Striking prisoners want reforms to break cycle

Recently, incarcerated people across the country took part in a multi-week peaceful protest, the “Nationwide Prison Strike,” in an effort to bring attention to the inhumane conditions they suffer daily. The strike brought some attention, but most people heard little, if anything, about it. This could be because many prison laws and policies keep imprisoned people virtually invisible to the rest of society.

Strikers demand, in part, the repeal of oppressive measures that often deny even the possibility of parole, which can cause people in prison to lose hope and discourage them from taking an active role in their rehabilitation. These measures may even encourage criminal behavior.

The strikers also demand access to rehabilitation programs and education, which would incentivize lawful behavior and break the vicious cycle of going in and out of jail. These reforms would not only help imprisoned people, they would also save taxpayer money.

Yes, there are people in prison who have done awful things. But there are also people in prison who were falsely convicted. Or people who committed minor offenses and would benefit from behavioral therapy, rehabilitation programs or education.

Our prisons are also filled with people with mental illnesses who need community support and psychiatric care, not punishment. Our criminal justice system harms these people, the majority of those in prisons, much more often than it helps. It seems like, by denying these people a second chance, we as a society have decided that it’s okay to throw their lives away. tiffanie Lafleur Albany