THINGS NEED TO CHANGE

DEAR MR. GOVERNOR,
(AND TO ALL THAT IT REACHES)

I AM WRITING YOU THIS LETTER BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS A FEW TOPICS. THIS FIRST TOPIC IS ABOUT MALE INMATES SERVING LIFE, THESE INMATES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RECIEVE FAMILY VISITS. MIND YOU THOSE MALE INMATES, WITH AN ACTUAL RELEASE DATE , HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF RECEIVING OVERNIGHT VISTS WITH FAMILY, IF THEY ARE MARRIED. THIS KEEPS THEM CLOSE TO THEIR LOVED ONES. IF YOU TAKE THAT SAME REASON AND APPLY IT THOSE WHOM WILL NEVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILY, THEN THEY MORE THEN ANYONE NEED IT. THIS YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW. I AM FOR MALE INMATES HAVING OVERNIGHT FAMILY VISITS, LET ME EXPLAIN WHY; WHEN YOU CAGE SOMEONE UP TAKE AWAY ALL THINGS YOU CONSIDER PRIVILEGES, YOU ARE CREATING AN ANIMAL, A MONSTER.. ONE THAT DOES THINGS TO JUST SURVIVE, ARE WE TRULY AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE HAS TO SURVIVE IN PRISON? I SEE THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF UTILIZING OUR OVERNIGHT FAMILY VISITS WITH OUR LOVED ONES IS A NECESSITY.

I ALSO FEEL THAT KEEPING AN INMATE OF THE MALE SEX, CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, HAS A GREATER CHANCE OF KEEPING THAT INMATE IN LINE. THE INMATE WOULD KNOW THAT WITHOUT MAINTAING GOOD BEHAVIOR THEN HE COULD LOSE THAT UPCOMING OVERNIGHT VISIT. THIS TO ME IN MY OPINION WOULD BE SOMETHING I KNOW I WOULDNT WANT TO LOSE. I THINK THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF MALE INMATES WOULD AGREE, THAT IF THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THESE VISITS AND THEY GOT REINSTATED, I AM SURE MORE THEN 50 \% OF THESE INMATES WOULD WALK A STRAIGHT AND NARROW LINE. CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALL ARE HUMAN AND WE NEED AND REQUIRE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ATTENTION, THIS MAKES WHAT I AM SAYING AND EXPLAINING IN THIS LETTER, MAKE TOTAL SENSE.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT NOT EVERY INMATE IS GOING TO ABIDE BY PRISON RULES, REGARDLESS IF THIS WAS GRANTED OR NOT, WE BOTH KNOW THIS. BUT THE ONES WHO WOULD IS BETTER THEN HAVING NONE AT ALL. .


SECONDLY, WHAT PLANS DOYOU HAVE IN LOWERING THE RATE OF PRISON RAPE, AND PRISON VIOLENCE, AND LOWER THE RATE OF AIDS SPREADING FROM VIOLENCE AND FROM THOSE CONTRACTING IT THREW THE VIOLATION OF RAPE. ?

IN MY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AS WELL AS MY PSYCHOLOGY CLASSES, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE RATE OF PRISON RAPE AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF THOSE INFECTED WITH THE AIDS VIRUS ARE SEEMINLY SKY ROCKETING. AND MALE ON MALE SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS IS INCREASING, WANTED OR UNWANTED THIS IS THE REALITY OF PRISON LIFE. NOT ALL INMATES ARE INVOLVED IN THIS ACTIVITY, BUT IT IS A SCARY SITUATION TO HAVE TO BE IN. SOMEONE TOLD ME ONCE THAT THE STATE LOOKS AT INMATES AS CDC NUMBER AND A PAYCHECK THATS ALL, BUT WHAT ABOUT HOW US TAX PAYERS FEEL? THERE ARE THOSE OF US ON THE OUTSIDE WHO BEG TO DIFFER. AS UGLY AS IT MAY BE, TO THOSE LOOKING IN, THESE MALE INMATES ARE STILL SOMEONES SON, GRANDSON, FATHER, HUSBAND, AND MAYBE JUST A LONG TERM FRIEND. BUT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE.AND I WILL UTILIZE MY VOICE, FOR MY LOVED ONE, CONSIDERING HE CAN NOT VOICE HIS.

HAVE YOU EVER VISITED A PRISON? HAVE YOU EVER TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR TIME TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE WALLS OF A CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, OR ANY PRISON, ANYWHERE.? COULD YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF THAT WERE YOU, OR YOUR LOVED ONE. HAVING THEM EAT, BREATH, SLEEP, DREAM, LIVE THE PRISON LIFE. COULD YOU IMAGINE HOW IT WILL FEEL IF YOU COULDNT HELP? COULD YOU IMAGINE THE FEELING OF BEING HELPLESS? COULD YOU IMAGINE THE FEELING OF NOT HAVING THAT LOVED ONE WITH YOU DAILY? ITS NOT A PRETTY PICTURE! UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THESE MEN HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME, IT ISNT SUPPOSE TO BE A COUNTRY CLUB, BUT IT ISNT RIGHT TO TAKE THE LAST PIECE OF THE WORLD AWAY. THEIR FAMILY IS ALL THAT KEEPS THEM TOGETHER.

BEFORE I END THIS I THINK THAT IF YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE PRISONERS AND SPOKE THIS IN ANY OF YOUR SPEECHS, IN REGARDS TO POSITIEVE CHANGES FOR INMATES AND THEIR FAMILIES, WITH THE END RESULT IN MIND THAT THIS IS REHABILITATION, NOT DEPRIVATION... YOU MIGHT POSSIBLY RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM THOSE WHOM HAVE SOMEONE OR KNOW SOMEONE INCARCERATED. I KNOW YOU WOULD HAVE GAINED MY VOTE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS WHEN ELECTIONS COME AROUND AGAIN.

WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND AS HUMAN BEINGS THERE ARE SOMETHINGS THAT ARE TO CRUEL TO TAKE AWAY FROM ANYONE. EVERYONE, GOOD OR BAD, REQUIRES THE FUNDAMENTALS IN LIFE. WHICH ARE TO EAT, SLEEP, BREATH, AND PRO CREATE. IN OBTAINING THESE FUNDAMENTALS WE AS HUMANS NEED TO RECEIVIE POSITIEVE ATTENTION, LOVE AND INTIMACY ON ANY LEVEL. I REALLY DOUBT THERE IS ONE HUMAN BEING THAT GOES WITHOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS. EXCEPT ARE LOVED ONES WHOM ARE INCARCERATED.

AFTER ALL THIS, PICK UP THE BIBLE, READ IT. EVEN GOD SAID DONT FORGET ABOUT THE PRISONERS. (SEEMS THAT IS A VERY STRONG STATEMENT!)