I've heard the expression that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. It should be true- but it's not. And if the United States is to ever have a real justice system, changes need to be made- changes, specifically, to do away with inequalities in 'the system.'
Not long ago, I received a petition. It was about 'Black fathers' who, despite not being convicted of any crime, sit in jail because they do not have the money to post bond. While I agree that this is flat-out wrong, it is not about Black fathers, it is about anyone and everyone for whom 'justice' depends on '$.' If you want to know exactly how extreme it is in the United States, I urge you to read The Death of Innocents by Sister Helen Prejean.
However, while my personal knowledge does not involve the permanent loss of lives, the loss of freedom is also wrong. Going by a definition of justice- the quality of being fair and reasonable- is not the way the system operates. Drug dealers, domestic abusers, even those with long criminal histories, are often back on the streets within hours, while an individual who committed much lesser offenses sits in jail. Those in the former category throw away every chance they are given and make no effort to change, while an individual in the latter category is not given a second chance at all. How exactly does 'fair and reasonable' fit into this picture? It doesn't. It is by no means fair or reasonable to deny a person their freedom simply because they cannot afford to literally buy their freedom.
We can't have it both ways. Either there is justice or there is not- and justice is not based on who can afford to pay for it. As it stands, it has nothing to do with how serious an offense is, and it is certainly not about equality under the law. As it stands, it's a 'crime' to be poor- a person can lose their freedom, and, at its worst, may even lose their life.
My viewpoints might sound a little radical, but if you think about it they're really not. First, unless there are special circumstances- clear harm or danger to others- individuals who have not been convicted of a crime should not be incarcerated. Because, as it stands, individuals who are incarcerated are those who cannot afford to 'bond out,' it has nothing to do with the crime they're accused of committing. Second, eliminate the practice of using 'jail time' as a penalty/punishment for not being able to afford to pay tickets and fines. Because, as it stands, this practice is not far removed from the Dickensian 'debtors prisons,' and the United States of America really should be better than that.
Not long ago, I received a petition. It was about 'Black fathers' who, despite not being convicted of any crime, sit in jail because they do not have the money to post bond. While I agree that this is flat-out wrong, it is not about Black fathers, it is about anyone and everyone for whom 'justice' depends on '$.' If you want to know exactly how extreme it is in the United States, I urge you to read The Death of Innocents by Sister Helen Prejean.
However, while my personal knowledge does not involve the permanent loss of lives, the loss of freedom is also wrong. Going by a definition of justice- the quality of being fair and reasonable- is not the way the system operates. Drug dealers, domestic abusers, even those with long criminal histories, are often back on the streets within hours, while an individual who committed much lesser offenses sits in jail. Those in the former category throw away every chance they are given and make no effort to change, while an individual in the latter category is not given a second chance at all. How exactly does 'fair and reasonable' fit into this picture? It doesn't. It is by no means fair or reasonable to deny a person their freedom simply because they cannot afford to literally buy their freedom.
We can't have it both ways. Either there is justice or there is not- and justice is not based on who can afford to pay for it. As it stands, it has nothing to do with how serious an offense is, and it is certainly not about equality under the law. As it stands, it's a 'crime' to be poor- a person can lose their freedom, and, at its worst, may even lose their life.
My viewpoints might sound a little radical, but if you think about it they're really not. First, unless there are special circumstances- clear harm or danger to others- individuals who have not been convicted of a crime should not be incarcerated. Because, as it stands, individuals who are incarcerated are those who cannot afford to 'bond out,' it has nothing to do with the crime they're accused of committing. Second, eliminate the practice of using 'jail time' as a penalty/punishment for not being able to afford to pay tickets and fines. Because, as it stands, this practice is not far removed from the Dickensian 'debtors prisons,' and the United States of America really should be better than that.