I was asked the other day how much I write on my blog and how I come up with all the different things I want to say? I am not really one to be at a loss for words (just ask my husband); however, this question really struck me. The answer came out honestly and organically as I responded, "I just know."
The person politely smiled and nodded. I wasn't sure if they had somewhat grasped my answer or just thought I was a real jerk in answering that way. However, it is the truth. I have no idea when or what I am going to write on this thing. Something just speaks to me.
I couldn't help but bring to light all the recent news articles surrounding second chances. I am not sure if it is the holiday season or the coming of the New Year, but it is all over the place. I have read a great article in the New York Times about Daddy Read for Me, a Riker's Island program that has men read to their children. Then read the Washington Post about Obama's praise to the Philadephia Eagle's for Michael Vick's second chance and now today on Yahoo about the two sisters from Jackson, Miss. being pardoned with the condition that one sister will donate a much needed kidney to the other after the two were sentenced to life in prison for a robbery that yielded $11 dollars.
All of this reading has really got me thinking, why I am not reading more of these stories? Where are these stories throughout the rest of the year? Yes, it is good to feel good during the holidays, but shouldn't we strive to do that the other 364 days of the year? Why do we only look at human side of stories when the season calls for it? Why not look at humanity all throughout the year?
Call me an eternal optomist or one with my head a little in the clouds, but what I will miss most about the holiday season passing is our ability to report on stories that actually have a happy ending. As the year comes to a close, I invite you to reflect on all the stories that moved you this past year and to carry those stories with you as a head start to your New Year. Happy New Year to all!
P.S.- I will be on the air on our new station on BlogTalk Radio this Sunday at 6 pm PST and 9 pm EST. Tune in as we christen our new station!
For People to listen to the show and to call in:
To listen, people must go to www.blogtalkradio.com/scalesofjustice. You can listen live on Sunday evenings or to the archives anytime.
To call into the show for questions or comments while the show is live, listeners must dial 1-347-637-3070. For listeners who have skype, we will announce what they should do to call in while we are on the air.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
United States newest number one- the amount of people we incarcerate...
I recently read this article in the Boston Globe and thought I would share it with all of you.
The Prison Boom Comes Home to Roost
By James Carroll | November 8, 2010
The Boston Globe
By James Carroll | November 8, 2010
The Boston Globe
WILL THE fiscal collapse that has laid bare gross
inequalities in the US economic system lead to
meaningful reforms toward a more just society? One
answer is suggested by the bursting of what might be
called the "other housing bubble,'' for these two years
have also brought to crisis the three-decade- long
frenzy of mass imprisonment.
Read the full article at http://articles.boston.com/2010-11-08/bostonglobe/29303068_1_prison-boom-housing-bubble-prison-systems
inequalities in the US economic system lead to
meaningful reforms toward a more just society? One
answer is suggested by the bursting of what might be
called the "other housing bubble,'' for these two years
have also brought to crisis the three-decade- long
frenzy of mass imprisonment.
Read the full article at http://articles.boston.com/2010-11-08/bostonglobe/29303068_1_prison-boom-housing-bubble-prison-systems
Monday, December 13, 2010
Walking a mile in someone else's shoes...
This past weekend I completed my training to be a volunteer mentor for Hour Children. At some point next year, I will be receiving my newly released mentee. In the training, a personal anecdote was shared about one of the women in the program. I wanted to share with all of you what she wrote about her experience after she was newly released from prison:
"I start my day running to drop my urine (drug testing). Then I go see my children, show up for my training program, look for a job, go to a meeting (Alcoholics Anonymous) and show up at my part-time job. I have to take the bus everywhere, sometimes eight buses for 4 hours a day. I don't have the proper outer clothes, I don't have money to buy lunch along the way, and everyone who works with me keeps me waiting so that I am late to my next appointment. If I fail any one of these things and my PO (parole office) finds out, I am revoked. I am so tired that I sometimes fall asleep on my way home from work at 2 a.m. and that's dangerous given where I live. And then the next day I have to start over again. I don't mind being busy and working hard...that's part of my recovery. But this is a situation that is setting me up to fail. I just can't keep up and I don't know where to start. I want my kids, I need a place to stay, I have to have a job, meetings keep me clean, and I am required to be in job training."
This is just one example of the many demands put on the life of a formerly incarcerated woman. In her story, she suggests that the overwhelming demands of her daily life are about to consume her and possibly make her fail. This very woman was able to get a mentor through the program and she has found ways to better handle her daily routine and has found other resources to help her. The power of many are greater than any one person.
"I start my day running to drop my urine (drug testing). Then I go see my children, show up for my training program, look for a job, go to a meeting (Alcoholics Anonymous) and show up at my part-time job. I have to take the bus everywhere, sometimes eight buses for 4 hours a day. I don't have the proper outer clothes, I don't have money to buy lunch along the way, and everyone who works with me keeps me waiting so that I am late to my next appointment. If I fail any one of these things and my PO (parole office) finds out, I am revoked. I am so tired that I sometimes fall asleep on my way home from work at 2 a.m. and that's dangerous given where I live. And then the next day I have to start over again. I don't mind being busy and working hard...that's part of my recovery. But this is a situation that is setting me up to fail. I just can't keep up and I don't know where to start. I want my kids, I need a place to stay, I have to have a job, meetings keep me clean, and I am required to be in job training."
This is just one example of the many demands put on the life of a formerly incarcerated woman. In her story, she suggests that the overwhelming demands of her daily life are about to consume her and possibly make her fail. This very woman was able to get a mentor through the program and she has found ways to better handle her daily routine and has found other resources to help her. The power of many are greater than any one person.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Marathon Video (long overdue)
Due to wrapping up last year at GOTB, a cross country move where much of our stuff got displaced and life in general, this video is a little overdue. However, Joe worked hard on this and finally it is done!! Thanks to everyone who supported me and enjoy!!
Maria Palmer - 2010 Los Angeles Marathon from Joe Palmer on Vimeo.
Maria Palmer - 2010 Los Angeles Marathon from Joe Palmer on Vimeo.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Straight from the horse's mouth...
As a young child, I loved the phrase, "straight from the horse's mouth". I didn't so much truly understand this idiom, but I did in fact, love horses and believed that anything that they could say just had to be awesome. Now that I have come of age, I also enjoy hearing things this way. There is no greater source of an individual's own truth than hearing it straight from that person. I value the words and the suggestions that people give no matter what the topic. There is one voice that gets drowned out more than others and that is the voice of our children.
When we were younger, many of us were taught to be polite and not to speak unless spoken to. (My upbringing was a little different, more like survival of the loudest. Imagine a group of 30 Italians in a room. ;p) However, I think that this constant regression of thought has caused our children to be voiceless and opinionless, which is a shame. Children have a very valuable outlook on life and especially on policies that have a direct effect on their wellbeing. How else are we going to learn how to help our children if we don't include them in the conversation?
I was so happy to be part of a Summit here in NYC a couple weeks ago that did just that. A few hundred nonprofit professionals, academics, local and state decision makers and children came together to talk about future policies and practices that could help children who have incarcerated parents. The morning kicked off with a panel of young people all who had a parent in prison during their upbringing. They spoke poetically about not just their struggles, but their solutions. I want to share with you what they had to say.
On sentencing:
1. Look at the background of the person. Many people incarcerated, especially women, who are being incarcerated at the fastest rate in the U.S., have backgrounds of severe abuse (mental, sexual and physical). Although this doesn't excuse actions, this helps gain more knowledge into why people were driven to the choices that they made.
2. Sentencing standards. Some of the current sentencing guidelines are way too strict for the crime. People are being locked up for years and years for possesion of a small amount of drugs under the Rockefeller Drug Law and drug lords are walking free.
3. Re-Entry. We should be thinking about re-entry from the moment a person comes into get sentenced. What will be their plan? How can you involve others to help support that individual while they are in prison? How can you act in the best interest of their children?
On foster care:
1. Don't assume that adoption is the best option. Until recently mother's could lose their parental rights if they hadn't seen their child in a year even if they were in prison and there was no physical way anyone could bring the kids for a visit. Many parents love their children and are intergal parts of their child's life even when they go to prison. Uprooting the child and adopting them out without doing the background work is a mistake for everyone.
2. Give the parents an opportunity. Many parents want to be involved in their child's life, but don't know what their rights are. They are afraid with budget cuts if they leave their job in prison for a day to go to court, they will lose it, which is the sheer reality. Many also are unaware of programs like Get On The Bus and others that bring the children to visit at no cost.
3. Check in on the kids. One boy said that he had been bounced around from foster home to foster home. He said that his social worker had assumed that the foster parents were good people when in fact, he and his sister were being abused. No one ever came to make sure they were okay. When they did see the social worker, the foster parents were always there so their was no way to explain what was happening.
On visiting:
1. The facility should subsize visiting. The state makes millions of dollars on their prisons each year, they should take some of that money and subsize visiting for families who really can't afford it. The prison system is tearing families apart. It is time that they did something to keep them connected.
2. Have respect for the kids. When children are present, guards should act accordingly. A couple of the children recalled moments of their parents being reprimanded violently in front of them during a visit. This was not only scary for the children, it was traumatic. There is no reason to do this in front of the children.
3. Make the moments last. Everytime you visit someone, know that it could be your last visit. People get transferred in and out of facilities and when children visit, many have no idea when their next time will be. Many of the kids also travel for many hours to visit. Give people as much time as possible.
On parole and re-entry:
1. Look at the person's growth. One thing is for sure, the crime will not change but often times the person does. When granting parole look at the full package.
2. Invest in child-parent programs. Children need their parents no matter where they are. Children who have incarcerated parents coming out of prison are the same as other children. There are just more needs. Their should be more live-in re-entry programs for children and their parents so that everyone can have a good transition.
3. Laws need to be revisited. One child said that even though her dad served 30 years in prison, when he got out he was not allowed to live in NY state because that is where he committed his crime. However, all of his support systems including his family lived inside of NY state. He was forced to build a new life in the south and she still struggles to see him to this day.
4. Take off the felony checkbox on job applications. People who have served their time have done just that. When they get out of prison and they are trying to get a job by being honest and saying that they have a felony, it precludes them from many jobs from sheer stigma. If they leave it blank and are caught, they are in danger of being fired so it is a lose lose situation for people who are trying to start their lives up again.
I applaud the children for speaking up for what they believe in and hope that the new incumbent will take into consideration their voices. Happy Friday everyone!
When we were younger, many of us were taught to be polite and not to speak unless spoken to. (My upbringing was a little different, more like survival of the loudest. Imagine a group of 30 Italians in a room. ;p) However, I think that this constant regression of thought has caused our children to be voiceless and opinionless, which is a shame. Children have a very valuable outlook on life and especially on policies that have a direct effect on their wellbeing. How else are we going to learn how to help our children if we don't include them in the conversation?
I was so happy to be part of a Summit here in NYC a couple weeks ago that did just that. A few hundred nonprofit professionals, academics, local and state decision makers and children came together to talk about future policies and practices that could help children who have incarcerated parents. The morning kicked off with a panel of young people all who had a parent in prison during their upbringing. They spoke poetically about not just their struggles, but their solutions. I want to share with you what they had to say.
On sentencing:
1. Look at the background of the person. Many people incarcerated, especially women, who are being incarcerated at the fastest rate in the U.S., have backgrounds of severe abuse (mental, sexual and physical). Although this doesn't excuse actions, this helps gain more knowledge into why people were driven to the choices that they made.
2. Sentencing standards. Some of the current sentencing guidelines are way too strict for the crime. People are being locked up for years and years for possesion of a small amount of drugs under the Rockefeller Drug Law and drug lords are walking free.
3. Re-Entry. We should be thinking about re-entry from the moment a person comes into get sentenced. What will be their plan? How can you involve others to help support that individual while they are in prison? How can you act in the best interest of their children?
On foster care:
1. Don't assume that adoption is the best option. Until recently mother's could lose their parental rights if they hadn't seen their child in a year even if they were in prison and there was no physical way anyone could bring the kids for a visit. Many parents love their children and are intergal parts of their child's life even when they go to prison. Uprooting the child and adopting them out without doing the background work is a mistake for everyone.
2. Give the parents an opportunity. Many parents want to be involved in their child's life, but don't know what their rights are. They are afraid with budget cuts if they leave their job in prison for a day to go to court, they will lose it, which is the sheer reality. Many also are unaware of programs like Get On The Bus and others that bring the children to visit at no cost.
3. Check in on the kids. One boy said that he had been bounced around from foster home to foster home. He said that his social worker had assumed that the foster parents were good people when in fact, he and his sister were being abused. No one ever came to make sure they were okay. When they did see the social worker, the foster parents were always there so their was no way to explain what was happening.
On visiting:
1. The facility should subsize visiting. The state makes millions of dollars on their prisons each year, they should take some of that money and subsize visiting for families who really can't afford it. The prison system is tearing families apart. It is time that they did something to keep them connected.
2. Have respect for the kids. When children are present, guards should act accordingly. A couple of the children recalled moments of their parents being reprimanded violently in front of them during a visit. This was not only scary for the children, it was traumatic. There is no reason to do this in front of the children.
3. Make the moments last. Everytime you visit someone, know that it could be your last visit. People get transferred in and out of facilities and when children visit, many have no idea when their next time will be. Many of the kids also travel for many hours to visit. Give people as much time as possible.
On parole and re-entry:
1. Look at the person's growth. One thing is for sure, the crime will not change but often times the person does. When granting parole look at the full package.
2. Invest in child-parent programs. Children need their parents no matter where they are. Children who have incarcerated parents coming out of prison are the same as other children. There are just more needs. Their should be more live-in re-entry programs for children and their parents so that everyone can have a good transition.
3. Laws need to be revisited. One child said that even though her dad served 30 years in prison, when he got out he was not allowed to live in NY state because that is where he committed his crime. However, all of his support systems including his family lived inside of NY state. He was forced to build a new life in the south and she still struggles to see him to this day.
4. Take off the felony checkbox on job applications. People who have served their time have done just that. When they get out of prison and they are trying to get a job by being honest and saying that they have a felony, it precludes them from many jobs from sheer stigma. If they leave it blank and are caught, they are in danger of being fired so it is a lose lose situation for people who are trying to start their lives up again.
I applaud the children for speaking up for what they believe in and hope that the new incumbent will take into consideration their voices. Happy Friday everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
