THE FIGHT TO CORRECT CORRECTIONS

At the time of son Milo’s murder at the Idaho State Correctional Center (a fancy name for “prison”), a nephew suggested that I could do some writing with regard to the need for corrections reform. Well, I’ve found it difficult. In the first place, I’m not a crusader, and in the second place, injustices happen every day. I’m well aware that the tragic loss of a son does not make me special. It also takes courage to speak out because some people feel that inmates deserve what they get, regardless of their circumstances.

But today in the U.S., we incarcerate so many non-violent offenders that we need to let go of that cruel idea. We have criminalized mental illness and addiction – societal issues – to the extent that at least 50% of the incarcerated could better serve another less costly type of sentence. (Yes, incarceration is a hefty taxpayer expense.) If non-violent offenders could pay their debt under some other type of system, they might continue to contribute to society through employment, pay taxes, support community businesses, and keep their families intact while also benefiting the community through service.

And let me tell you, once an individual finds his way into the judicial / corrections system, his/her life is ruined. It takes an exceptionally strong individual to come back from incarceration. When released, they have hefty fines to pay, which increases indebtedness and leads to homelessness – a further drain on society. They say if you aren’t mentally ill when you enter prison, you will be when you come out. The prison environment sees to it. Prison helps no one.

We incarcerate the criminally insane as well as those with mental health issues, often without segregating them from each other or the general prison population, making it especially dangerous for non-violent inmates. Some people aren’t fighters and can’t adequately defend themselves. And why should they have to? No one should be bullied in prison or anywhere else, but this happens.

It’s not my place to say whether or not Milo belonged in prison. However, judges who pass these sentences must know that non-violent offenders might not survive incarceration. At the sentencing of Milo’s murderer, the judge commented that she had no jurisdiction over what happens at the prison, adding that the prison doesn’t even have to follow her recommendations. And I wanted to scream, “But you put people there!”

I’ve been asked more than once, “Have you told the ACLU?” Yes, several times. The major concerns of human rights organizations are the incarceration of women, the plight of people of color, and the rights of the LGBTQ community – all worthy causes – but our son Milo, a white male, was killed by his cellmate, another white male. Very few organizations argue for the greatly needed reform of the overall system for the betterment of humanity. The political upheaval in our country puts prison reform at the bottom of the list, and yet, we’re no better as a society than the way we treat the lowest among us.

It’s been nearly three years since Milo passed. The news cycle has moved on, but it has been the quest of my family to quietly press for change through legal action. A judge has allowed our suit to continue. We believe it’s an important case. KW