7gri

Dear arcadiaego,

I want to start off by saying "thank you", not just for taking the time to respond, but also for doing the research needed for your response. As an inmate, I don't have access to many of the things many of us have become used to, things like the Internet and the wealth of information it instantly puts at our fingertips. With your help, at least I have a better idea of what I need to be saving up for. ;)

As far as the actual content of your response is concerned (your opinions on my entry versus the research you did for me), I'd like to take this opportunity to clear something up. The prison's failure to provide the inmate population with better "IT training" has absolutely nothing to do with being "short-sighted", and everything to do with job security. Allow me to explain...

If the current statistics are to be believed, the recidivism rate is somewhere near 70%, which means that, at any given point-in-time, 70% of the people who are currently incarcerated are returns. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that you had both the knowledge, and the ability, to reduce this recidivism rate from 70% to 0%. What would that mean, and what kind of impact would this have on society?

At first glance, this would appear to be a win/win scenario for all involved, and why wouldn't it? After all, a 70% reduction in recidivism means a minimum of 70% fewer crimes being committed, which in turn means 70% fewer victims of crime. As time progresses, the number of people who aren't victimized by crime would continue to increase, as many of today's criminals are committing crime(s) because of unresolved issues related to their own victimization. Fewer crimes means fewer cases clogging up the courts, which in turn translates into cases being handled in a more timely manner and getting the attention they deserve. And let's not forget the positive impact on the ex-convicts themselves, their family and friends. Not only are they not returning to prison, but they're also in a position to provide for their children, to be a meaningful, and contributing, part of society. The immediate impact is on the parolee not returning to prison, with the potential for his children to avoid making the same mistakes, thereby resulting in even fewer crimes being committed later on down the road. Unfortunately, the "win/win" doesn't apply to everyone, as there are, literally, millions in this country alone who make their entire living on the "criminal industry".