I thought that the video was very eye opening, it also brings up questions as to why this is happening. I understand that women have and still commit crimes and as `I have said before I believe that we did need to get tougher on women. But this video shows something different. The main women in the video I think may have been punished to harshly. The girl that killed her babies for example, yes, she did commit murder but I don’t believe that was her actual intent and also the fact that she didn’t try to hide them after the fact helps to prove that. Should she have been punished yes, I think so but not the punishment she was given. Then you have the Older black lady, clearly, she has remorse for her action and yes, she committed a heinous crime but also again she should have the chance to prove that she is reformed and a better person now instead of being denied a chance at parole. Her case to her is bad enough that she asked the governor to use lethal injection on her. While all of them deserved to do time and all admit to what they did and that it was wrong does not mean just throw them away and forget about them. Then the fact of the lady that was released and wasn’t given any of her medication to help her as she tried to get her life back in order. These prisons and the government need to realize that to solve a problem isn’t to create new ones it’s to come up with solutions to improve the ones we have now, and the way to do this is to get these inmates help and to rehabilitate the inmates so that when they are release they have a greater chance of staying out of prison. Until this happens Im afraid that these problems will not only remain but will continue to grow as well.
I agree with you because I myself had a personal opinion that women often are treated as a victim rather than a suspect, stir up crime and start drama, and usually end up home free. This video showed a different side of the justice system that I didn't think existed. I assumed most women in jail or prison pretty much deserved it because they have probably committed really bad crimes to end up there. When she said that 63 percent of women in jail were in prison this really made me mad because it shows that we are as you said throwing our citizens away rather than helping them. Not everyone has a productive shot at making it in life and we the people should be willing to step up and help someone in need. Don't get me wrong a lot of the times people need to be in jail even for non violent offenses but I think their should be a limit or some sort of exceptions to whether or not your convicted, and living as well as childhood conditions should be considered. I think the criminal justice system is getting so caught up on getting tough on crime that we do not have enough time to prevent the crime from taking place in the first place.McBrightyalife456
I enjoy watching these video only because it shows us what's going on in prisons. United States are incarcerating women more and more today. 63 percent of women in prison are in there for nonviolent crimes. As I learned about prison codes and mysteries it was all interesting. Learning about Nichole and how because of a car accident and pain she is serving time. I could relate to what she was saying because I've experienced her situation with a family member that went through the same thing but the only difference was the person I knew was just lucky and never got caught and didn't serve time. Learning about De' Ranna who has been in prison for 36 years which is the longest was shocking. She came from a abusive home life and wanted attention which went downhill quick and is now serving a life stance. De' Ranna asked for lethal injection for the family and because she was sorry for the crime she committed. Learning about Lindsay who sang in a choir, college graduate and worked was showed, she was known as the ideal daughter ended herself in prison. She was 26 years old when she was sentenced and can't see a parole officer till she in her 80's. That makes me question if we should really make her wait that long. Sawyer states that she could see the faces on the women that are still trying to hold onto stuff on the outside. I found it interesting that there was people that worked in the prison that cared for the women and would go around giving them homework lessons and counting on each other to learn from each other. When Sawyer was speaking with the warden who goes by Chippendale I found it interesting how positive that women was. She believes that a handful of those women in prison are beyond change. Meaning she believes that some of those girls are actually good people and could be returned to the community. She says that she is not there to punish the girls, that the court has handled that part. While another positive employee states that "if you cant handle the prisoner, understand their struggle." I enjoyed hearing that because some people actually care about the females and want to better them in any way that they can. When the two girls talk about their death row they state they aren't on death row, they are on life row because they aren't dying, they are living. They have not accepted their sentence because they do not believe they are the same people as they were when they committed their crimes. Both girls were reluctant on speaking about their crimes because they both were still in the process of appealing their sentence. The youngest girl on death row says the system is not fair. Most girls that are in prison because they are minority's or they don't have the money to hire above and beyond attorneys, so they struggle where they are in life. Across America there has been 5 death penalties but the girls believe in forgiveness and hope. Jesse who was being released towards the end of the video was nervous to get out. She stated that she was on several medications for mental health which is a big issue in prisons. She was in prison for theft and the day she left she had 68 dollars to her name and three t-shirts. She says she was suppose to be given 14 days of medications on her way out but she was given none. I do not believe thats right because for her sentence there her body is use to the medication. The moment her body realizes its not getting the medication, it will probably react differently and could mean she may react and get back into bad behaviors and see herself in prison in the future. Although she is starting over, she is scared of making the wrong choices. Experts say the first month out of prison is the important. Because Jesse was never given her medication, she ended up getting herself in trouble and ended back in prison which she is now part of the revolving door system again. unknownzeeha456
I think this story was put together very well. Diane Sawyer, obviously no stranger to the prison system, talks with female inmates in prison for all kinds of different reasons. What I really like about this clip is how they show the other side of the women locked up in there. They show the personal side, at least what the inmates will talk about anyway. Nicole Kester is serving 13.5 years for stealing checks to buy heroin, and we see her get a little emotional when her husband drives 2.5 hours to see her. Arena Pretty, who has spent 36 years in prison, gets to see her nine-year old grandson. Solila Stokes gets to see her mother and her grandmother, and they play the game of who can better describe how much they love each other.
I think it is so amazing that such a huge number of these inmates are interested in getting an education while incarcerated. Diane Sawyer brought up an interesting point about how its actually surprising that prisoners don’t just say, “Why bother?” and forget about education since it is a lot of actual hard work and studying. But fortunately for them, so many inmates take advantage of the time they have, and pursue an education and work very hard to get their degrees.
There are actually a few things I would change in this video though. Diane said that in the Tennessee prison, several women came to the media reporting sexual pressure from some of the officers. I would definitely have her report on any findings about that. Second, while small and trivial, I think that at the endo f this video, Diane thanked the wardens of the prisons she visited as well as her audience. But I think she should also have thanked the inmates who talked with her more than anyone else. - Thanos789
Yes I agree this was a very good video. It points out the grim reality of women that go to prison and what it does to them. They don't get the same opportunities as somebody that doesn't go to prison. Nobody thinks before they make a mistake that they will do something that will cost them they're freedom. I couldn't imagine what they feel like everyday knowing they wont be able to see family. Kids if they have any. Hopefully woman get the opportunity to get help especially drug-related issues. I think that would help them greatly and push them to more success. -collegekid789-
I also like how this video shows the personal side of the inmates and their stories. Most of these inmates seem like normal people when they tell their stories. I agree that it is amazing that these inmates can earn an education while they are locked up, but I also think that it is interesting when Diane asked why bother because that would be my response as well. I thought it was odd that they would put so much effort into their degrees as you did. I also think that Diane Sawyer should have someone look into those reports about how inmates are being pressured sexually. NightTrain456
I agree with all your points and it was these things about the video that I liked. Showing the human side of these inmates and the fact that so many of them pursue education and try to better themselves. It showed that a lot of these women can change for the better. It took me watching the video twice to see these things because of the issues I had with some parts of the video. I never thought about how the filming techniques either but not that you mention it it was a well done episode that kept me interested the entire 40 minutes. -CoffeeAddict456
While watching this video I agreed with Diane Sawyer that the criminal behavior should not be excused but it is definitely something people should see. She said that in this day and age women are coming into prison at a faster rate than males. Black women are being incarcerated at a higher rate than white females. There has been an 14 percent increase in women on death row. Nearly 60 percent are victims of physical and mental abuse. She also found that the prisons are housing 10 times the number of mentally ill inmates than a hospital with mentally ill patients. 75 percent of people in incarceration have no money for lawyers. 1 out of 25 people on death row are innocent. Education reduces recidivism by 47 percent and the recidivism rate in Maryland is 40.5 percent compared to the national rate which is at 68 percent. There is definitely something that the state of Maryland is doing right because the national recidivism rate is double what the state of Maryland's recidivism rate is and I think it's due to the fact that they are not completely treated like prisoners. A prison in Maryland stated that they believe in keeping women connected to humanity. The do such activities such as putting on their very own dancing with the stars series. I think this is great because when you watched the women perform and cheer each other on it didn't even seem as if they were cellmates, more like a family. My issue with the fact that more women are being incarcerated is simply that 63 percent of women in prison are there for non violent offenses such as drugs and theft. Across america there have been 5 executions on women i the last decade, and a lot of older women serving long sentences. The evidence produced from this video makes me think most women on death row got there due to misguidance, and lack of love. A warden of a prison stated that women age quicker in prison, and I can only imagine with all that they have to put up with and not only that but the stress of what loved ones may be going through in the community. Their were a couple of prisoners though that inspired me to always have a positive attitude regardless of what I may face. One prisoner described her idea of freedom as being in control of her mind and being herself. I definitely wouldn't have that mindset the first thing id say is getting out of Prison but she didn't seem as worried about that. There were two other prisoners named Tiffany and Amelia who also touched my heart, with their positive state of mind, and faith throughout the time they have served. One made a comment that " It is not over, there is forgiveness and hope." I for one agree with this statement because I personally believe that God will forgive anyone. I also think that it's not just women experiencing these difficulties, but due the significance in numbers the issue is being fed a lot of attention. McBrightyalife456
I agree with you that education reduces recidivism. The proof of this is Maryland prison with 40.5 percent recidivism rate and the national rate of 68 percent. They have nearly 90 programs in Maryland which I would say that something that makes difference, added to that they invested time, money and talent into providing resources for offenders. The issue of women being incarcerated more than men because of nonviolent offenses is something that must be changed. I would think we do what other western countries doing, the use of support programs and more fines treatment for nonviolent offenders instead of incarceration. It believes to be more effective at preventing crime and cost less than what we spend in prisons every year. -M.Scott456
Prison is a place where everybody that is there isn't supposed to be there .Women in prison is kind of looked at differently because women are viewed as less violent. Black women are 2 times more likely to be incarcerated than white women. Prison can be a place of change or be a place of anger and depression. This that has never been to prison can never imagine what it feels like to lose your freedom and have to answer to somebody 24/7. These women are sisters ..aunts. Daughters ...wife ..cousins..etc.... Somebody loves them . Society says "oh they are in prison they deserve to be there" Some where just in the wrong place wrong tie. Some made a bad decision and couldn't think clearly because of emotions they couldn't explain. Some people are forgotten once they go to prison ,out of sight out of mind. Many com from homes that weren't the best and everything that they experienced had a bad effect. Judges that sentence these women in my opinion ,give some of these women to harsh of a sentence. Some deserve the sentences they get. Unfortunately , there are women on death row. That has to be one of the darkest positions to be in. Many end up getting high school diplomas ,college degrees and so on and so fourth. some of these women get out of prison and never come back. Some are career criminals and never stay out. They have dreams and goals that they always want to reach but its sad some never get to reach them. There was a older lady that got out of prison after 29 years. I cant imagine what the world looked like through her eyes. When they are release them ,they have little or nothing that they own and essentially start from scratch. One of the prisoners get out and 34 days later ended up back in for robbery. That's the sad part ,some never make "the change". -collegekid789-
This video really opened my eyes to how jails work and how women are treated in jails. According to this video, women are reportedly coming into jails faster than males are. These women cost the state and taxpayers a lot financially. When each women in brought into jail they are required to be stripped searched to make sure they aren't hiding anything in their cavities. I think one thing that is good for women in jail or prison is that they can earn a college degree while they are there. One shocking stat stated in the video is that there has been a 14% increase of prisoners given life as a sentence. I don't think that sentencing of life should be given to a person unless the crime is violent, which the video stated that 63% of prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. Some aspects of jail really affect women and their mentality. In the video some women reported that they are “gay for the stay” these women say that so they can fulfil their sexual needs in jail. Some women said that they are pressured to have sex in jail and that sexually activites are encouraged withn the jail population. Another concern about women that was stated in the video was their mental health and how that affects women. In the video they said that there is ten times more mentally ill inmates than there is in hospitals. This raises a big concern to me because these women need help mental instead of being imprisoned. Death row and the death penalty affects men more than women but there is still 55 women currently on death row awaiting being put to death. According to the video 1 in 25 of these inmates are innocent. There has been 5 women executed by the death penalty in the last decade.
I agree when the video said that over sixty percent of the inmates were in there for nonviolent crimes, then they should not be getting life sentences. If we lock women up for life and they only had a drug charge, then I believe we need to send them to some sort of rehab to help them and to get them back out on the street living normal lives. I also like how they are actually being able to get a degree because this is the first step in trying to turn their lives around and make it better not only for them, but their families also. Illini456
exactly Illini456 they do need rehab not prison. Drug abuse is a daily struggle. regardless where you are at in your life. some of us have the power to say no and stay away from it. others have a hard time wether its peer pressure from family or friends. yes family. We don't here about those cases Crack head mommy got her son hooked on crack just so he can get it for her and when he wont give it up she call the police on him. (I personally know someone in that situation. They got started on drugs somehow. not that they just discovered it on their own. if rehab was more affordalbe i think we could rehabilitate those who are locked up in prison over drug charges. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~
After watching this video in class it made me think differently about how our prison system and criminal justice system actually work. Hearing that in just over thirty years we have gone from 15,000 female prisoners to know we have over 250,000 which is more than any country in the world. Over sixty percent of these women are in there for nonviolent crime and would believe that most of them are actually in there for drug related charges. I know that we are suppose to crack down on certain crimes, but when the overall crime rate is decreasing and the incarceration rate is still increasing then there has to be some type of a problem and we need to solve this problem before it gets too out of hand. Also when we hear about race in prison no matter whether it be a male, female or juvenile facility, more minorities are arrested and incarcerated than white people. Also when I heard that sixty percent of the inmates had come in after some sort of sexual assault, I want to know what we are doing to help these women we can not just lock them up for twenty three hours everyday, we need to talk to them and figure out their history to know why they committed some crimes. Hearing that over sixty percent of the female inmates are on some type of medication is ridiculous, just like the fact that we have more mentally ill people in prison than in designated hospitals. If we keep them locked in prison how do we know the guards will give them their meds and not make them have to do some sort of sexual act in return. If we do not fix the problem know then we possibly never will and it will keep developing out of control. Illini456
After watching this video, it opened my eyes to how bad the conditions in these prisons are for male and females now that more females are getting incarcerated. I was surprised in the video as to how small the cells are for everyone that must share them and share the bathroom within them. Also after watching this video I thought it was kind of creative how people got certain drugs into the prisons such as through a stamp on an envelope. Though the drugs are bad for the inmates I still find it interesting how some of those drugs got through in the ways they did. I can also understand why they get the drugs in the first place it’s just a time killer because most of those people are in there for a long time so they have nothing better to do. I also would have to agree with Diane Sawyer that the criminal behavior should not be excused but it is something people should see, people need to see the life behind those bars to truly understand how life in prison is. Later in the video Diane talked to the two inmates on death row and I thought it was shocking how the two girls didn’t really show any fear of the sentence and it just goes to show that death can change you and you threaten someone with their own life they slowly forget pain and will start to enjoy the small things they need to be thankful for like the rest of their life before they are executed. I also thought it was interesting how when the one girl who got released was leaving she seemed so happy to have outside of the walls fresh air so to speak and it’s just amazing how people on the outside looking in take so much for granted while the inside looking out is realizing there is nothing to take for granted everything they have is important to them even the fresh air around them they are thankful for. CarlBaconWho456
After watching this video, it opened my eyes of the hidden world of America’s maximum-security prisons, how women are being treated and how the prison system works. It is true that the United States is incarcerating more people than any other country in the world. In our prison system, women reportedly being incarcerated at a faster rate than men. Diane Sawyer said that 63 percent of women who are in prison are in for the nonviolent crime. Black women are being incarcerated at a higher rate than white women which is two to one and in the last seven years, there is a 14 percent increase in the women who are given life sentences. 75 percent of prisoners cannot afford a lawyer. There have been 5 executions of women in death row in the last decade across America and 1 in 25 prisoners who are on death row is innocent. Our prisons are housing an estimated ten times the number of mentally ill as a hospital, which is shocking and unbelievable. In Tennessee prison, 63% of inmates are in medication due to mental health and in Maryland prison, those who are mentally ill and in crisis are being placed in isolation and suicide watch. My question is, why not send those inmates to a hospital for proper treatment? I like how this video shows us what happens behind prison walls, we always see and hear the bad side of being locked up but at some point, there are good things that happen. They are helping inmates to be educated and keeping them connected to humanity and education proves to reduce recidivism by 43 percent, proof of this are Maryland with 40.5 percent and Tennessee with 46 percent in 2012 recidivism rate and the national rate of 68 percent. I believe it is working because of the programs, invested time, money, and talent into providing resources for offenders, and I hope that they do the same approach to other prisons across America. -M.Scott456
I had mixed feelings about this video. There were parts where I felt empathy for some of the inmates and the struggles they endured as victims before becoming criminals themselves. However, there were also parts where empathy got thrown out the window. That is what made this video confusing for me because the way I understand it was that they were tying to show a lot of these prisoners as victims who were just people that made a mistake.
They had a case with the mother/wife that got addicted to heroine but what point were they trying to prove with the two women on death row who aided in the murders of those people? That woman are weak willed when it comes to bad boyfriends? In my eyes it seems like they won't accept what they did and were just playing the victim card. They talked about how they were different but wouldn't even talk about their cases, the most the reporter got out of them was one of the woman saying she wasn't where the murder happened but she was. There is even a part of her police interview talking about what happened so I'm still not exactly sure what she meant by saying she wasn't there. Then they went on about how the justice system is unfair. Seems to me like they are just blaming others. Not just that but the gall of the women who said it's never over there is always forgiveness. Well it's over for the people you helped murder. The only thing that I sided with them on was the fact that the boyfriend was not on death row either because of his attorney. Maybe that was the whole point they were trying to make but then what about the woman who smothered her babies? Blaming it on psychological issues and that she really was a victim? How did she make it all the way to adulthood without any psychological issues and then has two kids and then goes from stable mind to kill my kids mind? Not only that but if this is the point they were trying to make then what happens to all murderers? Do they all get a pass because they weren't in their right mind when killing?
See the video had good points showing that these prisoners are people and a lot of them have mental issues that need to be addressed. Furthering the idea that for non violent prisoners, programs of rehabilitation should be introduced instead of just punishment but then they would bring in random cases of violent criminals either helping their boyfriends murder or smothering their babies and would cut me off from their main point as they tried to victimize them. -CoffeeAddict456
After watching this film, I can truly say that I learned a lot of things I did not know. Honestly, a lot of those things truly shocked me too. For instance, women are being incarcerated at a much more rapid rate then men are. A question that I have is why is that so, is it because we are showing a little less mercy on women than we did back in past years. Another thing that I was shocked about was that the prisons house ten times as much people with mental illness as a mental hospital would. Also that women suffer mental illness more than men do and when they are released from prison they don't receive the proper medication. These women are basically sent out just to withdraw from the medications that help the function, commit another crime, and ultimately be sent back to prison. In my opinion, I believe that there should be some type of program where these released prisoners could receiver there medication up to a whole year after being released. I believe it would be a lot cheaper to pay for the medication then re-arrest and house them back in prison. TJGirl456
I Agree TJGIRL456. I Do think it would be cheaper to pay for the medication then have to re-arrest and house them back in prison. If the united states can help support those on welfare we can help home these inmates properly for a certain amount of time. help them find jobs so they can start supporting themselves.Of course monitor their finances. If we can fund prisons we can help fund homes thats what they need. Not back in the system they need more help.~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456
I didn't quite follow the reference to the television show "Orange is the new black" its not reality compared to what these women are actually going through and how they got into the system. what struck me the most was that three of the women being interviewed was put in there over young dumb love. SERIOUSLY. What happened to the men in there lives did they get charged also? I would hope so. HECK, two women are facing death row because of the men in their lives. Yes I do believe what they did was wrong, but i think their age at the time of the crime there roll and what was their home life like before the events took place. Also the girl who had her babies and smothered them to death how could your family not notice that their were babies in their home. They should have gotten into some trouble I think. You shouldn't raise children and instill the fear of god in them. That there alone could make anyone crazy. Also when releasing someone into the world help them make sure they have there meds and things in order so they wont go out and commit more crimes to only have to come back so they can get their medicine. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~
I thought that the video was very eye opening, it also brings up questions as to why this is happening. I understand that women have and still commit crimes and as `I have said before I believe that we did need to get tougher on women. But this video shows something different. The main women in the video I think may have been punished to harshly. The girl that killed her babies for example, yes, she did commit murder but I don’t believe that was her actual intent and also the fact that she didn’t try to hide them after the fact helps to prove that. Should she have been punished yes, I think so but not the punishment she was given. Then you have the Older black lady, clearly, she has remorse for her action and yes, she committed a heinous crime but also again she should have the chance to prove that she is reformed and a better person now instead of being denied a chance at parole. Her case to her is bad enough that she asked the governor to use lethal injection on her. While all of them deserved to do time and all admit to what they did and that it was wrong does not mean just throw them away and forget about them. Then the fact of the lady that was released and wasn’t given any of her medication to help her as she tried to get her life back in order. These prisons and the government need to realize that to solve a problem isn’t to create new ones it’s to come up with solutions to improve the ones we have now, and the way to do this is to get these inmates help and to rehabilitate the inmates so that when they are release they have a greater chance of staying out of prison. Until this happens Im afraid that these problems will not only remain but will continue to grow as well.
ReplyDeleteCountry456
DeleteI agree with you because I myself had a personal opinion that women often are treated as a victim rather than a suspect, stir up crime and start drama, and usually end up home free. This video showed a different side of the justice system that I didn't think existed. I assumed most women in jail or prison pretty much deserved it because they have probably committed really bad crimes to end up there. When she said that 63 percent of women in jail were in prison this really made me mad because it shows that we are as you said throwing our citizens away rather than helping them. Not everyone has a productive shot at making it in life and we the people should be willing to step up and help someone in need. Don't get me wrong a lot of the times people need to be in jail even for non violent offenses but I think their should be a limit or some sort of exceptions to whether or not your convicted, and living as well as childhood conditions should be considered. I think the criminal justice system is getting so caught up on getting tough on crime that we do not have enough time to prevent the crime from taking place in the first place.McBrightyalife456
DeleteI enjoy watching these video only because it shows us what's going on in prisons. United States are incarcerating women more and more today. 63 percent of women in prison are in there for nonviolent crimes. As I learned about prison codes and mysteries it was all interesting. Learning about Nichole and how because of a car accident and pain she is serving time. I could relate to what she was saying because I've experienced her situation with a family member that went through the same thing but the only difference was the person I knew was just lucky and never got caught and didn't serve time. Learning about De' Ranna who has been in prison for 36 years which is the longest was shocking. She came from a abusive home life and wanted attention which went downhill quick and is now serving a life stance. De' Ranna asked for lethal injection for the family and because she was sorry for the crime she committed. Learning about Lindsay who sang in a choir, college graduate and worked was showed, she was known as the ideal daughter ended herself in prison. She was 26 years old when she was sentenced and can't see a parole officer till she in her 80's. That makes me question if we should really make her wait that long. Sawyer states that she could see the faces on the women that are still trying to hold onto stuff on the outside. I found it interesting that there was people that worked in the prison that cared for the women and would go around giving them homework lessons and counting on each other to learn from each other. When Sawyer was speaking with the warden who goes by Chippendale I found it interesting how positive that women was. She believes that a handful of those women in prison are beyond change. Meaning she believes that some of those girls are actually good people and could be returned to the community. She says that she is not there to punish the girls, that the court has handled that part. While another positive employee states that "if you cant handle the prisoner, understand their struggle." I enjoyed hearing that because some people actually care about the females and want to better them in any way that they can. When the two girls talk about their death row they state they aren't on death row, they are on life row because they aren't dying, they are living. They have not accepted their sentence because they do not believe they are the same people as they were when they committed their crimes. Both girls were reluctant on speaking about their crimes because they both were still in the process of appealing their sentence. The youngest girl on death row says the system is not fair. Most girls that are in prison because they are minority's or they don't have the money to hire above and beyond attorneys, so they struggle where they are in life. Across America there has been 5 death penalties but the girls believe in forgiveness and hope. Jesse who was being released towards the end of the video was nervous to get out. She stated that she was on several medications for mental health which is a big issue in prisons. She was in prison for theft and the day she left she had 68 dollars to her name and three t-shirts. She says she was suppose to be given 14 days of medications on her way out but she was given none. I do not believe thats right because for her sentence there her body is use to the medication. The moment her body realizes its not getting the medication, it will probably react differently and could mean she may react and get back into bad behaviors and see herself in prison in the future. Although she is starting over, she is scared of making the wrong choices. Experts say the first month out of prison is the important. Because Jesse was never given her medication, she ended up getting herself in trouble and ended back in prison which she is now part of the revolving door system again.
ReplyDeleteunknownzeeha456
I think this story was put together very well. Diane Sawyer, obviously no stranger to the prison system, talks with female inmates in prison for all kinds of different reasons. What I really like about this clip is how they show the other side of the women locked up in there. They show the personal side, at least what the inmates will talk about anyway. Nicole Kester is serving 13.5 years for stealing checks to buy heroin, and we see her get a little emotional when her husband drives 2.5 hours to see her. Arena Pretty, who has spent 36 years in prison, gets to see her nine-year old grandson. Solila Stokes gets to see her mother and her grandmother, and they play the game of who can better describe how much they love each other.
ReplyDeleteI think it is so amazing that such a huge number of these inmates are interested in getting an education while incarcerated. Diane Sawyer brought up an interesting point about how its actually surprising that prisoners don’t just say, “Why bother?” and forget about education since it is a lot of actual hard work and studying. But fortunately for them, so many inmates take advantage of the time they have, and pursue an education and work very hard to get their degrees.
There are actually a few things I would change in this video though. Diane said that in the Tennessee prison, several women came to the media reporting sexual pressure from some of the officers. I would definitely have her report on any findings about that. Second, while small and trivial, I think that at the endo f this video, Diane thanked the wardens of the prisons she visited as well as her audience. But I think she should also have thanked the inmates who talked with her more than anyone else. - Thanos789
Yes I agree this was a very good video. It points out the grim reality of women that go to prison and what it does to them. They don't get the same opportunities as somebody that doesn't go to prison. Nobody thinks before they make a mistake that they will do something that will cost them they're freedom. I couldn't imagine what they feel like everyday knowing they wont be able to see family. Kids if they have any. Hopefully woman get the opportunity to get help especially drug-related issues. I think that would help them greatly and push them to more success. -collegekid789-
DeleteI also like how this video shows the personal side of the inmates and their stories. Most of these inmates seem like normal people when they tell their stories. I agree that it is amazing that these inmates can earn an education while they are locked up, but I also think that it is interesting when Diane asked why bother because that would be my response as well. I thought it was odd that they would put so much effort into their degrees as you did. I also think that Diane Sawyer should have someone look into those reports about how inmates are being pressured sexually.
DeleteNightTrain456
I agree with all your points and it was these things about the video that I liked. Showing the human side of these inmates and the fact that so many of them pursue education and try to better themselves. It showed that a lot of these women can change for the better. It took me watching the video twice to see these things because of the issues I had with some parts of the video. I never thought about how the filming techniques either but not that you mention it it was a well done episode that kept me interested the entire 40 minutes.
Delete-CoffeeAddict456
While watching this video I agreed with Diane Sawyer that the criminal behavior should not be excused but it is definitely something people should see. She said that in this day and age women are coming into prison at a faster rate than males. Black women are being incarcerated at a higher rate than white females. There has been an 14 percent increase in women on death row. Nearly 60 percent are victims of physical and mental abuse. She also found that the prisons are housing 10 times the number of mentally ill inmates than a hospital with mentally ill patients. 75 percent of people in incarceration have no money for lawyers. 1 out of 25 people on death row are innocent. Education reduces recidivism by 47 percent and the recidivism rate in Maryland is 40.5 percent compared to the national rate which is at 68 percent. There is definitely something that the state of Maryland is doing right because the national recidivism rate is double what the state of Maryland's recidivism rate is and I think it's due to the fact that they are not completely treated like prisoners. A prison in Maryland stated that they believe in keeping women connected to humanity. The do such activities such as putting on their very own dancing with the stars series. I think this is great because when you watched the women perform and cheer each other on it didn't even seem as if they were cellmates, more like a family. My issue with the fact that more women are being incarcerated is simply that 63 percent of women in prison are there for non violent offenses such as drugs and theft. Across america there have been 5 executions on women i the last decade, and a lot of older women serving long sentences. The evidence produced from this video makes me think most women on death row got there due to misguidance, and lack of love. A warden of a prison stated that women age quicker in prison, and I can only imagine with all that they have to put up with and not only that but the stress of what loved ones may be going through in the community. Their were a couple of prisoners though that inspired me to always have a positive attitude regardless of what I may face. One prisoner described her idea of freedom as being in control of her mind and being herself. I definitely wouldn't have that mindset the first thing id say is getting out of Prison but she didn't seem as worried about that. There were two other prisoners named Tiffany and Amelia who also touched my heart, with their positive state of mind, and faith throughout the time they have served. One made a comment that " It is not over, there is forgiveness and hope." I for one agree with this statement because I personally believe that God will forgive anyone. I also think that it's not just women experiencing these difficulties, but due the significance in numbers the issue is being fed a lot of attention. McBrightyalife456
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that education reduces recidivism. The proof of this is Maryland prison with 40.5 percent recidivism rate and the national rate of 68 percent. They have nearly 90 programs in Maryland which I would say that something that makes difference, added to that they invested time, money and talent into providing resources for offenders. The issue of women being incarcerated more than men because of nonviolent offenses is something that must be changed. I would think we do what other western countries doing, the use of support programs and more fines treatment for nonviolent offenders instead of incarceration. It believes to be more effective at preventing crime and cost less than what we spend in prisons every year. -M.Scott456
DeletePrison is a place where everybody that is there isn't supposed to be there .Women in prison is kind of looked at differently because women are viewed as less violent. Black women are 2 times more likely to be incarcerated than white women. Prison can be a place of change or be a place of anger and depression. This that has never been to prison can never imagine what it feels like to lose your freedom and have to answer to somebody 24/7. These women are sisters ..aunts. Daughters ...wife ..cousins..etc.... Somebody loves them . Society says "oh they are in prison they deserve to be there" Some where just in the wrong place wrong tie. Some made a bad decision and couldn't think clearly because of emotions they couldn't explain. Some people are forgotten once they go to prison ,out of sight out of mind. Many com from homes that weren't the best and everything that they experienced had a bad effect. Judges that sentence these women in my opinion ,give some of these women to harsh of a sentence. Some deserve the sentences they get. Unfortunately , there are women on death row. That has to be one of the darkest positions to be in. Many end up getting high school diplomas ,college degrees and so on and so fourth. some of these women get out of prison and never come back. Some are career criminals and never stay out. They have dreams and goals that they always want to reach but its sad some never get to reach them. There was a older lady that got out of prison after 29 years. I cant imagine what the world looked like through her eyes. When they are release them ,they have little or nothing that they own and essentially start from scratch. One of the prisoners get out and 34 days later ended up back in for robbery. That's the sad part ,some never make "the change". -collegekid789-
ReplyDeleteThis video really opened my eyes to how jails work and how women are treated in jails. According to this video, women are reportedly coming into jails faster than males are. These women cost the state and taxpayers a lot financially. When each women in brought into jail they are required to be stripped searched to make sure they aren't hiding anything in their cavities. I think one thing that is good for women in jail or prison is that they can earn a college degree while they are there. One shocking stat stated in the video is that there has been a 14% increase of prisoners given life as a sentence. I don't think that sentencing of life should be given to a person unless the crime is violent, which the video stated that 63% of prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. Some aspects of jail really affect women and their mentality. In the video some women reported that they are “gay for the stay” these women say that so they can fulfil their sexual needs in jail. Some women said that they are pressured to have sex in jail and that sexually activites are encouraged withn the jail population. Another concern about women that was stated in the video was their mental health and how that affects women. In the video they said that there is ten times more mentally ill inmates than there is in hospitals. This raises a big concern to me because these women need help mental instead of being imprisoned. Death row and the death penalty affects men more than women but there is still 55 women currently on death row awaiting being put to death. According to the video 1 in 25 of these inmates are innocent. There has been 5 women executed by the death penalty in the last decade.
ReplyDeleteNightTrain456
DeleteI agree when the video said that over sixty percent of the inmates were in there for nonviolent crimes, then they should not be getting life sentences. If we lock women up for life and they only had a drug charge, then I believe we need to send them to some sort of rehab to help them and to get them back out on the street living normal lives. I also like how they are actually being able to get a degree because this is the first step in trying to turn their lives around and make it better not only for them, but their families also.
DeleteIllini456
exactly Illini456 they do need rehab not prison. Drug abuse is a daily struggle. regardless where you are at in your life. some of us have the power to say no and stay away from it. others have a hard time wether its peer pressure from family or friends. yes family. We don't here about those cases Crack head mommy got her son hooked on crack just so he can get it for her and when he wont give it up she call the police on him. (I personally know someone in that situation. They got started on drugs somehow. not that they just discovered it on their own. if rehab was more affordalbe i think we could rehabilitate those who are locked up in prison over drug charges. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~
DeleteAfter watching this video in class it made me think differently about how our prison system and criminal justice system actually work. Hearing that in just over thirty years we have gone from 15,000 female prisoners to know we have over 250,000 which is more than any country in the world. Over sixty percent of these women are in there for nonviolent crime and would believe that most of them are actually in there for drug related charges. I know that we are suppose to crack down on certain crimes, but when the overall crime rate is decreasing and the incarceration rate is still increasing then there has to be some type of a problem and we need to solve this problem before it gets too out of hand. Also when we hear about race in prison no matter whether it be a male, female or juvenile facility, more minorities are arrested and incarcerated than white people. Also when I heard that sixty percent of the inmates had come in after some sort of sexual assault, I want to know what we are doing to help these women we can not just lock them up for twenty three hours everyday, we need to talk to them and figure out their history to know why they committed some crimes. Hearing that over sixty percent of the female inmates are on some type of medication is ridiculous, just like the fact that we have more mentally ill people in prison than in designated hospitals. If we keep them locked in prison how do we know the guards will give them their meds and not make them have to do some sort of sexual act in return. If we do not fix the problem know then we possibly never will and it will keep developing out of control.
ReplyDeleteIllini456
After watching this video, it opened my eyes to how bad the conditions in these prisons are for male and females now that more females are getting incarcerated. I was surprised in the video as to how small the cells are for everyone that must share them and share the bathroom within them. Also after watching this video I thought it was kind of creative how people got certain drugs into the prisons such as through a stamp on an envelope. Though the drugs are bad for the inmates I still find it interesting how some of those drugs got through in the ways they did. I can also understand why they get the drugs in the first place it’s just a time killer because most of those people are in there for a long time so they have nothing better to do. I also would have to agree with Diane Sawyer that the criminal behavior should not be excused but it is something people should see, people need to see the life behind those bars to truly understand how life in prison is. Later in the video Diane talked to the two inmates on death row and I thought it was shocking how the two girls didn’t really show any fear of the sentence and it just goes to show that death can change you and you threaten someone with their own life they slowly forget pain and will start to enjoy the small things they need to be thankful for like the rest of their life before they are executed. I also thought it was interesting how when the one girl who got released was leaving she seemed so happy to have outside of the walls fresh air so to speak and it’s just amazing how people on the outside looking in take so much for granted while the inside looking out is realizing there is nothing to take for granted everything they have is important to them even the fresh air around them they are thankful for.
ReplyDeleteCarlBaconWho456
After watching this video, it opened my eyes of the hidden world of America’s maximum-security prisons, how women are being treated and how the prison system works. It is true that the United States is incarcerating more people than any other country in the world. In our prison system, women reportedly being incarcerated at a faster rate than men. Diane Sawyer said that 63 percent of women who are in prison are in for the nonviolent crime. Black women are being incarcerated at a higher rate than white women which is two to one and in the last seven years, there is a 14 percent increase in the women who are given life sentences. 75 percent of prisoners cannot afford a lawyer. There have been 5 executions of women in death row in the last decade across America and 1 in 25 prisoners who are on death row is innocent. Our prisons are housing an estimated ten times the number of mentally ill as a hospital, which is shocking and unbelievable. In Tennessee prison, 63% of inmates are in medication due to mental health and in Maryland prison, those who are mentally ill and in crisis are being placed in isolation and suicide watch. My question is, why not send those inmates to a hospital for proper treatment? I like how this video shows us what happens behind prison walls, we always see and hear the bad side of being locked up but at some point, there are good things that happen. They are helping inmates to be educated and keeping them connected to humanity and education proves to reduce recidivism by 43 percent, proof of this are Maryland with 40.5 percent and Tennessee with 46 percent in 2012 recidivism rate and the national rate of 68 percent. I believe it is working because of the programs, invested time, money, and talent into providing resources for offenders, and I hope that they do the same approach to other prisons across America. -M.Scott456
ReplyDeleteI had mixed feelings about this video. There were parts where I felt empathy for some of the inmates and the struggles they endured as victims before becoming criminals themselves. However, there were also parts where empathy got thrown out the window. That is what made this video confusing for me because the way I understand it was that they were tying to show a lot of these prisoners as victims who were just people that made a mistake.
ReplyDeleteThey had a case with the mother/wife that got addicted to heroine but what point were they trying to prove with the two women on death row who aided in the murders of those people? That woman are weak willed when it comes to bad boyfriends? In my eyes it seems like they won't accept what they did and were just playing the victim card. They talked about how they were different but wouldn't even talk about their cases, the most the reporter got out of them was one of the woman saying she wasn't where the murder happened but she was. There is even a part of her police interview talking about what happened so I'm still not exactly sure what she meant by saying she wasn't there. Then they went on about how the justice system is unfair. Seems to me like they are just blaming others. Not just that but the gall of the women who said it's never over there is always forgiveness. Well it's over for the people you helped murder. The only thing that I sided with them on was the fact that the boyfriend was not on death row either because of his attorney. Maybe that was the whole point they were trying to make but then what about the woman who smothered her babies? Blaming it on psychological issues and that she really was a victim? How did she make it all the way to adulthood without any psychological issues and then has two kids and then goes from stable mind to kill my kids mind? Not only that but if this is the point they were trying to make then what happens to all murderers? Do they all get a pass because they weren't in their right mind when killing?
See the video had good points showing that these prisoners are people and a lot of them have mental issues that need to be addressed. Furthering the idea that for non violent prisoners, programs of rehabilitation should be introduced instead of just punishment but then they would bring in random cases of violent criminals either helping their boyfriends murder or smothering their babies and would cut me off from their main point as they tried to victimize them.
-CoffeeAddict456
After watching this film, I can truly say that I learned a lot of things I did not know. Honestly, a lot of those things truly shocked me too. For instance, women are being incarcerated at a much more rapid rate then men are. A question that I have is why is that so, is it because we are showing a little less mercy on women than we did back in past years. Another thing that I was shocked about was that the prisons house ten times as much people with mental illness as a mental hospital would. Also that women suffer mental illness more than men do and when they are released from prison they don't receive the proper medication. These women are basically sent out just to withdraw from the medications that help the function, commit another crime, and ultimately be sent back to prison. In my opinion, I believe that there should be some type of program where these released prisoners could receiver there medication up to a whole year after being released. I believe it would be a lot cheaper to pay for the medication then re-arrest and house them back in prison.
ReplyDeleteTJGirl456
I Agree TJGIRL456. I Do think it would be cheaper to pay for the medication then have to re-arrest and house them back in prison. If the united states can help support those on welfare we can help home these inmates properly for a certain amount of time. help them find jobs so they can start supporting themselves.Of course monitor their finances. If we can fund prisons we can help fund homes thats what they need. Not back in the system they need more help.~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456
DeleteI didn't quite follow the reference to the television show "Orange is the new black" its not reality compared to what these women are actually going through and how they got into the system. what struck me the most was that three of the women being interviewed was put in there over young dumb love. SERIOUSLY. What happened to the men in there lives did they get charged also? I would hope so. HECK, two women are facing death row because of the men in their lives. Yes I do believe what they did was wrong, but i think their age at the time of the crime there roll and what was their home life like before the events took place. Also the girl who had her babies and smothered them to death how could your family not notice that their were babies in their home. They should have gotten into some trouble I think. You shouldn't raise children and instill the fear of god in them. That there alone could make anyone crazy.
ReplyDeleteAlso when releasing someone into the world help them make sure they have there meds and things in order so they wont go out and commit more crimes to only have to come back so they can get their medicine. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~