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1. In 2006, the number of individuals under supervision of the nation's criminal justice system rose to 7.2 million, the highest ever in the history of the US; about 2.2 million were in secure confinement (jails/prisons); the remaining approximately 5 million were in various court ordered pre-release centers, half-way houses, community-based re-entry programs, treatment programs, probation, parole, tele-monitoring, etc, etc. In Feb 2008, the PEW Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project reported that about one in every 100 American adults was in prison or jail, the highest percentage of any country in the world. www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=35904 2. In comparison to the 7.2 million Americans monitored by our nation's criminal justice system, the most recent USDA census lists about 3.0 million Americans as 'Principal Operators' of farms, harvested croplands and irrigated land; AND, ONLY 1.6 million of those listed 'farming' as their 'primary occupation'. So, our country has from 2.4 - 4.5 times as many individuals supervised by our criminal justice system as are involved in farming as a primary occupation. 3. More than 10,000 ex-prisoners are released from America's state and federal prisons every week and arrive on the doorsteps of our nation's communities. For the communities to which most former prisoners return (communities which are often impoverished and disenfranchised neighborhoods with few social supports and persistently high crime rates), the release of ex-offenders represents a variety of challenges. What can be done to help people who are released from prison keep from being rearrested? With no job, no money, and no place to live, returnees often find themselves facing the same pressures and temptations that landed them in prison in the first place. Assisting ex-prisoners in finding and keeping employment, identifying transitional housing, and receiving mentoring are three key elements of successful re-entry into our communities.http//www.usdoj.gov/fbci/progmenu_reentry.html 4. Over 7 million children have a parent incarcerated. If caring, compassionate, positive mentors do not enter the lives of these high-risk kids, they are 6-7 times more likely to encounter the criminal justice system themselves as they enter their teenage years compared to the kid next door in an intact family. Interestingly, there are hundreds of picture books with titles such as "Jane and Jack Visit the Farm." There are almost no books for children on how to cope with incarceration of a father, mother, brother, uncle, sister, or cousin. The good news is that a book has been written by a therapist--and illustrated by two incarcerated men--a starting point for parents to help their children understand what life is like for other kids they may know, and for teachers seeking to normalize situations that too frequently stigmatize the other victims of adult crime--the children. This book needs to be in school libraries, local libraries, and counselor waiting rooms. http://homeplacepress.com/goodthings.html 5. Finally, take less than two minutes to listen to a video from "Every Child Matters" at:www.everychildmatters.org/National/About/About.html |
