Posts

Blog Post 6

I think the most interesting topic for me goes back to the first week of this class when talked about mass incarceration. It really surprised me when I found out U.S. prison populations increased 750% from 1970 to 2010.  We also have the largest prison population, which was not something I was expecting the United States to be first in. I enjoyed talking about evidence-based corrections as it brought in empirical research and applied it to the correctional field. I enjoyed talking about the different theories and the success or lack of success they have been met with.  The assignments I enjoyed the most were the interactivities. I enjoyed the different videos, particularly the documentaries such as the tent city jail, they call us monsters and the HBO documentary. By watching these videos I was able to form more rational thoughts as I was able to see the things I learned in class applied to the real world.  We currently have five million Americans who can not vote due to felony disenfr
1 comment
Read more

Blog Post 5

One's rights are limited significantly once incarcerated. Every citizen has constitutional rights protected by the federal government, however, some of these rights do not extend or are limited for prisoners. Some of these limited rights are listed under the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, and 14th Amendments. Some other collateral consequences of being incarcerated are impaired access to or enjoyment of, the ordinary rights and benefits associated with citizenship or residence which include not being allowed to vote, losing your driver's license, or having restrictions on where you can live. There is also impaired economic opportunities as many employers will not hire convicted felons.  The 8th amendment is a right against cruel and unusual punishment, excessive fines, and bail. The 13th amendment is the abolishment of slavery. The eight amendment affects prisoners against cruel and unusual punishment, such as being executed through the electric chair for capital punishment. It
1 comment
Read more

Blog Post 4

According to some of the inmates in the HBO documentary, prison can be a place of great despair if you let it be that way. However, it can also be a place where you can accept your life and try not to let what you can not change drive you crazy, according to Dortell Williams. Scott and Nelson talked about the different cliques in prison that are usually separated by race. Kenneth also dives into this when he lists the different groups, which were northern Mexicans, southern Mexicans, blacks, and whites. While there is lots of downtime, it is up to the prisoner to chose if he wants to do something positive or stir up trouble according to Scott and Nelson.  In the book, it is evident that there is a persistent "us vs them" mentality between correctional staff and the inmates. According to Scott and Nelson, there was at times good wardens and wardens that just wanted to make life miserable. Depending on how they were treated, would usually reflect on the environment of that pris
1 comment
Read more

Blog Post 3

Image
The sentencing process in the U.S. struggles at achieving equity, as those in prison tend to be primarily young men, disproportionately people of color, disproportionately poor, and have low educational attainment. Sentencing structures in the U.S. are impacted by aggravating factors and mitigating circumstances. Front-end-reforms limit judicial discretion and back-end reforms limit the reduction of a sentence once they are placed in prison. Sentencing guidelines associated with drug offenses have contributed to the mass incarceration of people of color.  Some of the issues with the pre-trial process such as bail and jail is that bail can be expensive. Those who cannot afford bail must stay in jail. This primarily affects impoverished groups such as people of color. Jails are places intended to house those awaiting trial, some problems associated with jail are the high number of individuals with mental illness. The rate of mental illness among those in jail is three times higher than t
1 comment
Read more

Blog Post 2

Image
My theories at the foundation of my correctional system would be rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence. Rehabilitation provides the client with skills, norms, and attitudes that will help them be law-abiding. This theory also targets the root causes of crime such as mental health and poverty. As a developed country, there is no reason we should have the highest incarceration rate. For these reasons, we must follow the lead of other developed countries that have taken a more rehabilitative approach.  For other more violent offenses, however, such as murder, rape, and kidnapping should be met with harsher sentences. By locking these offenders away from the community, we are protecting society. Incapacitation is defined as physically locking people up so they can't physically harm the community. Hopefully, along the way, we deter other individuals from committing the same crimes through the correctional theory of deterrence. Deterrence uses the threat of punishment to deter o
1 comment
Read more

CJ: 391 Introduction

Image
  I am about to begin my senior year at Wichita State University this fall. Next spring I plan on receiving my B.A. in Political Science and Criminal Justice. I have been at WSU since August 2019, I begin my post-secondary career at Hutchinson Community College, which I attended for two years, getting an associates degree along the way.  Achieving a higher education is important to me as I believe it will bring me opportunities that I could not have without it. I am a first-generation college student and plan on setting a foundation that my younger siblings can follow.  When I am not studying or in class, I serve my community by volunteering for various things. I am a big in Big Brothers Big Sisters and participate in a board of zoning appeals for my county. I also work a part-time job at Cargill, a grain elevator where I do various tasks, such as rail loading and grain receiving during harvest.   During my time at Hutchinson Community College, I participated in a walk-a-long at the Hu
1 comment
Location: Salina, KS, USA
Read more