Comments on: There are no words. http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/ News/Arts/Culture/Nightlife/Nonsense/Obscurities Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:00:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: More From the Desk of the Ombudsman | Providence Daily Dose http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6911 More From the Desk of the Ombudsman | Providence Daily Dose Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:35:12 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6911 [...] Since the last Ombudsman post, two contributors who were noted for the absence have returned. “Art director” Tim Blankenship is reported to be back on board, as you can tell by looking at the stunning improvement in the visual presentation of the site. Oh, well, at least he got rid of that “Digg” nonsense. Also back with a vengeance is the capo di tutti capi of the Dose’s Ivy League liberals, Ariel Werner, who was stunned by last week’s revelation that there is violence in our prisons. [...] [...] Since the last Ombudsman post, two contributors who were noted for the absence have returned. “Art director” Tim Blankenship is reported to be back on board, as you can tell by looking at the stunning improvement in the visual presentation of the site. Oh, well, at least he got rid of that “Digg” nonsense. Also back with a vengeance is the capo di tutti capi of the Dose’s Ivy League liberals, Ariel Werner, who was stunned by last week’s revelation that there is violence in our prisons. [...]

]]> By: Annie http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6842 Annie Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:21:55 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6842 What a scary environment prison is. I work near a couple and ran out to my car just now to grab something and was, uh, courted by one of the minimum security residents. I ignored him, used to catcalls from bored guys trying to look tough, but another guy next to him wheeled around and said "Hey, man, leave her the f#$% alone"--and shoved him. Hard. I froze, terrified they would start fighting. Maybe they're friends, maybe they've never gotten along...But maybe they don't know each other at all and it's just that easy to come to blows in such a place. Before any of the guards came over the first guy shrugged and walked off. Now I have to pray the second guy doesn't get a combination lock to the head over something so stupid. What a scary environment prison is. I work near a couple and ran out to my car just now to grab something and was, uh, courted by one of the minimum security residents. I ignored him, used to catcalls from bored guys trying to look tough, but another guy next to him wheeled around and said “Hey, man, leave her the f#$% alone”–and shoved him. Hard. I froze, terrified they would start fighting. Maybe they’re friends, maybe they’ve never gotten along…But maybe they don’t know each other at all and it’s just that easy to come to blows in such a place.
Before any of the guards came over the first guy shrugged and walked off. Now I have to pray the second guy doesn’t get a combination lock to the head over something so stupid.

]]> By: JOE BERNSTEIN http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6795 JOE BERNSTEIN Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:43:47 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6795 I didn't mention the first part of your response-of course my philosophy,such as it is ,is obvious.I certainly don't try to be overly complicated about my point of view .And some people as I pointed out above are inherently bad.I had good early training growing up with a sociopathic cousin,now thankfully deceased who was everything I never wanted to be-a career criminal who was content to let his wife and two young daughters go pound sand while he was in and out of the slam and who would victimize anyone in a heartbeat if it were convenient for his needs.He wasn't a sexual predator at all-he was really very engaging with women and never lacked for companionship-but otherwise he was a piece of dirt.His own daughter,a well adjusted mother of three in a stable marriage told me she never wanted to hear his name again because he abandoned them.I know this is anecdotal(yes,Ariel- another story)but there are many(too many)people like my cousin Gene.He was also extremely violent and it wasn't bad to be related to him where I grew up-a really rough neighborhood-because no one wanted to have him as an enemy.On the other side of the coin,a longtime friend of my son's just got out of prison a few years ago and we all welcomed him back-and he's doing very well.At the end of the day,it's what you make of your life that determines how it will turn out in many cases.There has to be a desire from within and the willingness to work at it.I have stated here before that there should be a non felony alternative misdemeanor charge for small amounts of hard drugs so that the drug abuser doesn't automatically get a huge hurdle on their first arrest that will forever(or close to)bar them from good jobs. You should be selective about where your sympathies should lie.Some people will just not be deserving of them. I didn’t mention the first part of your response-of course my philosophy,such as it is ,is obvious.I certainly don’t try to be overly complicated about my point of view .And some people as I pointed out above are inherently bad.I had good early training growing up with a sociopathic cousin,now thankfully deceased who was everything I never wanted to be-a career criminal who was content to let his wife and two young daughters go pound sand while he was in and out of the slam and who would victimize anyone in a heartbeat if it were convenient for his needs.He wasn’t a sexual predator at all-he was really very engaging with women and never lacked for companionship-but otherwise he was a piece of dirt.His own daughter,a well adjusted mother of three in a stable marriage told me she never wanted to hear his name again because he abandoned them.I know this is anecdotal(yes,Ariel- another story)but there are many(too many)people like my cousin Gene.He was also extremely violent and it wasn’t bad to be related to him where I grew up-a really rough neighborhood-because no one wanted to have him as an enemy.On the other side of the coin,a longtime friend of my son’s just got out of prison a few years ago and we all welcomed him back-and he’s doing very well.At the end of the day,it’s what you make of your life that determines how it will turn out in many cases.There has to be a desire from within and the willingness to work at it.I have stated here before that there should be a non felony alternative misdemeanor charge for small amounts of hard drugs so that the drug abuser doesn’t automatically get a huge hurdle on their first arrest that will forever(or close to)bar them from good jobs.
You should be selective about where your sympathies should lie.Some people will just not be deserving of them.

]]> By: Family http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6794 Family Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:46:15 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6794 Robert Bainter did not pass away, he is doing a bit better but still in critical condition, that coward Ortiz hit him in the back of the head w/ 3 locks in a sock when he was not expecting it. this scumbag has a history of violent behavior and should no way have been in minimum security. Robert Bainter is a good kid who made some bad decisions and in no way deserved this. Robert Bainter did not pass away, he is doing a bit better but still in critical condition, that coward Ortiz hit him in the back of the head w/ 3 locks in a sock when he was not expecting it. this scumbag has a history of violent behavior and should no way have been in minimum security. Robert Bainter is a good kid who made some bad decisions and in no way deserved this.

]]> By: JOE BERNSTEIN http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6791 JOE BERNSTEIN Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:37:46 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6791 You missed my point .There are numerous people who can turn their lives around and there are plenty of people in prison who are not dangerous.maybe I didn't state it as clearly as I could have.There are people who not going to change and will always be dangerous. A lot of people who are in for drug related offenses can have a better life if they can break the drug cycle by moving into a different milieu of associates.It is not easy. The "things" I meant weren't civil rights,child labor,etc.Boy,I really put it badly.The unalterable things are the people among us who are predators,psychopaths(distinct from psychotics-apples and oranges),those who consider crime a job. In addition to a Criminal Justice degree from John Jay,a leading school in the field,i had 26 years hands on experience in law enforcement at the state and federal level and I try to keep current to some degree. The hard core of antisocial individuals in prison will forever make it dangerous for everyone-staff and inmates in there.Supermax facilities work only to a degree.The human mind is capable of working through almost any set of restrictions.If you think a Supermax inmate can't reach outside the walls or inside,as the case may be,you are mistaken. All I can tell you is that I have encountered people who lowered the room temperature,so to speak.It was like dealing with cobras. You missed my point .There are numerous people who can turn their lives around and there are plenty of people in prison who are not dangerous.maybe I didn’t state it as clearly as I could have.There are people who not going to change and will always be dangerous.
A lot of people who are in for drug related offenses can have a better life if they can break the drug cycle by moving into a different milieu of associates.It is not easy.
The “things” I meant weren’t civil rights,child labor,etc.Boy,I really put it badly.The unalterable things are the people among us who are predators,psychopaths(distinct from psychotics-apples and oranges),those who consider crime a job.
In addition to a Criminal Justice degree from John Jay,a leading school in the field,i had 26 years hands on experience in law enforcement at the state and federal level and I try to keep current to some degree.
The hard core of antisocial individuals in prison will forever make it dangerous for everyone-staff and inmates in there.Supermax facilities work only to a degree.The human mind is capable of working through almost any set of restrictions.If you think a Supermax inmate can’t reach outside the walls or inside,as the case may be,you are mistaken.
All I can tell you is that I have encountered people who lowered the room temperature,so to speak.It was like dealing with cobras.

]]> By: Jessica Ramsey http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6784 Jessica Ramsey Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:39:04 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6784 Ahh, your philosophy becomes obvious, Mr. Bernstein. The troubling thing about the prison system in U.S. is that the focus is on the punitive justice rather than rehabilitative justice. I know more than a few former prisoners who have moved on to become great parents, hard-working students, active and caring community members. Those people deserved the second chance they were given one they were done with their sentence. Why assume that people are inherently good or bad? Why not create a system that works to rehabilitate criminals and create better opportunities for them once they exist the prisons? "You cannot change things no matter how hard you try," says our frequent commentator. Hmmm... the civil rights movement, the labor movement to create the 8 hour work day and ban child labor, etc, etc. Take a look back upon all that is good about our nation, and you will see that change is possible, and it is necessary, and we won't stop working for it. Ahh, your philosophy becomes obvious, Mr. Bernstein.

The troubling thing about the prison system in U.S. is that the focus is on the punitive justice rather than rehabilitative justice. I know more than a few former prisoners who have moved on to become great parents, hard-working students, active and caring community members. Those people deserved the second chance they were given one they were done with their sentence. Why assume that people are inherently good or bad? Why not create a system that works to rehabilitate criminals and create better opportunities for them once they exist the prisons?

“You cannot change things no matter how hard you try,” says our frequent commentator. Hmmm… the civil rights movement, the labor movement to create the 8 hour work day and ban child labor, etc, etc. Take a look back upon all that is good about our nation, and you will see that change is possible, and it is necessary, and we won’t stop working for it.

]]> By: JOE BERNSTEIN http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6780 JOE BERNSTEIN Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:42:35 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/07/10/there-are-no-words/#comment-6780 A prison is for people who commit crimes.Some of them are dangerous and always will be.Some environments cannot be made safe.Prison is one of them.I know you'd like it to be different,but no matter where you go in the world,it's the same because people are the same. The only exception would be political prisons such as those in China,Cuba,Myanmar,Kazakhstan,etc,where the inmates are doing time for beliefs or not bowing to the authorities. You cannot change things no matter how hard you try,but I am sure you are sincere. A prison is for people who commit crimes.Some of them are dangerous and always will be.Some environments cannot be made safe.Prison is one of them.I know you’d like it to be different,but no matter where you go in the world,it’s the same because people are the same.
The only exception would be political prisons such as those in China,Cuba,Myanmar,Kazakhstan,etc,where the inmates are doing time for beliefs or not bowing to the authorities.
You cannot change things no matter how hard you try,but I am sure you are sincere.

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