catholics, we can and we should work with all people of good will, regardless of their religious beliefs, to improve the lot of others.” However, he concluded, “no matter how remarkable its scientific accomplishments or technological advances,” America, “will always be a barren patch of earth without the life-giving refreshment of the word of God.”
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