Monday, January 7, 2013

Justice In Oklahoma?

CAN JUSTICE BE FOUND IN OKLAHOMA? SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID 'JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED'. MAYBE THAT IS TRUE, BUT IN OKLAHOMA, AS WELL AS THE NATION, JUSTICE IS BROKEN!
I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO MUST BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS IN OUR COURTS AND PRISON SYSTEM.ONE EXAMPLE OF THE 'PROBLEM' WAS AN ARTICLE I READ BACK IN 2005 CALLED 'DEAL KEEPS EX-OFFICER OUT OF JAIL'. THERE IS NO JUSTICE WHEN A MAN, AN EX-POLICE OFFICER CAN RAPE AND ABUSE CHILDREN AND BECAUSE HE ONLY ADMITS HIS GUILT TO ONE COURT THE OTHER 13 FELONY COUNTS AGAINST HIM GET DISMISSED!! OUR COURT SYSTEM, JUST RAPED THOSE CHILDREN AGAIN! IF PEOPLE CAN RAPE AND ABUSE CHILDREN AND GET AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BUDDIES IN THE COURTS AND IN THE POLICE DEPT., THEN WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE IN PRISON RIGHT NOW FOR THE SAME CRIME, MAYBE THEIR CASES SHOULD ALL BE DISMISSED ALSO?
I HAVE BEEN A PRISON VOLUNTEER FOR 14 YRS NOW AND MET MANY WONDERFUL PRISON FACILITY STAFF AS WELL AS OTHER VOLUNTEERS ETC. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN THE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT! THERE ARE MANY CARING, CONCERNED, HARD-WORKING PEOPLE WHO ARE FIGHTING AN UP HILL BATTLE TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES FOR ALL INVOLVED.
I WORK WITH MANY PRISON INMATES WHO ARE NON-VIOLENT AND MANY WHO ARE ACTUALLY INNOCENT AND WRONGLY CONVICTED, MANY WHO MADE WRONG CHOICES AND ARE LEARNING TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER AND OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN RELEASED BACK INTO SOCIETY WHERE THEY ARE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. BUT THE MEDIA, SADLY, NEVER PROMOTES ANY OF THE GOOD PROGRESS BEING MADE BEHIND PRISON WALLS. WHEN WILL SOCIETY REALLY CARE WHAT HAPPENS IN PRISON AND THE COURTS? WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOUR FAMILY, YOUR MOTHER, FATHER, CHILDREN! DON'T WAIT FOR CRIME TO STRIKE YOUR FAMILY BEFORE YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON...BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEMS AND OFFER NO POSITIVE SOLUTIONS OR IF WE DON'T HAVE MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE MANY WONDERFUL GROUPS ALREADY SERVING INSIDE PRISON TODAY, THEN BELIEVE IT, CRIME WILL COME YOUR WAY, MAYBE NOT TOMORROW BUT IT'S COMING. CRIMES SPREADS LIKE WILD FIRE, AND IF NO ONE STANDS IN THE GAP TO STOP IT THEN ONE DAY IT WILL OVERTAKE YOU.
I CHALLENGE ALL WHO WORK IN THE SYSTEM AND THOSE FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CRIME AND PRISON OF THEIR LOVED ONES TO STAND UP AND SPEAK UP!!
WE CAN HELP THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO REALLY BECOME A 'HOUSE OF CORRECTION' AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED, INSTEAD OF JUST A WAREHOUSE OF PEOPLE FILLING BEDS IN ORDER FOR PROFIT$ TO BE MADE BY OTHERS. TRUE CORRECTION CAN ONLY COME WHEN A PERSON IS CHANGING ON THE INSIDE, NOT JUST OUTWARD BEHAVIORS, BUT INNER ATTITUDES, THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS. WITHOUT INNER TRANSFORMATION, THERE CAN BE NO CORRECTION!
LET'S ALL BAND TOGETHER TO BRING TRUE REHABILITATION TO OUR PRISONS AND OFFER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT REALLY ALLOW OFFENDERS TO YES, SERVE THEIR SENTENCES, BUT ALSO TO ACTUALLY RECEIVE A CHANGED LIFE, TO BE BUILT UP IN SELF-RESPECT, SELF-WORTH AND SELF-ESTEEM SO THEY CAN BECOOME ACTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY ONCE AGAIN.
BUT THERE ALSO MUST BE CORRECTION IN ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS OF THOSE ON STAFF IN OUR PRISONS. JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE WORK THERE, 'GUARDING' INMATES DOESN'T GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO ALLOW OR CAUSE THE ABUSE OF THOSE OFFENDERS.I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE A JOB TO DO, MANY TIMES A DANGEROUS JOB BUT THE STAFF MUST NOT CROSS THE LINE.
THEY SHOULD BE POSITIVE EXAMPLES AND ROLE MODELS TO THOSE THEY GUARD EACH DAY. YOU CAN'T JUST LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY! NOR TURN YOUR BACK ON HOW THEY ARE TREATED. ABUSE IN ANY FORM, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS THE ABUSER, SHOULD BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND WHEN STAFF ARE FOUND TO BE GUILTY OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS THEY SHOULD BE FIRED AND REPLACED BY ANOTHER PERSON WHO WILL OBEY RULES OF CONDUCT. THE PRISON LAWS SHOULD BE UPHELD BY EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE OF THE FENCE THEY ARE ON.
IF WE MAKE REAL POSITIVE CHANGES IN OUR PRISONS THEN MAYBE ONE DAY THERE WILL BE TRUE JUSTICE FOR ALL
{letter to editor written by me in 2007}

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