Balancing Punishment with Humanity
Submitted by Kim Lyons of the Virgin Islands Prison Project
This picture (click image to enlarge) is a powerful statement regarding the issue of “prisoner renting” inherent in interstate transfers. These transfers to off-island facilities place tremendous hardships upon prisoner families and loved ones. Moreover, we have chosen facilities that are notorious for their human rights violations and abuses. These abuses have resulted in every other state, with the exception of Wyoming, removing their prisoners from these beds-for-hire, Virginia torture chambers. It is high time we revisit this idea of prisoner transfers and bring all the prisoners home.
The Virgin Islands Prison Project is a grassroots organization devoted to improving the lives of Virgin Islands prisoners and their families by building community alliances to serve them. We strive to help shift public opinion toward a more humane view of prisoners and to examine the root causes of crime and violence in our community. We also seek to spark a community dialog around criminal justice issues to include the mostly silent voices of those impacted by the criminal justice system: prisoners and their families.
Editor’s Note: The above picture was submitted to the Virgin Islands Prison Project by VI prisoner, Mario Bell, currently housed at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Mario Bell’s detailed illustrations are created with a ball point pen in his cell at Wallens Ridge where he is confined for 23 hours per day in solitary confinement.
Loading ...
Thank you for bringing to the forefront a subject that impacts every Virgin Islander. We all have a loved one or know someone who is incarcerated. Many of us pray nightly for a system that is geared towards positive rehabilitation. We also feel that our presence, contact, encouragement and mentoring is an integral part of their rehabilitation. This can not happen when our sons and daughters are sent thousands of miles away.
Thank you Ms. Lyons and the VI Prison Project. Can you please provide the Prison Project contact info. for those of us who would like to join your group?
This is so important. We have many repeat offenders because our prisoners are not being rehabilitated. My mother always told me that “violence begets violence” and it is so true. How can we expect our prisoners to improve themselves under these conditions?
I am amazed at Mr. Bell’s artwork.
Tough call.
One wonders how much sympathy is directed at the victims of the crimes some of these prisoners committed.
Example: the Libyan in prison in Scotland. The one who blew up the Panam flight over Lockerbie. He’s dying so he appealed to be allowed to go home to die with his family.
He wants to do what?
Excuse me?
Well, it’s now dead end. He withdrew his appeal.
Now I agree, prisons suck. That’s why we behave so we don’t go there.
Unfortunately the world has thousands of inmates that probably shouldn’t be inmates. They should be in some sort of a half-way house. And get some life skills training. So they know which side is up when they get out again.
I do agree with Anon: the artwork is impressive. Mr Bell, under a different set of circumstances, could have gone far with his artistic ability. It shows he possesses a mathematical core. This can be applied to music, art, teaching, languages, cuisines, writing.
I wonder if he is left-handed?
Why is being humane a “tough call?” The way we treat the prisoners in the VI is the same way we treat other marginalized groups of people – the homeless, the mentally ill, the poor,… to name just a few.
That we want to send these people to places like Wallens Ridge – or hide the mentally ill and homeless out in the “country” says more about us as a society than it does about the people who have committed the crimes.
Having a heart should not be a “tough call.”
“There but for the Grace of God…”
This excellent artwork is but one example of the talent we send to prison on a weekly basis. This is the result of our failures to educate them properly. We really need to start engaging the minds of our next generation. They are a Facebook/Twitter/Blackberry generation but we are teaching them with a Chalkboard/Post-It Note/Rotary Phone education system. When will we adopt change?
The very existance VI Prison Project brings us face to face with the reality of the plight of the prisoner, their families and in most cases, victims and their respective families. Most of all it makes us look in the mirror and confront ourselves and where we stand on issues that are “unpopular” to discuss. On an island that has no shortage of crime, it may be our collective calling to join forces with Ms. Lyons and this coalition. For those who doubt the strenght in numbers…SEE YOU AT THE POLLS. By this I mean that what have formed here is a serious voting block. I’m on board. Where do you stand?
CONCERNED
My brother is one of those prisoners that was sent away. I can’t begin to describe the pain that this has caused my mother, my self and most importantly his daughter. The artwork of Mr. Bell remains me of the pictures that are in the history books showing how slaves were brought to America. Every one deserves a second chance and this decision was may by the greatest judge of all GOD. The Government of the Virgin Islands needs to bring the prisoners home to be closer to their families many are in jail because they believed in their innocence and the jury didn’t. The only solace that these innocent prisoners have is to be closer to their families. Lets all get together to bring them home
It’s a good the “The Creator” doesn’t treat us the way we treat each other. How many of us realize that in the “freest country” on the planet, there is also the most amount of prisoners, 1 out of 10 citizens. Most of the prison population are there for non violent crimes or minor drug/marijuana possession.
This system continues to benefit from the labor of enslaved peoples who do not have the money to get the same type of representation as those who have access to wealth. The majority of prisoners are people of color, black & latino and yet these populations in the US are 13% & 12% of the total US population. Not a true representation of the US population.
Who in their right mind would knowingly buy stocks & profit from the labor of enslaved people? These people know that their money will continue to grow as people allow their government to continue passing laws that ordinary people have know clue about the way search and seizures are carried out. Most people do not know their rights. This alone tells me the system is about profits and definitely not about people.
How many people have been cleared based on DNA evidence? How many people have been sent to their deaths based on the unjust justice system and no access to DNA testing? This is not only about prisoners, but also about their families and access to capable representation.
When a person returns to the community, is this person guaranteed employment based on skill level & rehabilitation? If you listen to the propaganda about prisoners how many employers would be willing to hire a former prisoner? Even though this person paid their debt to society, why are they not able to vote? If their crime was one of non violence or drug use, why is the person still considered a felon? We are not truly interested in rehabilitation because that would lessen the amount of people returning to the system.
Thank you Ms. Lyons for keeping this information in the forefront and I wish Mr. Bell could teach our children how to express themselves. He is an asset, just as all human beings. We must find a way to lovingly integrate our people in exile back into our community. It will take work, but it is not impossible to shift our thinking.
Peace
FYI
http://www.correctionsproject.com/corrections/pris_priv.htm
I stand corrected. The Libyan bomber was released from Scotland prison so he could go home… maybe all the relatives of the 270 who died will be at the airport, waving good-bye, and wishing him a safe flight.
We can only hope…
An article printed on August 10, 2009 stated… Depending on eligibility, the inmates will have access to the Virginia system’s educational, vocational and recreational programs; and medical, psychological and religious services, including counseling, work release and jail workforce programs, according to Government House…
There are inmates that are in this corrupted system for crimes that they did not commit & instead of the same system that put them there release them, they let them sit there to rot… How can it get any better for them, if you don’t do your part & correction the systems corrupted mistakes…When that problem get fix…only then you will see room for the rehabilitation…
Government House why don’t you go & ask the 100 V.I. prison inmates previously housed in correctional facilities across Virginia…what is was like…all that you mentioned above is a lie…now that the money has bin wasted on sending them there only to come back to the same place with little to no rehabilitation what is the next game plan for these inmates?
I agree with bull foot soup. What about the victims? These inmates have taken our possessions that we worked hard for, taken our friends’ and relatives’ lives, and and have the virgin islands community living in fear. The parents who are heartbroken now, should have paid more attention to the inmates when they were children but these same parents let them run wild. They have created these monsters.
Disgusted and Bull Foot Soup both raise a very important question: What about the victims of crime? What of those who have suffered grave losses – whether their lives, their loved ones or material possessions? The Virgin Islands Prison Project eagerly welcomes victims and victims’ families to join this wider dialogue about crime and punishment. Theirs is an essential voice lending a much needed dimension to the discussion – only they can really speak to issues of what it feels like to be robbed at gunpoint, or maimed in some sort of vicious assault. And, they too, can speak uniquely to the excruciating pain of losing a loved one to violence.
There are other, silent, victims that are also affected by crime. Those include the families of the perpetrators: the mothers and fathers; the brothers and sisters; extended families; and also, frequently, their very young children. These people are often thrust, unwittingly, into a criminal justice system for which they are unprepared, and many of the times they lack the necessary tools to help themselves or their loved ones. There are many seriously, life-altering situations that arise when a loved one is accused of a crime and subsequently incarcerated. Most obvious among them are the long term ramifications experienced by the children of the offenders. Those children are more likely to drop out of school and also have higher incidences of becoming incarcerated themselves. The Virgin Islands Prison Project also seeks to include their combined voice into the wider dialogue about crime and punishment and explore all possibilities for healing the breaches that occur.
Our citizenry deserve to be safe and protected. And I believe that we can all agree that there should be consequences for committing crime; whether it’s violent crime, a property crime, or crimes against the collective. Equally, there are deeper issues associated with the long term incarceration of offenders which merit further discussion than we have had to date; among them is the huge financial drain on our society. When we spend more money to imprison criminals, some of them non-violent, than we do to educate our students – something is grossly disproportionate.
These are very complex issues that cannot be solved in this thread here alone. And we deeply appreciate the feedback, especially from those who may not necessarily agree with us. The Virgin Islands Prison Project’s mission in publicly examining these ideas is to inform, educate and mobilize our community to promote meaningful dialogue around prison reform. We aim to advocate for rational and progressive criminal justice legislation and programs. And, most importantly, spur public motivation to examine the core issues that create crime and poverty.
From my experience with the VIPP is not just about the prisoner’s its also about the victims & what can be done to help both sides…I agree with 1peacelover…We must find a way to lovingly integrate our people not just the ones behind those wall, but all… Yes it will take a lot of work, at the same time it’s not impossible to come together shift our thinking & really work as one… It’s time for us to step out the box…Thank you Ms. Lyons for keeping it real…
Kim Lyons – please point me in the direction of the VI Prison Project so I (we) can learn more.
Thank you.
Folks can get in touch with the VI Prison Project by emailing us directly at viprisonproject@gmail.com. Or, they can also call us at 340-514-1422. Additionally, we conduct monthly meetings thru our Prisoner Family Support Networks on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
You are absolutely right in your assertion, Bull Foot Soup, “prisons suck.” But not for the reasons many of us assume. Prisons suck because they fail miserably in doing the job for which they were originally intended. Prisons do not deter crime but, in fact, encourage it. We have moved so far away from any model of rehabilitation that we are now strictly in the business of warehousing and caging criminals. The majority of prisoners will one day be back on the street and we are all but guaranteeing that they will emerge worse off than before they were locked up.
There is an amazing organization in its 4th decade of operation, Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation. This group works diligently, on a national level, toward the abolition of the death penalty. Made up of families who have lost loved ones to violent crimes, they are a shining example of what can happen when we expand the dialogue to include forgiveness and compassion, as opposed to solely focusing on retribution and punishment. These families recognize well, that a great part of their healing relies on their ability to seek reconciliation and repair. We can shift whole paradigms with such an approach in this small community of the Virgin Islands.
Thank you Kim. I’ll check it out.
What a great idea! I was wondering when someone would start an organization to promote prison reform in the territory. Worldwide, there have been groups dedicated to prison reform as long as there have been prisons.
Obviously, this is greatly needed here as the VI prisons have been under a Federal consent decree for over twenty years. This can be a key part of that puzzle.
Clearly this is a very uncomfortable topic as we also grapple what to do about the violence that has become so commonplace in this community. How many murders so far this year?
Bravo to Ms. Lyons and her group for being brave enough to take this challenge on. I too will check it out.
WHAT DO THE GOVERNOR HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS? HIS SPOKE MAN JEAN GREAUX DIDN’T RETURN CALLS OR E-MAILS TO REPORTERS QUESTIONS ABOUT VI PRISON SYSTEM. GOVERNOR DE JONGH HAS BEEN MISTREATING MENTALLY ILL PRISONERS AND HAVE NOTING TO SAY TO THE MEDIA ABOUT HIS ACTIONS SHORT OF SHIPPING MORE MENTALLY ILL PRISONERS OFF ISLAND.
ACLU Urges Judge to Fine USVI for Jail Violations
ACLU urges judge to fine US Virgin Islands for failing to improve troubled jail
By DAVID McFADDEN Associated Press Writer
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico May 28, 2009 (AP)
“The U.S. Virgin Islands should be penalized for chronic failure to improve conditions at its main jail facility despite 13 years of court orders, inmate advocates told a federal judge Thursday.” The islands should be fined for contempt, said Eric Balaban, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who alleged that guards have beaten inmates, left mentally ill prisoners untreated and that weapons and drugs are ubiquitous. Balaban said federal court orders to improve conditions at the Virgin Islands Criminal Justice Complex have gone unheeded since the mid-1990s.”
“The continued lack of commitment by officials in the Virgin Islands to improving the conditions in the jail is unconscionable,” he said. The Virgin Islands have been held in contempt four times for failing to improve the 97-bed jail in St. Thomas.”
“U.S. District Judge Stanley S. Brotman, who presided over Thursday’s hearing, has declined to impose sanctions in the past, saying he hoped that “hazardous conditions” would be fixed. But a correctional medicine expert who toured the complex testified that the islands’ Bureau of Corrections has consistently failed to provide adequate mental health services to ill detainees as mandated in previous court orders.”
“Immediate intervention is essential to ensure that prisoners are getting the mental and medical health care that they are constitutionally entitled to,” added attorney Benjamin Currence, co-counsel in the case. The government is working on transferring mentally ill inmates elsewhere, territory Attorney General Vincent Frazer has said previously.
“Neither he nor government spokesman Jean Greaux responded to calls and an e-mail seeking comment on Thursday’s hearing.”
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7703496
The way we deal with people & punishment needs active participation from our community from a holistic perspective. First, the system we are embracing has been created to divide & conquer. This system favors the haves and the have nots fall through the cracks to make up the underclass or “those trapped in a cycle of poverty”. It is intentional and as long as we cannot hold one head as a community as to how we get accountability from those “we” elect our home will continue to be divided amongst itself.
The below links are examples of how & why we need to re-examine “our” principles, ethics, integrity and responsibility in how we administer Justice. More times than not, there are external sources driving the issues that concern and affect us everyday, from the right to self determination to the preservation of our environment to the punishment/lack of punishment of a group of people.
If we all agreed that all the laws apply to us all equally including punishment for violating these rules & laws of conduct, many of these issues would not even exist.
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/53503462.html
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/189103-States-Seek-Less-Costly-Substitutes-For-Prison
Bullfoot Soup……..this one’s for you. As we know, things are not always what they appear to be. “Knowledge protects, ignorance endangers.” We must go beneath the surface of things in order to form a better perspective of the elements involved. CIF…….Thank you for this forum
http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2009/08/police-officer-said-that-he-had-planted.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208432/A-2m-witness-payment-bogus-forensic-evidence-Pentagon-memo-blaming-Iran-How-Lockerbie-bomber-threatened-Scottish-justice.html