On February 26 2017, 60 Minutes aired the segment titled Life After Death Row. In it, Scott Pelley interviewed Ray Hinton, a 57-year-old man who was convicted and put on death row for a crime he did not commit. Hinton explained that he had lost thirty years of his life in prison. Specifically, he explained that a witness had misidentified him as the suspect of three shootings and two murders. After a new ballistics test proved his innocence years later, all the state of Alabama had to offer was a drop of all the charges – no money compensation whatsoever. For Hinton, adjusting to the world after thirty years of being incarcerated was a journey. As he proposed, “I’m still learning. I’m still learning that I can take a bath every day. I’m still learning that I don’t have to get up at 3 o’clock in the morning and eat breakfast. I’m still learning that life is not always what we think it is.” Although some people believe that the state doesn’t necessarily owe compensation for those who were falsely convicted …show more content…
In my view, it is truly unjust to not give the innocent people money for wrongfully going through jail time. In addition, an abundance of these people lost so many years of their life from being falsely convicted to jail – the least the government can do is give compensation to help them get back on their feet. Some may object to the government offering compensation, on the grounds that they don’t believe that their tax money is worth it. Yet I would argue that it is in fact, worth it. Their lives were ruined, and years were taken from them – years that cannot be given back. In fact, these people were forced to be in an environment that they didn’t deserve to be in. Overall, I strongly believe that the government owes money to those who were falsely convicted, because to not offer any compensation so they can attempt to get their life back is truly inextricably
In “The Death Penalty is a Step Back” is a written essay by Coretta Scott King, argues that the death penalty is unethical and illegitimate. In doing so, she develops this strong statement by, first, establishing her moral right to make this statement and to promote a non-violence over the death penalty.
Abigail Pesta describes Jennifer Wilkov’s experience in “I Survived Prison: What Really Happens Behind Bars” as she rides a bus to Rikers Island prison in New York City. Jenifer was a Certified Financial Planner working for American Express Financial Advisors who was caught up in a $1.6 million real-estate fraud deal. Jennifer feeling ultimately humiliated took a plea deal to serve six months at the prison. She takes several steps to prepare herself for prison, like cutting her hair short.
New Life Prison is a private prison located in an unincorporated area of Brentwood, CA New Life prison is a dormitory setting and a minimum security prison for level one and two male inmate population of 500. New Life Prison is too focused on lowering the recidivism rate in CA. New Life prison is a new private prison and receives funding from grants and donations. New Life mission is to focus on the level one and two inmate’s within the state prison system. New Life mission is to help these individuals move on passed the crime they have committed and began to live their life again. In 2004 Folsom state prison was able to move their level one and two inmates to a minimum security facility (Department of Correction 2015). Most of these inmates
Capital punishment is the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. If then history makes it clear that murder was not part of the crimes to be punished by the death penalty, then the state should not have any legal justification for taking anybody’s life for what so ever reason it may be. In this light of the above mentioned, I will stand for the point that capital punishment should totally be abolished and never be practiced in modern times.
The Book is written by a former radio reporter, Mumia Abu-Jamal who, during the time in the book is in a Pennsylvania prison awaiting his execution. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer. Live from Death Row is a collection of writings while he was in prison which tells a passionate and emotional account of the brutalities and humiliations of prison life. He explains the rules and regulations and day to day life in prison, on death row. He goes into detail about not only his feelings about prison life, but almost the feeling of life in general after being in prison compared to life out of prison. He explains what rules are enforced and which rules he violates and what is the outcome. He speaks of racism and political bias not only in America but mainly in the American justice system which he experiences first hand. He tells of instances of controversy surrounding the death penalty and freedom of speech against himself and others. This book is a compilation of the notes Mumia has taken over the years he was in prison and he highlights specific incidents to show readers what the life of a prisoner on death row is like. This volume is a collection of his writings, which documents the life in prison from his first-hand experience. I, like many I believe found this book fragmented as it is broken up into many short areas of topics and thought processes which he articulates and attempts to explain one issue after another to
Green, Kai Mr. Frisella 03/18/2024 English 2a. Death Row occurs when a person is arrested for a heinous crime, such as a murder spree or act of terrorism. Death Row is the penalty a man/woman receives, meaning they are sentenced to death. When a prisoner is on the death penalty, he/she receives a final meal and then the next day is killed, whether it’s by lethal injection, firing squad or even the electric chair. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines covers a man named Grant Wiggins who lived during the Jim Crow era in Louisiana.
During a TED talk, University of Houston Law Professor David R. Dow shared lessons gained from the twenty years during which he protected more than a hundred death row inmates. Professor Dow declared that there are regular elements in the lives of the individuals who are as of now confronting the death penalty. Dow expressed, “If you tell me the name of a death row inmate - doesn't matter what state he's in, doesn't matter if I've ever met him before - I'll write his biography for you. And eight out of ten times, the details of that biography will be more or less accurate…Eighty percent of the people on death row are people who came from some sort of dysfunctional family….Eighty percent of the people on death row are people who had exposure to the juvenile justice system.” Professor Dow asserts that intervention during earlier stages of defendants’ lives might be one of the most effective ways of preventing them from committing violent crimes later on: “People might disagree about whether a murderer should have been executed. But I think everybody would agree that the best possible version…would be a story where no murder ever occurs.” Moreover, Dow explains, “For every $15,000 that we spend intervening in the lives of
In the article "Prison Conditions for death row and life without parole imates," it includes different facts about how much money the government is actually spending on inmates in prisons. Article also includes the differences between death row inmates and life without parole inmates. For example, "Death row inmates have to eat meals alone in their cells, while life without parole inmates eat in the chew hall, or in a day room. "The article also hits keen aspects of the different lifestyles of life without parole inmates and death row inmates. Another example of this would be that life without parole inmates have more access to not be isolated and more access to more privileges rather than death row inmates.
Charles Ng and Leonard Lake met in Leavenworth Prison where Charles was serving a sentence for stealing weapons while in the Marines. After leaving prison the two men moved in together and began a murder, abduction and rape spree. When police raided their remote cabin Lake committed suicide by swallowing cyanide pills and Leonard fled. Twelve bodies (including two babies) were discovered on the property and when he was apprehended Ng was charged. He was finally sentenced to death for the crimes and is currently awaiting execution at San Quentin prison.
Many Death row inmates endure a plethora of years within a prison, the majority of the time in solitary confinement with no social interaction, very little exposure to the environment, and in a room with bare walls or the necessities: a bed, sink, and toilet along with other hygienic needs such as a toothbrush, toilet paper, etc. Prisoners sit awaiting their execution day for years. Through my research there has been an abundance of evidence examining the situation of whether or not this is ethical/moral. These questions have been addressed, but my research looks at it from a variety of perspectives including the prisoner and family of the victims. Is waiting for one’s execution morally right? What if one is found innocent after 30 years
Prisoners are put into penitentiaries because they have committed a crime. But how many of us haven’t made a mistake in our life? The important thing is what you do after you make those mistakes. Unfortunately, prisons provide little opportunities for inmates to better themselves. During an interview with Kai Wright, an author for the Colorlines websites and a feature director of The Nation magazine, six black men shared their personal stories about life after incarceration (Wright, 2014). Most of these men’s criticisms were aimed towards the fact that their new found freedom was such an adjustment from the prison life which they had grown so accustomed to. The positive comments that were said included anything from the program helping them
There are those who are behind bars who really shouldn’t; they are innocent, but the problem is that the legal system has found them guilty. Thanks to the availability of DNA testing there are now those getting appeals years later, unfortunately this can result in “more than 14 years behind bars. [The harsh reality is that] prison life and the complete loss of freedom[,] are only compounded by the feelings of what might have been” (Innocence Project, 2015); if they had not been wrongfully convicted. The Government of Canada has set up restitution for those who have gone through these situations, but restitution can only provide a reasonable amount of money towards the value of human life that has been taken away after being wrongfully found
The basic tenets of the Criminal Justice system, namely the Correctional System, is to take people convicted of a crime and turn them into productive citizens. Their time in prison is intended to be a personal time of reflection, a period where a person can think about their crimes, recognize they have committed a wrong, and develop a plan to either right that wrong or identify how they can refrain from recidivating. This concept is dubbed rehabilitative justice. The death penalty is not rehabilitative justice.
Your post was very genuine and stated how you truly feel. “Some prisoners also work in facility services such as the kitchen, laundry, cleaning, maintenance and gardening (State of Victoria, 2015, para. 2).” This is for all inmates to gain experience in jail, so they come into the community to do well. Also, most inmates that work in the kitchen are trained in the prison to become chefs. Additionally, this is the only way prison meals are served. Further, not even death row prisoners are exempt from working. The only rule is if the inmate it 65 and older or medically unstable to work (State of Victoria, 2015, para. 1). Therefore, the prisoners are working. The government just hasn’t put forth any means of making them pay for the medical services.
The reason why the Criminal Justice System (CJS) exists is to ensure justice is delivered –punish the guilty and help them stop offending, while at the same time protect the innocent. The penal system often employs different measure, some of which may involve the deprivation of fundamental human rights, such as freedom. Nevertheless, they are often justified on the basis of requirements of just social order and beneficial impact. The ongoing political debate and media coverage seem to be constantly accusing the CJS of leniency and inability to take appropriate actions, requiring it to issue harsher punishments.