Stand Tall or Lose All

Despite the never ending controversy concerning the treatment of inmates in the United States clearly there is a need for change in the judicial system. Below you will see documented proof along with one opinion related to how discrimination and prejudice have been over looked and how this affects our nation as a whole. When you are done reading take the time to evaluate your own emotions. Are you one of the people who will stand tall and fight for the rights of our nation's constitution, or are you willing to let the discrimination and prejudices continue and take the chance that we will lose everything our nation was built on?

To start we take a look at an A & E. Production directed by Jonathan Stark and Liz Garbus. The Farm, Life Inside Angola Prison is a documentary that takes place inside the Angola Prison located in the state of Louisiana. Years ago Angola was a large slave plantation. Today Angola is the home to approximately 5000 of our nations most hardened male criminals. Most of these individuals are serving life sentences and eighty percent of them will die within Angola's dingy walls.The Farm gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of six different individuals. Each of these human beings are there on various charges and sentences.

One man pacticulary stands out amongst the other five. His name is Vincent Simmons. Mr. Simmons is serving a one hundred year sentence for two counts of aggravated rape. Mr. Simmons maintains the same plea of innocence he entered during his trial. People typically stereotype Mr. Simmons plea as denial, However after watching The Farm it's clear the possibilities of this being the case is highly unlikely. In one scene a parole board meets and the victims approach the panel. Viewers watch as one of the females tells her tear filled story of a violent rape. She begs the mercy of the panel to deny Vincent Simmons parole. In the next breath she admits that she could not identify Vincent as her attacker. Finally its Mr. Simmons turn to speak. He presents evidence he had acquired. Evidence that had been omitted from the trial. He lays out medical records belonging to the girls at the time of his trial. The records clearly stated that both girls had been virgins at the time of the examinations totally contradicting their claims of a brutal rape. He shows the panel a police line up photo. This photo shows him as the only hand cuffed individual in the line up. Amazingly enough the evidence is not enough to make the panel blink an eye. The men ask Mr. Simmons to step out while they discuss the discussion at hand. In less than two seconds the men look at each other saying "He did it we know he did it! Parole denied!" Never once did they examine Mr. Simmons evidence. Never once did they consider his accomplishments since his incarceration.

Filmed reality shows as these men abuse their authority and like so many unseen cases the men got away with it.While watching this documentary my heart sank deeper in my chest as feelings of rage overwhelmed me.. I blame the individuals that make up the system for this anger. They are the ones in charge of creating and carrying out the laws and punishments here in The United States Of America. I blame the citizens of this country for not holding those in authority accountable for their actions, and for allowing them to abuse men like Mr. Simmons whose conviction is clearly questionable. For me knowing that such a film exists and that the majority of society turns a blind eye to reality disgusts me.

The topic of the treatment of inmates as a whole is complex, However it's my opinion that when an individual turns its head on discrimination at any level it's crippling for our whole nation.The Farm clearly shows that when an inmate enters the prison system they become no more than a number. They face hard time in the shadows of the prison system. They end up loosing everything they hold dear. Their families, their careers, and in many cases their sanity disappears. Little things find new appreciation with in an inmates life, yet they lack the ability to act upon those newly found values. The film shows that for some people this is a turning point in life. For others it's just the opposite the system hardens them and creates even more bitterness.Prisoners are not the only parties suffering in the hands of our nations officials. Families of those incarcerated face extreme mental anguish. Parental rights are often severed and the children lose the love and affection that the parent once gave. Financial hardships escalate as families and friends strive to maintain communication with love ones. Phone calls from a state facility costs any where from seven to twenty dollars for a mere fifteen minuets. Visitation is often difficult for people to maintain because of distance. For many people distance either limits their ability to visit or disables them completely.

One of the prisoners on the film reports that an inmates life is like a puzzle scattered accrossed a table. Personally I feel the entire family is part of that puzzle and each is then required to piece parts of that puzzle back together. Unfortunately, pieces become lost along the way.Obviously, prejudice and discrimination are locked behind the walls of the judicial system. The Farm makes it clear that there are human beings who have fallen victim to the very system meant to reform them. These individuals have no control over their surroundings and what is happening to them. It's our job as citizens to care about the lives caged in the shadows of our nations penitentiary system. We are the ones who will be affected by the condition of these inmates when they re-enter society. It's our job to see to it that they are cared for both physically and psychologically. Rather than building larger institutions for human storage society should be taking a more educational approach and providing psychological support to people who commit crimes.

The system should focus on reprogramming the inmates defects because a lot of people that society views as misfits are merely weak and would benefit from treatment over incarceration. The best way to accomplish this is for average American citizens to become involved. Stand up for the constitutional rights of those who can not defend them selves. If we as a society allow an area of our constitution or it's amendments to be molested then The United States Of America loses a piece of the foundation it was built upon