Dymitri Harszewski
Blog 1660

Reply ID 7rt9
Comment reply

5-20-24

To Ms. Amnesia... I am so sorry I haven't replied to your kind and thoughtful comment sooner! And thank you so much for the transcription of my post, "A Peak Behind the Curtain of Public Safety Theatre".
There's not much more for me to say in response to your comments on that piece. Or maybe there's just so much, it's overwhelming. It's a conversation that really should occur more often, I believe. From my perspective inside the walls, I can just tell you I'm regularly blown away by the character and calibre of the folks who are granted early or life-sentence release, and by the increasingly blunt acknowledgement (confession, really) of the sickening stupid little game that lies at the heart of the parole process. While there may be exceptions to the superficial and performing-arts nature of the process, they are few, and it's no great exaggeration to say that there is simply no sincerity on either side in the parole determination hearings, and very little fact involved, either. Mostly it comes down to a role and cynical tabulation of write ups received in a given period of time, along with almost entirely worthless "groups" taken. After an hour or two of routine parroting of talking points and faddish pseudo-scientific jargon, the parole panel simply decides whether they like the candidate well enough and whether a subsequent arrest will tank their careers, and if the math adds up, they give out the golden ticket, the governor declines to endorse it (as he is politically obligated to do), then the larger en banc panel receives the case for rubber stamping and everyone goes home, all asses adequately covered in case of upset.
It has been so long since you wrote here, I doubt you'll see this. But if you happen to, just know that your efforts on this site are appreciated by all of us involved. It's a good deed you do, taking the time to contribute to one of the very few ways that the voices of the caged are ever heard! Thanks so much.

Sincerely,
Dymitri