"Throw the Little Sh!t in Jail!!"

Today is as good a time as any to talk about the Prison Industrial Complex as it pertains to children. Ted Koppel did a report on "Children in Adult Prisons" for 60 Minutes on Sunday, which caused me some great concern. I want to explore the idea here on my blog.

It was reported that there are at least 100,000 minors currently incarcerated in adult prisons. They are kept primarily in solitary confinement as a means to "protect them from the adult predators", who are also incarcerated. They usually have violent tendencies, so locking them up by themselves is best for all involved. Really? Being isolated at 15 or 16 is somehow good for a kid? I don't think so.

Many of these children develop psychoses which stay with them for the rest of their lives. Nothing good about that! They are often undiagnosed AT ALL until they begin to unravel in their cells. In effect, we are adding to whatever problems they may have had, which brought them to prison in the first place. Once they have served out their sentence, they are released back into the community, in worse shape than they were years earlier. Sounds like a lose/ lose proposition to me,

Many people would argue that we're safer with these young Frankensteins behind bars, but I disagree. Especially when you consider someone who does 30 years, leaves prison as a 45 to 50 year old. Now you have someone whose age and strength are ideal (to go along with their screwed up heads) to re offend, released back into the community. That seems like creating a long term problem in exchange for a quick fix.

I believe that (once again) the REAL problem lies in the lack of political will to DO THE RIGHT THING for ALL the people in America. That is to make sure that love and compassion take the lead in the decisions made that effect ALL the people in America. Yes, that means fewer millionaires along with a healthy society. Are ya wimme or aggin me?