WHAT A WEEPING WILLOW LEARNED FROM CONTACTS WITH CONVICTS (2)

ReentryConsultantOnline (“State Sanctioned Jail Break Supporter Defends The Indefensible” 1-22-10 & 1-24-10), who claims to be a long-time “Criminal Justice Practitioner,” remains consistent in his bleeding heart approach to prison inmates. In Bob Walsh’s words, “He is obviously a ‘warm and fuzzy care and treatment’ individual.”

On this occasion, ReentryConsultantOnline got upset with Centurion who responded to “What A Weeping Willow Learned From Contacts With Convicts” (2-5-10) with a clever parody spoofing Pat Finn, the These Days Producer at KPBS, who by visiting a prison became convinced that if you just give prison inmates an education and some job training, along with a few atta-boys, most of them will leave prison to become sterling citizens.

Here is Centurion’s parody:

"I once spent 7 hours discussing the animals in the San Diego Zoo, and I happen to own two cats, which makes me somewhat of an expert on the subject.

More recently, I actually toured the zoo. It is situated on 500 acres of land within the City of San Diego. It ain't the wilds of Africa, but it ain't the Roman Coliseum either.

I observed the animals interacting with each other and their keepers.

I am firmly convinced that most of these animals....if given some potty training....some socialization skills...maybe just a little more affection....would make excellent house pets, especially for families with young children.

I mean....it's like....real expensive to keep them in the zoo and all."

ReentryConsultantOnline apparently took Centurion’s spoof seriously because this is how he replied:

“Maybe Pat is viewing the problem with rose colored glasses; but, comparing inmates to animals in the zoo just exacerbates the problem, not help.

It is this sort of dehumanization which supports the, 'lock'em up and through away the key,' mindset which has caused the fiscal turmoil that is currently being experienced in California due to spiraling prison costs. Proposition 83-Jessica's law is another example of the consequences of such ideology.

Most of us would agree that we must protect our children but, this law is not accomplishing those goals.

I have to believe that both BarkGrowlBite and Centurion would agree, removing a sex offender from his family home, because he lives too close to a school, and depositing him in a fleabag motel where there are many children, who with their parents, are residing there with vouchers from local welfare agencies because they are homeless.

Where is the safety net? This is what occurs when you dehumanize the offenders, you end up with nonsensical propositions and decisions without the benefit of thorough assessments.”

Hey fellow, Centurion did not dehumanize inmates because he was not comparing them to animals. His zoo parody was meant to and succeeded in showing how foolish it was for Finn to come up with her conclusions after a short prison visit.

ReentryConsultantOnline complains about the "lock'em up and through away the key mindset." Sorry pal, but that just doesn’t compute. Without that mindset, our nation’s crime rate would be much higher than it is now.

ReentryConsultantOnline then switches tracks by claiming that Prop. 83 – Jessica’s Law – contributes to spiraling prison costs. I too am very critical of Jessica’s Law but only because when sex offenders are prohibited from residing within 2,000 feet of any school or park, they are in fact prohibited from living anywhere in most cities. A more reasonable distance, say no more than 1,000 feet, would seem to be called for.

If we could get ReentryConsultantOnline away from his defense of the indefensible we would probably find him to be a really swell guy. But as long as he continues to defend the early release of prison inmates, he is either a propagandist for the Governor and the Department of Corrections or just another weeping willow social worker.