Joyce Mitchell was sentenced to 7 years in prison today for aiding in the escape of two very dangerous inmates. Mitchell sneaked in saw blades and drill bits along with other supplies to aid the two inmates in their escape. She was also supposed to provide a get away vehicle and other supplies on the night of their escape however backed out last minute. During the trial she claimed she helped the prisoners because she feared for her and her family's life. The jury didn't by her story though and found her guilty of the charges.
This article is significant because it reflects the condition of our prison system and their security. The prisoners' escape posed a large threat to the community and showed how attention has been paid to the wrong portions of our prison system. In the U.S. we often focus on punitive punishments for large groups of people who pose a relatively low threat to society. We have the largest incarcerated population in the history of the world and spread our funds thin with excessive and harsh convictions rather than focusing resources on the much smaller group that does actually pose a threat to society.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/28/us/ny-prison-break/index.html
I heard about this on the news this weekend. I think the lady was kind of out of her mind for thinking she could get away with assisting a prison escape. I also do agree with your point on the threat it put on the community. If these people were able to escape, how do we know others aren't able to? However, I do feel it necessary to focus on the entirety of the imprisoned, because there is no telling the level of threat someone could pose to the outside world. I think it would be hard to distinguish between the "kind of threatening" and the "very threatening".
ReplyDeleteJasmine Rodriguez Period 4