20: Unlikely Social Justice Warrior

... but based in reality

Prior to my journey of the past 20 months, I had no personal experience with our criminal justice system.  In the 1990’s, I supported more stringent sentencing (minimum sentences and the like) to serve as deterrence.  I am too far away from the drug culture to understand the varying impacts of sentencing laws, but it was clear by the 2000’s that way too many, mostly black, young men were being put into our prison system.

I am from Illinois.  Our governor in 2000, Republican George Ryan, placed a moratorium on the death penalty in the state.  According to an article by WTTW, Professors and students at Northwestern University had exonerated Anthony Porter for a wrongful conviction of a 1982 double murder. (link here)  This concerned the governor, once a death penalty supporter, to not only halt death sentences, but commute the sentences of 160 death row inmates at the time to life in prison.  Clearly, there are many innocent people in prison.

I feel that, as a Christian, it is not up to us to take away anyone’s life as part of our justice system.  I have always been against capital punishment.  I am all for keeping dangerous and violent criminals away from society.

Fast forwarding to me sitting in Milan prison.  I’ve mentioned the Pakistani doctor serving 7 months.  Others finishing 3, 4, and 5-year sentences.  I spent 3 days in the general population, where I met and spoke with individuals with 7-10 year sentences (more on that in a coming issue).  There are some that, after hearing their stories, should be where they are.  However, so many others were given sentences that are pushed by over-zealous prosecutors looking to score more wins.

One thing I learned about in Milan was The First Step Act, signed by President Trump in December of 2018.  This legislation, introduced by Doug Collins (R-GA-9) and pushed by Jared Kushner, had large bipartisan support.  This is one of the most monumental changes in our justice system in decades.

President Donald Trump and his administration did more for the black community by implementing the First Step Act (FSA) than any other president in recent history. 

The next time someone asks you what DJT did for the black community, mention The First Step Act.  Don’t let anyone tell you he’s not done anything for them. 

I sat in the office of a corrections officer when I moved from quarantine to general population.  He knew I was a J6er, of course.  I asked him questions about the system, and what types of reforms have helped. He told me that the First Step Act is the most critical reform in the prison system.  Certain lower-risk inmates can earn good-time credits amounting to about 15% of their sentence.  So, a 6-year sentence becomes a 5-year sentence. He mentioned that not only does that reduce prison population, but inmates must earn the credits by good behavior, and enrolling in classes like job training, etc. that reduce recidivism.

There are other reforms in the legislation, such as reducing minimum sentencing for certain offenses, more humane treatment of inmates, and focus on reducing recidivism through courses and other actions to support successful re-integration into society, that have impacted the entire prison system.  A summary is here.

It’s all well and good that an officer told me that it was important.  However, as I spoke with inmates (of all races), I would hear them tell me how impactful the FSA for them.  I was in quarantine when someone was being released.  Done with his sentence.  He yelled with joy to never have to hear the Commanding Officers yell “COUNT”. He also said “Thank you Donald Trump!”  The inmate community looks favorably on Trump for what he did for them.  This is real.  Policy that really impacted them.

This has been rolling around in my mind ever since.  Combining my belief that many sentences could be ½ as long with the same impact on the individual, and the impact of The First Step Act, I find myself endeared to reforms that help these inmates out. I understand the compassion of the argument.

Of course, there’s a monumental difference to favoring reforms that focus on recidivism mixed with behavior-based incentives to lessen the burden of incarceration, and blanket, non-discriminatory amnesty-type reform.  When Feddermann (D-Senate candidate) in Pennsylvania says the prison population could be reduced by 1/3 without society being less safe, I would say, with some significant qualifications, that may actually be true.  If you lined up all inmates randomly (or, say, by height?) and asked every third person to step out of the line and set them free, yes, society would be less safe. Of course.  Very different things.

Illinois will implement very dangerous legislation on January 1, 2023.  It abolishes cash bail.  It puts many restrictions on police officers and departments, in terms of how and when to arrest, and how and when to use force.  

Ready for this?

Class B misdemeanors (like trespassing, or, if you like, “picketing”) for which many Jan 6er’s have been incarcerated, fined, and put on probation for years, will only result in a citation in Illinois, which is like a traffic ticket.

So, yes, the Illinois law is way over the top, and will endanger the law-abiding at the hands of the violent.

I guess I would be a “qualified Social Justice Warrior”, which means I’d still probably be rejected by the woke mob.  I don’t care, of course.  However, if there’s a chance for a Second Step Act, I’d happily support it if it is in line with the First Step Act.