Your writing here is so thoughtful. Justice focused only the past cannot lead to a future. I love the way you've articulated these very specific items but also shared a bigger theme and idea. So well said. Stay strong!
Jennifer, Thank you for your thoughtful, inspiring words. This country needs more hope, love, and a sense of unity. I'm going to continue to educate myself on what's happening in the current shift in administration, and will advocate for human rights for all in this country.
Thank you so much for sharing these. Thinking of your first poem, "Going 'Home'" in particular. It reminded me of the saying "home is not a place" - we can create home anywhere. It's the responsibility of those who are not incarcerated to create a home that will be waiting for you when you leave - a world that is welcoming and non-judgmental and wants to give you the things you need to succeed. I will do everything I can to make sure that world is waiting for you. In the meantime, please keep writing!
Thanks for distributing this information; it's definitely useful to illustrate what a large portion of your facility's population the DOC has failed to "correct", according to its own stated goals! In fact, according to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the national recidivism rate over five years (2005-2010) is actually as high as 76.6%. The most recent number supplied by the Massachusetts DOC (32%) is indeed somewhat misleading, since it only measures re-convictions over the last three years (2012-2015). In general, if we want to get a complete and accurate picture of what the true recidivism rate is, we should be looking at everyone who is re-convicted, as you did, not just people who were re-convicted within a certain number of years of release. Unfortunately, to do that with maximum accuracy, we would have to also compare the number of re-convictions to the whole US population of ex-offenders not currently in prison, a number that the BJS does not seem to collect.
Thanks again for this report. Keep up the good fight!
RSS
Your writing here is so thoughtful. Justice focused only the past cannot lead to a future. I love the way you've articulated these very specific items but also shared a bigger theme and idea. So well said. Stay strong!
Thank you for your thoughtful, inspiring words. This country needs more hope, love, and a sense of unity. I'm going to continue to educate myself on what's happening in the current shift in administration, and will advocate for human rights for all in this country.
Be well,
Emily
H
Allison
Thank you so much for sharing these. Thinking of your first poem, "Going 'Home'" in particular. It reminded me of the saying "home is not a place" - we can create home anywhere. It's the responsibility of those who are not incarcerated to create a home that will be waiting for you when you leave - a world that is welcoming and non-judgmental and wants to give you the things you need to succeed. I will do everything I can to make sure that world is waiting for you. In the meantime, please keep writing!
Adina
Bridget
Your words are powerful. The simplicity and directness of your poem "Iron Slab" hit me right in the heart.
Thank you for sharing.
Jo
Thanks for distributing this information; it's definitely useful to illustrate what a large portion of your facility's population the DOC has failed to "correct", according to its own stated goals! In fact, according to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the national recidivism rate over five years (2005-2010) is actually as high as 76.6%. The most recent number supplied by the Massachusetts DOC (32%) is indeed somewhat misleading, since it only measures re-convictions over the last three years (2012-2015). In general, if we want to get a complete and accurate picture of what the true recidivism rate is, we should be looking at everyone who is re-convicted, as you did, not just people who were re-convicted within a certain number of years of release. Unfortunately, to do that with maximum accuracy, we would have to also compare the number of re-convictions to the whole US population of ex-offenders not currently in prison, a number that the BJS does not seem to collect.
Thanks again for this report. Keep up the good fight!
Jeff Sherwood