Comments on: Communities in Prison

By: nanette matthews

nanette matthews — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:45:54 +0000

The idea of justice mapping is timely and imsightful, nonetheless, actions such as these are inneffectual if the real criminals are not apprehended. Those wall street fat cats that subvert this country’s economy by deliberating how they can bleed the country of its resources while exploiting the poor and underserved namely african american youth pre-empted way before their time and then stigmatized with the mark of the permanent criminal record. Once blemished it is a fail safe method that the individual is condemned to marginalized status, sadly, for life. Prison as an economic policy is eerily akin to the instition of slavery and a slave is a slave is a slave. In any economy three dollars a day is synonomous with slave wages. When are we going to stand up for the rights of our children? Many of us act as if we are so damned happy to be in favor, we are too timid to stand up for the rights of those who are most in need of our assistance. How far we have to go.

By: Earlene Bethel-Sperling

Earlene Bethel-Sperling — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:44:09 +0000

The May 22nd presentation of “Communities in Prison” was so timely and so right on target. Is there any way I can get intouch with Mr. Greg Jackson. I would Like to Know What it would take to have a study done here on Staten Island that is inundated with designated poverty pockets?

By: Just

Just — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:47:57 +0000

Great story.

Every time there is a need to make monies in rural communities like those found in Upstate New York, for instance, more arrests are made in the inner city communities (predominately populated by African Americans) to create jobs. Should the recession worsen, I am afraid that arrests, re-arrests will be beefed up to fill the state’s coffers.
When a politician wants to run for office and they find themselves terribly behind in the polls and/or facing possible defeat, they immediately inject the “fear-factor” into the minds of the community at large – focusing, again, on inner city communities and the criminal elements therein.
The poor, Blacks, in particular, keeps the CJ wheel well oiled and turning.
It would be great if Obama…or somebody who cares, took a look at the structure of this industry and dismantled it.

By: Kelly Trimble

Kelly Trimble — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:02:30 +0000

Well, something is obviously wrong. The CJ system is very successful at putting hoards of people in jail, but not in actually inhibiting crime. The vast proportion of the population that is incarcerated, and the concentrations of incarcerations in some communities, as well as other visible effects, clearly demonstrates that the criminal justice system may not be doing what it is supposed to be doing and may have collateral effects on the communities it purports to serve, leading us to begin to question whether the community’s continued investments in these systems is warranted. This is the tip of an iceberg that cannot be dealt with in a ten minute video piece. There is a much larger problem here, but what is inhibiting the search for an implementation of real solutions? I suspect it has to do with the advancement of criminal justice institutions despite the effect on communities. I wonder if that is where some of the research should be focused. I am aware that this concept of mapping incarceration instead of mapping crime illustrates a correlation between high levels of police activity and community disintegration, but this program illustrates it in a part of NYC that nobody cares about anymore. It might be more persuasive if it showed incarceration mapping in smaller cities and in rural America.

By: Astralis

Astralis — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:11:30 +0000

There’s a major cause and effect problem with this piece. Times have changed and I can guarantee that almost every criminal in this article was raised in a fatherless home. This is a problem in the African-American community that everyone is afraid to talk about because of the belief that somehow divorce empowers women. Instead, it’s destroying these communities. The police or government can’t substitute for a family these unfortunate men have never had.

By: Kim Jackson

Kim Jackson — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:54:31 +0000

This commentary was insightfuland the solution provided seems logical but what they should share with viewers is that there is more profit in prison building than community building. Their are investment companies that create portfolios for wealthy clients to invest in prison construction. Some folks will not see this as a problem until the problem comes into their backyard.

By: Kodi

Kodi — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:14:44 +0000

Obama will fix it, right?

By: Susan Krantz

Susan Krantz — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:52:23 +0000

What a blessing this story is! I hope that it’s message is received everywhere. It is time for change and I would like for it to be embraced!

By: Neil Stafford

Neil Stafford — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:58:31 +0000

Would you be comfortable with sex offenders and other felons released from prison as neighbors? Most everyone would emphatically say, NO! We as taxpayers and families must insist that these men and women be treated with proven-effective rehabilitation before being released to our communities.
The key phrase above is “proven-effective”. We cannot continue to release these folks with minimal rehab classes, if they get any at all. These folks need to demonstrate needed changes in their thinking and behavior before they are released. Review the summary of Practical Safety Solutions at http://www.crimereform.info. These proven concepts are offered free for downloading, along with other manuals related to overcoming addictions and unwanted behavior patterns.

By: Carin Knight

Carin Knight — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:28:06 +0000

Its time to acknowledge how chattel enslavement transformed to economic. Cellblock designs are modern day slave vessels operating on concrete instead of oceans.