photo credit: Santafenewmexican.com
The only difference between non-violent prison inmates and all the law-abiding citizens is that "the non-violent prison inmate got caught and was held accountable for his/her bad decision(s)."
People at all income levels, all educational backgrounds, all races, and at all ages, can make a bad decision.
What is a non-violent prisoner?
Non-violent prisoners are typically people who may have/had a drug addiction or a lifestyle that they could not maintain. So they turn to stealing, burglary, theft, or selling drugs to maintain their lifestyle or to achieve a better lifestyle. Upon getting caught and convicted, the downward spiral is almost inevitable.
Who is the non-violent repeat offender?
Most convicted felons can not find a decent job after serving their time. This rejection by society can cause depression and desperation which starts the cycle of one bad decision after the next. It becomes a vicious cycle that the family can not seem to stop because the judicial system and society is not providing a solution. Many convicted felons are capable of merging back into society, but they may need drug addiction intervention and job opportunities to sustain a modest household.
The families who love them can only do so much. The judicial system is failing the families, the inmates, and society as a whole. The convictions are extracting money from the family members with no benefits in return. The convictions are destroying lives. Wealth and material things can be replaced. No one wants anything stolen from them, but Wall Street, predatory lenders, and other white collar business entities are stealing legally from the American public all the time. People have lost their homes because of creative financing where bankers pocket the money. Even O.J. Simpson is serving time for stealing items that originally belonged to him???? Wars are about "stealing" land, precious natural resources, etc.
President Bush stole the presidential election from Al Gore in 2000. Stealing is just as American as Christopher Columbus taking America from the Native Americans. Some people steal legally while others suffer for the rest of their life over one bad decision.
Repeat convictions by the same individual does not make them less human. It just means society is failing to make better opportunities for everyone to have a piece of the American pie.
#exonerateMichael
I need many more supporters for my online petition. Please help. Thank you.
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