For each other's sake
"In my opinion, the young generation of whites, blacks, browns, whatever else there is: you're living at a time of extremism, a time of revolution, a time when there's got to be a change. People in power have misused it, and there has to be a change and a better world has to be built, and the only way it's going to be built is with extreme methods. I, for one, will join in with anyone — I don't care what colour you are — as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth." — Malcolm X.
No human being is devoid of redeeming qualities or potential. Considering the fact that most prisoners are as much victims as are the victims of their crimes, society must be extremely callous and insensitive not to want rehabilitation to occur.
Allow me to share a portion of an article published some years ago in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, by Alma Hill.
"With $25.00, prison-issued clothes and a bus ticket to Atlanta, Larry Kurtz marched out of the Rutledge Correctional Institution in Columbus this week hoping to start a new life.
"After completing a two-year sentence for burglary, Kurtz, 23, had no home. So he spent $21.50 for a night at a Motel 6, and the remainder of his money the next morning on a waffle, bacon and egg breakfast at a Waffle House.
"Within 24 hours of leaving prison, Kurtz faced the same problems that got him in trouble before: he was broke, jobless and homeless."
Society had an ideal opportunity to groom Kurtz for success while he was incarcerated but instead, chose to warehouse him like a piece of commodity-meat.
In my mind's eye, I can envision prisons in America as social, vocational and academic learning centres, places wherein men, women and children who owe debts to society are able to pay off those debts. Prisoners could learn how to become good citizens while simultaneously providing restitution to victims of crime via monies produced during the learning and development of vocational skills. Utilising skills gained in the prison learning centres, prisoners could work at a fair wage while in prison. Earnings could be distributed along these lines:
- to the federal government for being the guarantor of each state's vocational training program: 15%;
- to the state for vocational tutelage, room and board: 15%;
- for acquisition of vocational materials/supplies for the individual prisoner: 15%;
- to the crime victim: 15%;
- for the prisoner's personal needs while still in prison: 15%;
- toward the support of legal dependents outside of prison: 15%; and
- to the prisoner's own cash fund targeted for his or her release date: 10% — so that 24 hours after release the prisoner will not be like Larry Kurtz: hungry, homeless and needing to commit a robbery to generate money for food and shelter.
There is no telling where educating prisoners could lead. Once rehabilitated, prisoners could be positive influences upon society. There may be a man or woman in prison right now capable of being educated and trained enough to find cures for diseases that have been crippling society for hundreds of years. I share the vision of our late brother Malcolm X as expressed in the quote at the beginning of this essay. Please help me. Indeed, help us all! We can change the cycles of violence — and we have to do it together, for each other's sake.
BY BRANDON ASTOR JONES
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA, or email <brandonastorjones@hotmail.com>. Jones depends entirely on donations. He welcomes contributions in any amount. In Australia, please transfer or deposit money directly into account #082-631 53 096 4691 at the Australian National Bank, Ltd. This account, under the name A. Frischkneckt, is entirely dedicated to receiving donations for him. US readers: please make a money order or cashier's cheque payable Del Cassidy, Jones' trustee, and send it to him at 142 Wilmer Street, Glassboro, New Jersey, 08028. Jones is seeking a publisher for his collected prison writings. Please notify him of any possible leads. Visit Jones' web page at <http://www.brandonastorjones.com>.]