It is a series of actions which started well before he murdered Ron however. While I do not doubt, that Mr. Pezecca may have come to some sort of regret for what he did, it is easy to feel this regret from behind bars, fences and razor wire. What else is there time for, as this is exactly what the system is designed to accomplish.
The thing is, this is an individual who attacked a bailiff at the courthouse, and had to be brought into the courtroom in shackles. This is someone who stabbed people while in juvenile detention. His issues started long before the day he decided to kill Ron and dispose of the body parts. Clearly a product of crap parenting, but also lacking a will to raise himself above that. Lots of people have bad parents, and manage to raise themselves from that issue.
For that, I feel sorry for Mr. Pezecca. For murder, no sympathy.
Ron was 58, and yes, he was a cancer patient. It was Melanoma however, and not life threatening. Ron was a pretty big guy, and by no means weak... He could hold his own. Against a roofing hammer to the back of the head, no one would be able to hold their own however.
Daniel, Too often you hear reasons of why or why not change in the system cannot occur coming from higher authorities, but I think it is refreshing to hear your thoughts since you are going through this first hand. What is the purpose of the Prison? Is it to punish? Is it to reform? As my knowledge continues to increase, I began to form an opinion that agrees with your position. A restorative justice system is needed. Your goals for an ideal system are great and go along completely with my morals and thoughts about the prison. This RRC program sounds fascinating, and I would be interested to see how many inmates would choose to participate in this facility. Also, I would be interested to see how many people would be willing to participate in the ten-day retreat you described. You touched on the point that many people coming into the prison are not really in a good state of mind, but I do believe through a system like this people would be willing to change. You described how if you are a first time offender you can get a sentence reduction by 1/3; a second time offender will not receive a sentence deduction, but can still participate in the program; and those who have participated in the program twice already are not able to go through it again. This is a very smart and well thought out idea. I feel for first time offenders it is almost like an incentive to get a sentence reduction. And during their time there, hopefully they will have a change of mind for the better. Also, those that are second time offenders are still given the privilege—like a second chance. While it might of not worked completely the first time, if they are willing to go back to the program without the incentive of a sentence reduction, this shows that they are motivated, and they do want to see a change within themselves. Lastly, the third time offender is not given the opportunity to participate in the program. It is like the idea of ‘three strikes and you are out’; you were given the opportunity to reform, but you did not take advantage of it therefore you missed your chances—it is a missed opportunity. The lessons you are envisioning for this RRC program such as ‘self-discovery’ and ‘interpersonal skills/conflict resolution’ is exactly what the prison needs. Moreover, the question you proposed at the end really brought your idea full circle. Do you want to have a criminal in your neighborhood that did not undergo reform? Or one that has gone through this RRC program and has reformed and has had a change of mind? People say they have this WANT for reform of prison inmates, but do slim to nothing about it. However, with an idea like this brought to the table, people will agree and feel a passion to take action.
To move forward you need to take responsibility for your actions. This was not a ten second fight. This was a 58 year old cancer patient that was struck from behind and pursued into another room and struck again. The decision to dismember him was an attempt to escape the inevitable result of your actions. It occurred over an extended period of time........going to your girlfriend to get a hacksaw was cold and thought out. Your current situation is simply the end of an escalating upward spiral of violence.
It's not taking shots, it's just reality. I think that sadly it is a reality you have to live with every day.
But, back to something of a better note. If you get rated to a three, what sort of job does that allow? Is the pay better, or just simply the job itself.
You noted that $40k is below the median income level, and this is true. People at jobs in places like McDonalds and the ilk cannot make it on those wages, but I have always been of the opinion that those jobs are not meant to be for a family income. Sadly... They are. You worked in an industry prior to your lock up that would / could have made you decent money outside. I remember part of this being discussed during your court case. If you were out working today, the chances of making well over 40k in construction/roofing, what have you are really good.
There is a push right now to raise minimum wage substantially. I have always hated the term minimum wage. It implies such a disdain on the part of the employer to the employee... As in "you are only worth the minimum of what I am required to pay". I understand the logic behind the law, but hate the term. Walmart recently announced they are raising all of their employee wages, it may get the ball rolling. The thing is, when everyone has more money, there is more in the system, and prices go up... Essentially a net gain of zero.
good luck on starting a new charity campaign. I saw the postings for your last one, it must be nice to have an outlet of that nature.
Slavery in Suriname was abolished by the Netherlands in 1863, but the slaves were not fully released until 1873, after a mandatory ten-year transition period during which time they were required to work on the plantations for minimal pay and without state-sanctioned discipline. As soon as they became truly free, the slaves largely abandoned the plantations where they had worked for several generations in favour of the city, Paramaribo.
As a plantation colony, Suriname was still heavily dependent on manual labour, and to make up for the shortfall, the Dutch brought in contract labourers from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) and India (through an arrangement with the British). In addition, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small numbers of labourers, mostly men, were brought in from China and the Middle East. Although Suriname's population remains relatively small, because of this history it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world. On 23 November 1941, under an agreement with the Netherlands government-in-exile, the United States occupied Suriname to protect bauxite mines. In 1942, the Dutch government-in-exile expressed a desire to review the relations between the Netherlands and its colonies after the end of the war. In 1954, Suriname became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands. In this construction, the Netherlands retained control of defense and foreign affairs. In 1973, the local government, led by the NPS (a largely Creole, meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European, party) started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence, which was granted on 25 November 1975. The severance package was very substantial, and a large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government.
The predominant religion in the country is Christianity (48.4% in 2012),[40] both in the form of Roman Catholicism and various denominations of Protestantism, the Moravian Church being the oldest and largest; it is particularly dominant among Creoles. Many Maroons practice Winti, an Afro-American religion. Hindus form the second largest religious group in Suriname, comprising 22.3% of the population.[40] The Indian-descended population practices predominantly Hinduism, or in minority Islam. The Javanese practice either Islam or, a small minority, Javanism. Muslims constitute 13.9% of the population of Suriname.
Some facts about Suriname: Population - July 2014 estimate 573,311 GDP (PPP) 2014 estimate - Total $9.240 billion - Per capita $16,716 Official languages Dutch Recognised regional languages
Sranan Tongo Creole Caribbean Hindi Javanese
According to the 2012 census, Suriname had a population of 541,638 inhabitants.[2] It is made up of several distinct ethnic groups.
East Indians form 27% of the population. They are descendants of 19th-century contract workers from India. They are from the Indian states of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, in Northern India, along the Nepali border. Surinamese Maroons form 21.7% of the population and are divided into five main groups: Ndyuka (Aucans), Kwinti, Matawai, Saramaccans and Paramaccans. Surinamese Creoles form 15.7% of the population. They are the mixed descendants of West African slaves and Europeans (mostly Dutch). Javanese (descendants of contract workers from the former Dutch East Indies on the island of Java, Indonesia),[37] form 14% of the population. mainly in Nickerie, Saramacca, Wanica, Paramaribo and Commewijne Chinese, mainly descendants of the earliest 19th-century contract workers. The 1990s and early 21st century saw renewed immigration on a large scale. In the year 2011 there were over 40,000 Chinese in Suriname. Indigenous Americans, the original inhabitants of Suriname, form 3.7% of the population. The main groups being the Akurio, Arawak, Kalina (Caribs), Tiriyó and Wayana. They live mainly in the districts of Paramaribo, Wanica, Marowijne and Sipaliwini.[38] Europeans, descendants of Dutch 19th-century immigrant farmers, Portuguese from Madeira and other European peoples. The descendants of Dutch immigrant farmers are known as "Boeroes" (derived from boer, the Dutch word for "farmer"). Most Boeroes left after independence in 1975. Today there are about 1000 boeroes in Suriname, of which some are still present in the agricultural sector of Suriname. Levantines, primarily Maronites from Lebanon, and Jews (mostly descendants of Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews). In their history, Jodensavanne plays a major role. Many Jews are mixed with other populations. Brazilians, many of them gold miners.[39]
The vast majority of people (about 90%) live in Paramaribo or on the coast. There is also a significant Surinamese population in the Netherlands. In 2005 there were 328,300 Surinamese people living in the Netherlands, which is about 2% of the total population of the Netherlands, compared to 438,000 Surinamese in Suriname itself.
I hope you are fine Michael, hope to read from you soon, x Ju
RSS
The thing is, this is an individual who attacked a bailiff at the courthouse, and had to be brought into the courtroom in shackles. This is someone who stabbed people while in juvenile detention. His issues started long before the day he decided to kill Ron and dispose of the body parts. Clearly a product of crap parenting, but also lacking a will to raise himself above that. Lots of people have bad parents, and manage to raise themselves from that issue.
For that, I feel sorry for Mr. Pezecca. For murder, no sympathy.
Ron was 58, and yes, he was a cancer patient. It was Melanoma however, and not life threatening. Ron was a pretty big guy, and by no means weak... He could hold his own. Against a roofing hammer to the back of the head, no one would be able to hold their own however.
Too often you hear reasons of why or why not change in the system cannot occur coming from higher authorities, but I think it is refreshing to hear your thoughts since you are going through this first hand.
What is the purpose of the Prison? Is it to punish? Is it to reform? As my knowledge continues to increase, I began to form an opinion that agrees with your position. A restorative justice system is needed. Your goals for an ideal system are great and go along completely with my morals and thoughts about the prison.
This RRC program sounds fascinating, and I would be interested to see how many inmates would choose to participate in this facility. Also, I would be interested to see how many people would be willing to participate in the ten-day retreat you described. You touched on the point that many people coming into the prison are not really in a good state of mind, but I do believe through a system like this people would be willing to change. You described how if you are a first time offender you can get a sentence reduction by 1/3; a second time offender will not receive a sentence deduction, but can still participate in the program; and those who have participated in the program twice already are not able to go through it again. This is a very smart and well thought out idea. I feel for first time offenders it is almost like an incentive to get a sentence reduction. And during their time there, hopefully they will have a change of mind for the better. Also, those that are second time offenders are still given the privilege—like a second chance. While it might of not worked completely the first time, if they are willing to go back to the program without the incentive of a sentence reduction, this shows that they are motivated, and they do want to see a change within themselves. Lastly, the third time offender is not given the opportunity to participate in the program. It is like the idea of ‘three strikes and you are out’; you were given the opportunity to reform, but you did not take advantage of it therefore you missed your chances—it is a missed opportunity.
The lessons you are envisioning for this RRC program such as ‘self-discovery’ and ‘interpersonal skills/conflict resolution’ is exactly what the prison needs. Moreover, the question you proposed at the end really brought your idea full circle. Do you want to have a criminal in your neighborhood that did not undergo reform? Or one that has gone through this RRC program and has reformed and has had a change of mind? People say they have this WANT for reform of prison inmates, but do slim to nothing about it. However, with an idea like this brought to the table, people will agree and feel a passion to take action.
But, back to something of a better note. If you get rated to a three, what sort of job does that allow? Is the pay better, or just simply the job itself.
You noted that $40k is below the median income level, and this is true. People at jobs in places like McDonalds and the ilk cannot make it on those wages, but I have always been of the opinion that those jobs are not meant to be for a family income. Sadly... They are. You worked in an industry prior to your lock up that would / could have made you decent money outside. I remember part of this being discussed during your court case. If you were out working today, the chances of making well over 40k in construction/roofing, what have you are really good.
There is a push right now to raise minimum wage substantially. I have always hated the term minimum wage. It implies such a disdain on the part of the employer to the employee... As in "you are only worth the minimum of what I am required to pay". I understand the logic behind the law, but hate the term. Walmart recently announced they are raising all of their employee wages, it may get the ball rolling. The thing is, when everyone has more money, there is more in the system, and prices go up... Essentially a net gain of zero.
good luck on starting a new charity campaign. I saw the postings for your last one, it must be nice to have an outlet of that nature.
As a plantation colony, Suriname was still heavily dependent on manual labour, and to make up for the shortfall, the Dutch brought in contract labourers from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) and India (through an arrangement with the British). In addition, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small numbers of labourers, mostly men, were brought in from China and the Middle East. Although Suriname's population remains relatively small, because of this history it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world.
On 23 November 1941, under an agreement with the Netherlands government-in-exile, the United States occupied Suriname to protect bauxite mines. In 1942, the Dutch government-in-exile expressed a desire to review the relations between the Netherlands and its colonies after the end of the war. In 1954, Suriname became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands. In this construction, the Netherlands retained control of defense and foreign affairs. In 1973, the local government, led by the NPS (a largely Creole, meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European, party) started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence, which was granted on 25 November 1975. The severance package was very substantial, and a large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government.
The predominant religion in the country is Christianity (48.4% in 2012),[40] both in the form of Roman Catholicism and various denominations of Protestantism, the Moravian Church being the oldest and largest; it is particularly dominant among Creoles. Many Maroons practice Winti, an Afro-American religion. Hindus form the second largest religious group in Suriname, comprising 22.3% of the population.[40] The Indian-descended population practices predominantly Hinduism, or in minority Islam. The Javanese practice either Islam or, a small minority, Javanism. Muslims constitute 13.9% of the population of Suriname.
xx ju
Population
- July 2014 estimate 573,311
GDP (PPP) 2014 estimate
- Total $9.240 billion
- Per capita $16,716
Official languages Dutch
Recognised regional languages
Sranan Tongo Creole
Caribbean Hindi
Javanese
According to the 2012 census, Suriname had a population of 541,638 inhabitants.[2] It is made up of several distinct ethnic groups.
East Indians form 27% of the population. They are descendants of 19th-century contract workers from India. They are from the Indian states of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, in Northern India, along the Nepali border.
Surinamese Maroons form 21.7% of the population and are divided into five main groups: Ndyuka (Aucans), Kwinti, Matawai, Saramaccans and Paramaccans.
Surinamese Creoles form 15.7% of the population. They are the mixed descendants of West African slaves and Europeans (mostly Dutch).
Javanese (descendants of contract workers from the former Dutch East Indies on the island of Java, Indonesia),[37] form 14% of the population. mainly in Nickerie, Saramacca, Wanica, Paramaribo and Commewijne
Chinese, mainly descendants of the earliest 19th-century contract workers. The 1990s and early 21st century saw renewed immigration on a large scale. In the year 2011 there were over 40,000 Chinese in Suriname.
Indigenous Americans, the original inhabitants of Suriname, form 3.7% of the population. The main groups being the Akurio, Arawak, Kalina (Caribs), Tiriyó and Wayana. They live mainly in the districts of Paramaribo, Wanica, Marowijne and Sipaliwini.[38]
Europeans, descendants of Dutch 19th-century immigrant farmers, Portuguese from Madeira and other European peoples. The descendants of Dutch immigrant farmers are known as "Boeroes" (derived from boer, the Dutch word for "farmer"). Most Boeroes left after independence in 1975. Today there are about 1000 boeroes in Suriname, of which some are still present in the agricultural sector of Suriname.
Levantines, primarily Maronites from Lebanon, and Jews (mostly descendants of Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews). In their history, Jodensavanne plays a major role. Many Jews are mixed with other populations.
Brazilians, many of them gold miners.[39]
The vast majority of people (about 90%) live in Paramaribo or on the coast. There is also a significant Surinamese population in the Netherlands. In 2005 there were 328,300 Surinamese people living in the Netherlands, which is about 2% of the total population of the Netherlands, compared to 438,000 Surinamese in Suriname itself.
I hope you are fine Michael, hope to read from you soon,
x Ju