Transcript
Daniel Scott 11/2014 Conforming and Reforming and the Need for Improving Conform: adapt to rule, pattern, custom, etc. Reform: form again reconstruct; reclaim; amend, improve, abandon evil practices. I hear these two words spoken and written more and more in my enviornment and in my studies. After reading the meaning of these words I understand these words better. I am also concerned that the people in the DOC (Department of Corrections) and the PIC (Prison Industrial Complex) and in the free world (society) are all being conformed and reformed in many ways. Less and less does it seem to be in a positive, productive or successfull way. Ask yourself: When authorities; the government; the systems, or even ourselves say we are reforming are we improving? Are we abandoning evil practices? For example, this writer will attempt to briefly and intelligently describe this system and how a person may become conformed and/or reformed in a negative and unsuccessful way. Not exsclusivly is it only physical strong that survive and survive intact. The mentaly and spiritualy strong survive and become more successfull inside and out of these institutions and these types of people are less likely to return. Inside the walls, fences and gates of these institutions of the DOC and PIC peoples minds are being conformed and are reforming. We must hope that it is in a positive way. We must hope that these people are not currupted to severely by the enviornment inside. So they are not conformed in negative ways once released. People are adapting to new lifestyles and their enviorment and how to survive while incarcerated in these warzones. Some of these lifestyles are far from being positive and productive to that inividuals family or friends. And the way the government has been reforming have actualy failed in improving many areas. Especially affecting prisoners lives inside and once released. I express this feeling due to the reform laws such as Higher Education Reform and Welfare Reform because they prevent an inmate from a college loan while inside and if that person has a drug felony he cannot receive a student loan once released or food stamps. These and other reform laws make an ex prisoners' life even harder to become successfull in society. Most the time a person only attempts to gain physical strength inside these institutions. But it is very important to become more conscious of reality and gain true Knowledge and wisdom. Though sadly many people stay blind and unconscious to their options and rights that would help them be more successfull. More individuals develop sometimes caveman and barbaric thinking. A lot of the time thug mentalities. Regretfully, the many unwritten laws and politics of the land causes this. Mostly these laws are meaningless and the more important ones are not kept anymore. For an example: use to a person would not 'snitch, though it has become common now. The laws and politics of the incarcerated life that are unwritten and seem to be being kept more are causing more suffering to an individual, usually causing a person to be a statistic of recividism when they become, and their thoughts become conformed to this institutionalized personality and lifestyle, and perception of the world. This persons behavior and thoughts have been shaped this way by being taken out of the free world (society) and held captive and held away from those in normal society because the person failed to follow societies rules. And to reform this person, the person freedom is taken, they are locked away and the persons access to family, friends, and society and all those who do follow societie laws and rules is severely limited and nearly restricted. Also severely limited is the persons access to certain educational abilities and limited access to some constitutional rights that those have in society. These limitations seem to grow more each time a new reform law is put in place. Though they do not seem to be improvements for all, especially those inside the DOC and PIC. These reforms are not abandoning evil practices. Now, back to inside, many incarcerated individuals with minor offenses are locked away with the mentaly ill people; people who are also never taught a restraint of conscience, law, or religion; and some people with a deep institutionalized or even inter-institutionalized mind frame. Not all are violant, most are not bad people. Many storted as only drug addicts. Although, this enviornment is what has to be endured; the person adapts to survive. Some of the personalities that have been held away for so long they have given into a very currupt thought process. So many conform and reform to survive. We must hope it is not in a negative, destructive, or unsuccessfull pattern. However, if this person does not change his thought pattern, once released other people will observe their behavior and may imitate or resent this person. If the observer is not careful they could find themselves incarcerrated. Also eventually if the first institutionalized conformed and reformed person does not get help with the certain ways their thoughts are causing behavior, than they, most likely, will find themselves incarcerrated again. They must improve and reconstruct their lifestyle from the lifestyle that causes their failures to subsequently being re-arrested. This writer would like to add before conclusion that their is an even more terrible epidemic involving people conforming and reforming to inter-institutionalization. What I mean by that is the ffect [effect?] of long term solitary confinement. This is very disturbing and painful on the mind. I commend everyone who have done months and years in solitary confinement. There are times you feel completely isolated and disrespected by staff who will not spend a few minuts at the door consoling an inmate in there suffering. You have no access to touch, hug, or communicate face to face with other people. once released after months or more inside solitary confinement and even though they may not do anything to go back, for awhile their perception is diffrent on life and their enviornment. This is a traumatic impact on a person mentaly. Thus, conforming and reforming a person to becoming inter-institutionalized. Furthermore, we must never forget one of the greatest things we can do is respect everyone. That includes inmates respecting staff and staff respecting inmates. This is something both parties have to unite and work towards. I am sorry to say it is a sad situation when it comes to how much disrespect there is between inmates and staff. Staff has to remember inmates are not only letter and numbers; underneath our uniforms we are both the same. People, humans. Inmates must learn and remember that many staff are doing a job to make money. Though I would be lying if I said that there are not staff who are sadistic and cruel to inmates and abuse their power. This sort of behavior should be dealt with and corrected. I am also sorry for the verbal disrespect I see staff receive from some inmates. Though, I see more disrespect on the side of staff to inmates. Sadly more so to inmates who want to stand up for themselves. The sad excuse by staff I've heard is need to maintain order, or that they are correctional officers and their job is to correct. In conclusion, I ask everyone reading this inside the Doc or PIC, or in the 'free world', to excel in positive, creative thinking and educate yourself. Also, if you have family or friends inside or released from the Doc or PIC (Jails, Juviniles), encourage them to excel also, positivly. Our speech and actions go a long way. Free your mind and break the mindset and cycle causing you to fail. Get away from the things causing your criminal thinking, whether it's bad influence from a song, show or friend. Do less to encourage a criminal mind and inspire a great and creative mind, for yourself and others. Adapt to improving and abandoning evil practices.
