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After reading Just Mercy it really has reconfirmed my career choice and why I want to help with the rehabilitation of inmates with the use of rehabilitating animals as well. I firmly believe that those who are incarcerated have the capacity to change as long as they have the proper support and guidance. It will not be an over night change but through the hard work and dedication from them and those that are helping, it is possible. This will lead not only to a positive change for them but a positive and possibly a better life for their families. The care and dedication that Bryan Stevenson gave to his clients even after getting them off death row and free, he still checked up on them and let them know he is there. This was incredibly heart warming because I feel that most do not go above and beyond getting them a lighter sentence or free. Once they did their job in court that is all they get and I just feel that they need the encouragement and support from those who made their lives possible again. Reentry to society is a big deal and in order to successfully be a full-fledged member of society again, they need to have the rehabilitation out side of the prison walls to acclimate to the free world.
There are limitless groups that help fight in the criminal justice system, it’s only a matter of finding the right one or the right ones that help to fight the cause you are wanting to fight for. There are a few groups that have caught my while researching volunteer options such as the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Disability Rights Act and The Lionheart’s Prison Program. There are plenty more but these are just a few that caught my eye. Being able to work with over organizations is a powerful and great way to network and make connections so when the time comes I would be able to start up my own non-profit organization for rehabilitation and reentry to society with the proper tools and support for getting back on their feet. Being able to have the connections with other groups and organizations is very powerful in the sense that resources become stronger and they are there to be able to collaborate on major projects whether they are local or national. There is a need for both local and national no matter how you look at it.

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I was pretty fortunate to have the upbringing that I had. I was born and raised Long Beach, California. I lived their my entire life until I moved out here a year ago. My biological father passed away when I was only five years old but until this day my mom will not speak ill of him, I am almost 27 and my sister is 30. She does not sugar coat the true colors of him but does not go on rants about how he was as a person. She met my step father when I was six and married him when I was eight years old. He gave us the best life my sister and I could have asked for. He treated us like we were his own children. My stepfather gave us opportunities that we would not have been about to experience other wise. He was able to give us the things that my biological father would have never been able too. My biological father was a drug addict who was a ticking time bomb because of his heart condition. After high school I was so lost that I messed up my first year on college and dropped out. Thankfully my parents were supportive of my decision because I had no clue what I wanted to do in life. Once I figured it out I started going to college again for addiction counseling because I wanted to help the families of those who were addicts. Then my path just evolved from addiction counseling to psychology then to psychology and criminal justice. On the first day of class I said that I wanted to be a forensic psychologist and even though that is true, I do not feel that is my true calling. I like to help the underdogs or the ones that society “casts out”. I have always hung out with the outcasts or the “misunderstood” ones. I want to help those in prison who feel that they do not have a chance because no matter what it starts with how they feel about themselves first. I do not really know if this relates to my family but I can say that it definitely relates to the type of kids I hung out with in school. They excepted me for me and not someone I wasn’t. Yes, I was also friends with the “popular” crowd I suppose but that was because I grew up with most of them since elementary and I was very easy going. Thinking back to all those friends who dropped out because their families did not care enough to keep them in school or were not around all that often to make sure they were succeeding makes me want to help change this world for the better. I was lucky to have the loving, kind, supportive but strict parents that I have and because of them I am where I am today and I cannot thank them enough.

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I think that if Walter McMillan was a wealthy black man then yes his sentencing could have been different because of the resources he could have had at his finger tips. However, I do not feel that it would have been the same outcome of a white rich man because he would have never even been looked at as a suspect. If it were a white poor man I still feel that he would not have been looked at as a suspect until all other options would have been exhausted. A poor white man would have probably not been sentenced to death or even would have gotten life. What I mean by this is that while the rich stay out of jail, the poor go to jail but there is difference of what that sentence would be because of the color of skin and in what era. I grew up in Long Beach, California and it is known for the gay community and other groups that have gone through oppression. It is a very welcoming city and community compared to other cities so prejudice wasn’t around me so much. I grew up in a household where my parents didn’t judge the friends I had. Skin color, sexual preference, ethnicity was never looked at any different from us. In high school we read To Kill a Mockingbird, and this is a book about racism and how cruel society is. They blamed and convicted a black man of raping a white woman. They had no evidence of Tom Robinson raping a white woman but because he was black he was sentenced to hanging anyway. It is 2018 and I feel as though we do not realize the importance of being one nation, instead we are divided until a terrorist attack happens or a massive shooting. Then we all stand together as one until  the finger pointing comes and we start going against a religion or a skin color because someone has to be blamed. It doesn’t matter who just as long as someone is and put behind bars. The justice system is supposed to be about justice not just an arrest and conviction. Much like Walter McMillan, he was just an arrest and conviction to please the public. Even though there was no evidence to convict him and there were witness’s to prove that he is innocent. Ralph Myers was coerced into saying that McMillan raped and killed a woman in exchange for freedom. They would never do this for a black man simply because of his color. This is not how a justice system is supposed to work.

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The Memphis Three. I just stumbled upon this case by accident.

A brief background- This is a case of three teenage boys from West Memphis, Arkansas who were charged with the murder of three little boys. These three little boys were hogtied with their own shoe laces, mutilated and assaulted. The three teenagers were known outcasts in their town and one of them was said to have been involved in satanic rituals. One was sentenced to death while the other two were sentenced to life. They were released from prison in 2011 because of the weak evidence that had gotten them locked up to begin with. Ultimately the three now men remained with their innocence and when they got out are trying to make something of themselves.

I stumbled upon this article on facebook one night and started looking into it. These three teenage boys got wrongfully convicted just like Walter did from Just Mercy. They got their lives stolen because of one person including her four year old child said it was three outcast strange kids. Although it did not have anything to do with race, it had to do with the fact that these three were different from the rest of their society. The police officers coerced a confession from one of the boys who was mentally under developed which they knew so they broke him down until he just started repeating their words back to them. They never gave him the chance to defend himself or the other boys. They intimidated him just like they did with Walter, however Walter was stronger. They had no strong evidence, if evidence at all except the word of a “witness” who was not there and her four year old son. What the police did to Ralph Myers in Just Mercy was similar to what they did to the one boy who they knew would be easy to intimidate. However, they did not give him an ultimatum like Ralph Myers was given. They just wanted the arrests and to be done with it. The police did not care about the lack of evidence they had because they knew that since one of the boys were into satanic rituals that it would be an easy conviction.

I asked myself after reading articles about this “why is it a crime to be different?” We are all different and we learn this from a young age, so why must it always turn into a crime for some?

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I have always had a huge heart for inmates and their rehabilitation. I also have a huge heart for animals and their rehabilitation. I hope to be able to combine both of these because animals and people both deserve a second chance. Those in prison typically do not always have stellar backgrounds and childhoods. For those who want to turn their lives around for their families but do not know how should have the right to try. Just because they made a poor decision that got them locked up, does not make them horrible people. They are doing the only thing they know how to make ends meet or to survive on the streets. I feel that if there is someone who is willing to help them to better their lives it could save not only theirs but also those animals who have been left on the streets or left in kill shelters. The animals could teach inmates how to care and love for an animal who is just as lonely, afraid and feels that there is no hope. Being able to help inmates, even just one can change a whole family. I am a huge believer in rehabilitation because all those who wonder are not lost and often times people just need to know that someone cares enough to help them through their struggles to succeed in life. Everyone and even animals need help at some point and they need to know that someone will not give up on them. People need to know that there are people who fight for them and who will continue to fight for them even in the face of failures.
I am majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. I think it would be beneficial to intern with half way homes or even shelters. I have been debating to change my criminal justice minor into a major which would help to further my career. I would also like to start volunteering to help people and even animals( I might take them all home though). Just Mercy and Dead Man Walking were great reads and books like this keep reaffirming what I know in my heart that I am destined to do in my life work. It will not be easy and the pay will suck but at the end of the day knowing that I was able to help repair a person or a family would be the best pay anyone could ever hope for.

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Sister Helen Prejean’s career is quite different from a lawyer since she is a catholic nun who started working with individuals in project housing. This led her to inmates on death row and to the families of these inmates with a condemned future. It is common for nuns to have teaching degrees from Bachelors all the way to PhD, which gives her the skills so she is able to help inmates and teach them a different way of life, even if they are on death row. She guides the inmates through a spiritual connection and the acceptance of god. Bryan Stevenson on the other hand is a Harvard Law graduate who helps innocent inmates who are wrongly convicted get off death row or those who are not mentally competent to be on death row and be in an adult prison. He also fights for children or those who were in-prisoned as a child serving a life sentence without the possibility of parol or on death row. Sister Helen Prejean is fighting to get Patrick Sonnier off death row for the reason that he did not actually pull the trigger but his brother did. She finds an attorney to help him but the judge and governor denies both times. She believes that this is a spiritual calling for her, that she needs to help those on death row. She becomes a full-time anti-death penalty advocate trying to abolish this sentence. While there are many differences in their career path, they are both fighting for the same cause and same justice. They are fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. Sister Helen is using her faith in god to allow these individuals to die with peace, love and dignity. She counsels these inmates to live out their remaining days without anger and frustration. She even connects with their families to support them in their time of loss. Bryan Stevenson uses his law school education to the best of its ability to get these individuals what they deserve. They are one and the same yet so different because they use their powers either with god or their education to better the lives of those who need the fight and support them.

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While having a registry for sex offenders has made it safer for most neighborhoods it also has its draw backs. Patty Wetterling had a few regrets such as it would mean that even those who are under the age of eighteen would have to register as a sex offender. Another concern is that even though there are registries to monitor and track these convicted offenders it does not necessarily resolve the problem because it is a problem that goes more deep than just having a registry to stop this criminal act. These laws do not get to root of these issues and with laws like this may actually cause more harm than good. In my honest opinion there is no wrong way to punish individuals who commit these horrible acts but on the other hand who is to say they do not have some kind of mental disability? I am a firm believer in rehabilitation but when it comes to crimes of this epic proportion it is hard to say that they can be rehabilitated. It is well known that sexual assault is not so much for the pleasure as it is for the control and dominance that they lack in every other aspect of their lives and have since they were little. Chances are it was done to them when they were just kids. This is a difficult question to answer because are they really an evil person or is there some kind of misconnection going on in their brains? I do support the registry because it is for the safety of society. I do support a period of incarceration but I also support that they need to receive the proper psychiatric help attempt them to right their wrong doings. This is a touchy subject that is difficult because I want to say just throw away the key and leave them there for the rest of there lives, how dare they prey on the innocent children, but then I feel like if I do say that then I would be a hypocrite to say that every person deserves a second shot at life. I feel that I am contradicting myself as I am writing this post because I honestly do not think I know how I feel about this. I do not know if its because I do not have children but I do have five nephews and I would hunt someone down if anything ever happened to them. As a student majoring in psychology and criminal justice I want to speak about the whys and how comes and what happened in the past.

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Luckily I have not had very many run-ins with police and the very few that I have had, I was let off fairly easy. I have always been taught that police are here to protect you, keep you safe and to always respect them because their line of work is difficult enough with what they have to deal with on a daily basis. I was always told to do as they ask and to answer any questions they may have with the upmost respect and truth. When I was 18 years old I made a right hand turn on a red light in front of a cop who pulled me over. He let me off with a warning but it still scared the day lights out of me. The second time I was pulled over was on my way home from my sisters wedding up in Northern California. I was with my best friend and it was also my birthday. He had asked me if I knew why he pulled me over (mind you, he was not very pleasant), I replied “ yes sir, because I was going 15 mph over the speed limit.” He looked a bit shocked that I replied this way, he took my ID and did whatever he did back in his truck. He then walked back to us and his attitude was completely different. He thanked me for being so polite and said happy birthday. He let me off with a warning because it was my birthday but still wrote me up for a fix it ticket because my truck was missing the month tag (luckily it was my dads truck, not mine). They third time was for “being on my cellphone” except that I did not actually have it with me and what he saw me holding was a coffee cup. He was a nice gentleman who apologized for the accusation. I offered to let him search my purse and vehicle if he thought I was lying. In these three incidences I thought I had gotten off easy because I was trying to be respectful and understanding. I never thought it was because of the color of my skin or the fact that I was a female. Now looking back on it I can see how it could be different for those who have a different color of skin because of all the racial problems we are having in society now. I am fortunate enough to have not had any situations like Bryan Stevenson had because I am not sure if I would be able to handle it like he did. Police officers intimidate the hell out of even though I was always taught they were there to protect and serve. I am pretty sure I would have just cried hysterically and would have been shaking uncontrollably.

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On Thursday, t he National Memorial for Peace and Justice and t he Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, opened their doors to honor the thousands of lives lost to lynchings in the US.

The memorial is a powerful reminder of the centuries of violence and racial inequality throughout US history, while offering a place of solace to reflect upon those who have lost their lives because of the color of their skin. Inscribed into 800 steel monuments which hang from the memorial's ceiling are the names and places of each act of violence, while a display of glass jars containing soil from these sites offers a tangible reminder of the humanity behind each inscribed name.

Here's a look inside the National Memorial for Peace and Justice:

Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.

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A Powerful New Memorial For Lynching Victims Just Opened In Alabama

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On Thursday, t he National Memorial for Peace and Justice and t he Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, opened their doors to honor the thousands of lives lost to lynchings in the US.

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Caitlynn - Can you please number them when you post, moving forward? Just because it is easier for me to keep track of! Thanks! - Dr. D

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Caitlynn - Can you please number them when you post, moving forward? Just because it is easier for me to keep track of! Thanks! - Dr. D

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Some low-income bankers could be charged a fee for not having enough money, as Bank of America is requiring some customers to keep more money in their bank accounts, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the WSJ report, those who use the eBanking service must keep at least $1,500 in their account, or have a direct deposit of $250. Those unable to meet the account's minimum standard will be charged $12 a month.

The changes went into effect last week.

The accounts are reportedly expensive for banks to maintain, even though they do profit off overdraft charges.

"For anyone who chooses us as their primary bank relationship, with a direct deposit of just $250 [per] month or $3,000 [per] year, they'll get full access to all of our financial centers, ATMs, mobile and online banking," a Bank of America spokeswoman told the WSJ. "That's a great value and our client satisfaction scores are at all-time highs."

But at least 45,000 people disagree.

A petition asking Bank of America to reconsider its position has garnered 45,000 online signatures.

"Many low income families do not meet these requirements," Mel San, who created the petition, wrote. "There have been times where I've only had $10 to my name. That wouldn't even cover the maintenance fee."

Bank of America offers a checking account for $4.95 a month that it says is geared for low-income bankers. The account does not allow customers to overdraft, nor does it allow customers to write paper checks. But the account comes without a minimum direct deposit or balance.

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Bank of America to charge fee to some low-income bankers

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Some low-income bankers could be charged a fee for not having enough money, as Bank of America is requiring some customers to keep more money in their bank accounts, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the WSJ report, those who use the eBanking service must keep at least $1,500 in their account, or have a direct deposit of $250.

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This whole book talks about the injustices against minority groups especially since this book primarily based in the South. The racial tension in the 1980’s was still very much alive because slavery was very prominent there. The white men are born into generations of white pride and are taught from infancy that is how it is supposed to be. They are the greater race while those who are of a different skin color are far less than them. An example, the sheriffs arrested Walter McMillian on the simple fact that he was a black male with an allegation against him by a white male Ralph Myers, who said that McMillian was involved in a murder with his girlfriend along with them. With no evidence of any connection between Myers and McMillian but because of the pressure to close the Morrison case, they decided to arrest McMillian anyway with a false sexual assault charge. They wanted the case closed and seeing how Walter McMillian was a black male, they knew it would be an easy case to close regardless of having no evidence. He was even put on death row before there was a conviction. In his court appeal that lasted three days, the second day there were K-9 police dogs along with metal detectors that blatantly showed the discrimination and racial injustice. The first day of the day the court room was packed with Walter’s family, friends, supporters and other community members that showed support for him. The second day the plaintiff side made sure to get their supporters in the courtroom before the “African American” supporters got there not allowing them into the room.
Watching the news that reports on all the arrests are subjective to the new station’s political stance and therefore the bias is very large and has decided the United States in so many different directions. Minority groups are portrayed as getting harsher punishments than white individuals and those who are white tend to get more sympathy by saying things like “oh well this individual came from a broken home and the foster care system” or “this individual came from a family where the parents died from drug over dose”. When it comes to minority groups in the news its always “send them back to where they came from” or “well what do you expect from a black person?” these are the type of comments and messages that keep racism and prejudice alive especially in prisons. They are treated differently and looked at more harshly.

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Inside a Private Prison: Blood, Suicide and Poorly Paid Guards (Published 2018)

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A trial in Mississippi provides a rare glimpse into a world where mistreatment of inmates is commonplace, at a time when the Trump administration wants to expand the use of private prisons.

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Before the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, kids would play outside till the street lights went on, they would ride there bicycles through the neighborhoods and to each others houses. This was common, every child in America did this with their friends. In St Joseph, Minnesota, it was common for everyone to leave their houses unlocked and kids to play outside till dark. After, the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, that all changed. Kids were afraid to play outside by themselves, the people of St. Joseph, Minnesota no long left their houses unlocked, they were afraid. Things like this never happened in their small friendly town. Parents were afraid to their children out of their sight. One article that I have read about this case called the suspect the boogyman, because he only comes out at night. This would frighten anyone kid or adult into not leaving the house past sun down.  While the community got together to try and help find Jacob, the sheriffs department failed to properly do their jobs. They did not have the proper skills to handle a case of this type. They were not prepared to something like this to happen in their small friendly town. Because of this kidnapping laws were put in place to help prevent future kidnapping and sexual assaults on minors. However, this case had negative responses from the community because of the lack of police involvement. Even though they were involved, they did not do a thorough investigation leading it on to be a 27 year investigation. They had the suspect in their hands but they let him go, even though they had the description of him and a few pieces of evidence that could help them connect him to other possible cases. They arrest another man, who was innocent and this ruined his life, it ruined his career.