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| Christopher Kearns |
Christopher Kearns 656571;
KMCI, PO Box 282; Plymouth, WI53073
Born in 1964, 54 y.o.
Parents, Don't Try This at Home
(It will result in a cage of your own.)
As if merely relieving someone of "certain unalienable
Rights," namely, ". . . Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness"
(family, friends, career, life savings, etc., etc.) isn't enough to cause
severe psychological damage, the state can always rely on the cruel and unusual
use of solitary confinement to achieve
their mission of total control.
Much of the civilized world has begun a conscious effort to
curb the use of administrative segregation in their prison systems, except in
extreme circumstances; yet, Wisconsin seems to find the draconian use of
solitary confinement as the go to response to punish nearly any improper behavior. You may notice that I have used the
term "improper" as opposed to "violent," because
administration liberally chooses segregation over many other punitive options,
such as loss of certain privileges. "In many jails and prisons,
incarcerated people are tossed into a dank, dungeon-like solitary confinement
cell when they are determined to have 'misbehaved.' It's dubbed 'the
Hole." (Schenwar, p. 3) Offenders are frequently sent to "the
Hole" for a variety of reasons, including possession of contraband,
disrespect, or failure to adhere to a direct order—sometimes simply for mental
health issues that facility staff seems ill equipped to handle Many of these
violations of the rules are not violent or threatening. In his book, Unethical, former Wisconsin Corrections
Secretary, Ed Wall, points out, "'Segregation' was one of the tools frequently used . . . .
I found this tool had a propensity to be overused." (Wall, p. 108)
Additionally, he questioned the effectiveness of such reprisals, stating,
". . . that in many cases we were actually making already dangerous people
exponentially more dangerous." (Wall, p. 108) Wall's opinions are not just
sour grapes from a disgruntled employee. Many qualified psychologists, psychiatrists,
and sociologists, as well as current and former Corrections officials disagree
with the use of this outdated form of retribution. In an editorial written by
Yale Medical School Assistant Professor, Dr. Reena Kapoor, expounds on the
"potential harms of solitary confinement," (Kapoor, p. 2) especially
when concerning those suffering from mental illness. The adverse effects of
such extreme punishment have been chronicled for years. "By the 1830s,
evidence began to accumulate the extended solitude was leading to emotional
disintegration.” and, "In 1890 the U S Supreme Court weighed m, deploring
solitary confinement for the 'semi-fatuous condition' in which it left
prisoners" (Kluger) University of Wisconsin, Madison, professor of
history, Alfred W McCoy, explains in his 2006 book, A Question of Torture, "It sends prisoners in one of two
directions: catatonia or rage." (Kiuger) In his 2018 exposé of the private
prison industry, American Prison,
Mother Jones author Shane Bauer recalls, "The four months I'd spent in solitary
confinement in Iran was an eternity I will never erase from my psyche . . .
." (Bauer, p. 5) Is Wisconsin no better than Iran? Does this primeval form
of retribution, really, help anyone? "The cells look like tombs; men lie
in their bunks, wrapped in blankets, staring at the walls." (Bauer, pp.
62-63) Are there no other ways to achieve our goals of prisoner rehabilitation?
(If, in fact, rehabilitation is a goal)—Is segregation the only answer? Many
professionals think not. Again referencing Dr. Kapoor' s article, many states
have, ". significantly reduced the use of solitary confinement, while
saving money and experiencing no increase in rates of violence." (Kapoor,
pp. 2-3) Professor Emeritus at Columbia University's Montefiore Medical Center/Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, as well as, Senior Research Associate and Scholar
in Residence at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of
New York, Dr. -Ernest Drucker pointsout in 2011 A Plague of Prisons, “clearly the practice of locking away tens of
thousands of prisoners in solitary confinement for long stretches of time has a
profoundly deleterious effect on the long-term mental health of these
inmates." (Drucker, p. 129)
Don't even get me
started on the belittlement and humiliation of those on suicide watch! Prisons
should rehabilitate. Prisons should encourage people to behave better, not
behave worse. "Aren't prisons supposed to be for correction?"
(Dreisinger, p. 282)
How about it, Governor Evers? It's time to keep those campaign
promises and get rid of administrative segregation, institute pragmatic
alternatives to incarceration (community service & restorative justice),
reduce the prison population (in half), and save the taxpayers millions of
dollars by closing costly, outdated and no longer necessary facilities.
.. Bauer, Shane. American Prison, Penguin Books, 2018. --
. Dreisinger, Baz. Incarceration Nations. Other Press, New
York. 2016
• Drucker, Ernest. A Plague of Prisons: The Epidemiology of
Mass Incarceration in America. The New Press, New York, 2011.
• Kapoor, Reena, MD. "Taking the Solitary Confinement
Debate Out of Isolation." The
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law,
42: 2-6. 2014
• Kiuger, Jeffrey. "Are Prisons Driving Prisoners
Mad?" Time, January 26, 2007.
• Schenwar, Maya. Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison
Doesn't Work—and How We Can Do Better. San Francisco: Berritt-Koehler
Publishers, Inc., 2014.
Reform Prison Now!
Of course, there is a necessity for prisons. There are
violent, wicked people in our world. I accept that fact. I do take issue with
the bureaucracy that is the Prison Industrial Complex and the sugar-coating of
the system by referring to, it as "corrections" as opposed to the
more appropriate phrase of "human warehousing." There appears to be
little "correcting" taking place. Moreover, rehabilitation and
reformation are two words that are conspicuously absent from DOC lexicon. In
fact, the system nowadays seems more akin to an extended period at camp - with
Jerry Springer on TV!
Mass-incarceration-plagues today's criminal justice
system.-Politicians like to spout their fear-mongering,
"tough-on-crime" rhetoric to an already, paranoid public, thus,
leading to over two-million Americans presently behind bars Repeatedly, studies
have demonstrated that the harsh laws and long prison sentences, enacted by
these legislators to "keep communities safe," are of little deterrent
when it comes to reducing crime, nor do they provide much in the manner of
safety or security at a community level. However, these laws may help those
associated with these retributive regulations garner votes in the next election
or to profit financially from their investments in the P.I.C. (e.g., stock in
private prisons, prison vendors, etc. - more on this later). Contrary to
tenuous political opinions, crime rates do not decrease in any significant
degree due to the widespread use of prison as punishment. Therefore, the repeal
of the following three major contributors to mass incarceration is immediately
necessary: (1) discriminatory mandatory minimum sentences (which, virtually,
eliminate judicial discretion in favor of the self-aggrandizement of
power-hungry prosecutors and lawmakers); (2) "three-strikes"
("and you're out" - for life!) laws; and (3) truth-in-sentencing laws
(essentially eradicating parole and early release programs - as well as any
incentives for proper behavior) These punitive practices could easily be augmented
or replaced by the more humane, practical, and beneficial approaches of
restorative justice and/or community service. These types of programs have been
shown to create a win-win-win situation for the offender, the victim, and the
community; all at a fraction of the cost of imprisonment.
Another topic of major concern is that of mental health. The
prison system's current lack of adequate resources available to treat mental
health deficiencies should alarm us all. Due to the, all too common, DOC catchwords
"over-crowding", and "under-staffing" (and, no doubt,
"under-funding" and "under-prepared," as well), many of
those within the criminal justice system in need of serious mental healthcare
go largely untreated. DOC statistics affirm this fact. Presently, the use of
addictive, psychotropic medications and administrative segregation are the
primary, go-to responses as treatment for those most vulnerable. These methods
of pacification are merely a short-term fix and do not affect any quality,
long-term solutions. Modern psychological techniques, including face-to-face
psychotherapy and/or group counseling, in combination with medication, are
almost non-existent inside the facility fences. Not only does the criminal
justice system's unhindered use of incarceration as a form of punishment
exacerbate - while practically ignoring - preexisting mental health conditions,
the retributive atmosphere has been known to result in additional adverse
effects, such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, to name a few. Most of these
afflicted offenders will, one day, be released back into society and now would
be an opportune time to address the root causes of their illicit behavior. Then
again, at that point in time, they will no longer be the DOC's problem.
Another immediate concern, one of personal interest to all
of those imprisoned, is the wanton, deliberate, and costly fleecing of inmates
by way of DOC approved vendors. Perhaps, considered by some to be unnecessary
luxuries, the DOC does offer select items - such as personal underwear and
shoes, a limited number of electronics and books, and other, various sundries -
for purchase through certain catalog retailers. There are also foodstuffs for
sale through a contracted "canteen" distributor. That is all fine and
good, except for the fact these products are often sold at the manufacturer's
suggested retail price, even though inmate wages hover around 25cents per hour.
Adjusting for the current $7.25 per hour minimum wage - at my current 5 cents
per hour income - my puny, 13" television, at a cost of $180 (sans remote
control and connecting cables) would cost nearly $26,000 in the real world. That's
one expensive TV! How about a $340 jar
of peanut butter or $50 for one package of ramen noodles - what a bargain. The
telephone service provider (ICSolutions) charges my family and friends anywhere
between 6cents and 12cents per minute
for a collect call to stay in touch. Apparently, "unlimited plans"
have yet to be discovered by the DOC. The truth of the matter, so I've been
told, is that the DOC receives. "kickbacks" from these various
vendors, so it is in their best
interest to contract with those whose return is the highest. What those who
profit from this boodle do with this free money is anybody's guess. This
complaint may sound trivial compared to the more humorless aspects of prison
life; yet, it is simply another questionable characteristic adding to the high
psychological and financial costs of this unfair, unjust, unacceptable
experiment in social control.
Both the federal
and state (Wisconsin) prison systems are complex enigmas claiming
"security" as an excuse for their lack of transparency, oversight,
and accountability. The fact is, if taxpayers were actually aware of the utter
ineffectiveness of their hard-earned tax-dollars at work ($1.2+ billion per year,
in Wisconsin alone!), along with the total lack of return on their investment -
as highlighted by the extraordinary rates of recidivism —heads would surely
roll! It is abundantly clear that our current prison system is in serious need
of a complete overhaul.
Until a thorough and
independent audit is implemented, alternatives to incarceration investigated,
and meaningful reforms instituted, the unfortunate, expensive, and ineffectual
conditions will continue as the status quo. Prisons merely treat the symptoms,
not the disease.
The current state of mass incarceration in America is a
sorry condition everyone ought to be embarrassed to showcase on the global
stage. The manner and rate in which we imprison our citizens is way out of line
with the rest of the rest of the Western World. The rest of the world can see that- why can’t we?
https://casesprison.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/christopher-kearns-intro-essays-10-19.pdf
https://casesprison.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/christopher-kearns-report-10-3-19.pdf
