Thanks, James Chandler. Now I’m on my soap box again!

I have a confession. In my spare time, I like to read legal thrillers. I know, I know…perhaps I should be reading War and Peace. But, these novels, featuring court battles between prosecutors and defense attorneys, give me a lot of insight. As a worker with prisoners for more than 2 decades, I’m also learning that the feelings and emotions of defendants often get tossed aside. Winning and losing seems to be the game. 

Well, anyway, I recently picked up a very decent novel by James Chandler. 

I know very little about James Chandler. I do know this: He earned his law degree George Mason University School of Law, and practiced law in Wyoming for twelve years before his appointment to the bench. 

What I don’t know interests me even more. Somehow, he relates well with people who have been in prison. It almost sounds like he might have had a taste of it, or else he became very close to someone who had lived through these experiences. 

For example, on the topic of solitary confinement, his main character in the book said: Time is constant and linear---except in prison. There it is stagnant, gathering like the mossy green goop on a remote pond. 

Not sure if you’re aware of this, but solitary confinement is evil. Vera Institute says it can lead to serious and lasting psychological damage, as well as physical and social isolation, coupled with sensory deprivation and forced idleness.

And, on the topic of parole, words from the same former inmate: Sometimes the purgatory of conditional parole is worse than the unambiguous hell behind prison walls. 

I’ve had friends go through the “purgatory of conditional parole,” and it ain’t pretty!

Nationwide, a significant percentage of parolees reoffend, with studies indicating that a substantial portion are rearrested within a few years of release. For example, one study found that 66% of individuals released from prison in 2008 were rearrested within three years according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Another study reported that 77% of parolees were rearrested within five years of being released.

I’ve quoted Marla Mitchell-Cichon many times on this topic. Marla, retired director of the Cooley Innocence Project, award-winning lawyer and member of the HFP Board of Directors contends our prison system is broken. We must start over! 

It’s time that we do more than just study what’s going on in Norway. It’s time to learn from it. 

Norway's prison system is widely considered a model for its focus on rehabilitation and reintegration, resulting in one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world. This is achieved through a system that emphasizes human rights, individualized treatment, and community-based corrections. It aims to create "better neighbors" by addressing the underlying issues that lead to crime and providing support for a successful transition back into society. In Norway all incarcerated men and women will be released - there are no life sentences! 

Keep in mind that some 90% of prisoners, even those right here in Michigan, will be getting out someday. Commenting on their eventual release, Norway Prison Governor Are Hoidal says: “So we are releasing your neighbor. If we treat inmates like animals in prison, then we will release animals on to your street." 

Are we listening?

 

 

 

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