Prison Reform

66 California Inmate Deaths Preventable According to Prison Receiver Robert Sillen

Karen Leonard September 20, 2007 at 11:03 AM

There are very good studies in Behavioral Science that proves incarceration and punishment NEVER changes behaivor. There are also very successful alternatives to incarceration that are already being incorporated in other countries. But it seems that nothing will sway Americans from just being cruel. The closest we get to any change in our adicctive knee-jerk behaivor concerning crime and punishment is when we follow the bottom line and underline that change will save money. For anyone wanting to see how ridiculously barbaric our country is concerning prisoners, I would suggest reading Kind and Usual Punishment- the first expose on the prison business.

Letter to Editor-Orange County Register

Comments sent to the O. C. Register’s Opinion editor

Name: Karen Leonard
Email: karenl53@comcast.net
City: Willits
Subject: Treating the Mentally Ill
Comments: My thanks and great appreciation go to Mr. Carona for his courage to report the truth about our inflexible and damaging correctional system(a misnomer if ever there was one!). Our own society should be diagnosed as somewhat schizophrenic- we say we stand for truth and justice and heap horrendous abuses on the most helpless in our society. Although the facts concerning the abuse of treating mentally ill patients by incarcerating them does not move society to action, the realization that this system ends up costing us much more will certainly get the public’s outrage going.

Equality Without Comformity

 

Equality Without Conformity

Introduction

 

I have studied many different political views, from communism to libertarianism. Both of these extremes have powerful ideals; the greatest good for the greatest number and respect for individual liberty and freedom. I think it is time to work on finding a common ground. or at least a space to begin trying to shape a world that embodies these two opposing dynamics.

This site is for exploration, and I welcome your ideas and opinions.

Posted by karenl53

Editor AVA May 16, 2005

 

I want to express how much I appreciate the AVA, particularly for publishing discourse concerning religion.

It has been my belief that religion is the bane of humankind, and that the idea of heaven has created a hell on earth. Once we evolved an ego, the inability to accept death has been the primary reason our species created a God or Goddess (in our own image, of course), that would have the power to control the unknown. It has been an incredibly useful tool of preachers and politicians to control society.

I will always remember Arthur C. Clark’s book, The Fountains of Paradise. It tells the story of human’s first contact with an artifact from an alien culture; a solar powered satellite that receives and sends radio signals. The world holds its breath for the first broadcast from the alien computer onboard the satellite. After listening to all the human broadcasts for three months it responds with a question…“Unable to decipher difference between Beatle mania, Football and Religion. Please Explain.”

Thanks again for the anti-religious refrain. It gets very scary when you know you are in a very small minority. We need much more discussion on the freedom from religion.

 

Karen Leonard