Prison consultants
06/05/19 05:30
BBC News has an article this morning about prison consultants. I do quite a bit of visiting at the county jail and have made a few visits to state prisons, but I was unaware that such a thing as a prison consultant exists. I guess that the people I visit who are incarcerated aren’t rich enough to be able to pay thousands of dollars for a consultant. Actually, most of the people I visit are in jail because they can’t raise a few hundred dollars for bail.
There have been quite a few celebrities facing prison time. The college admissions scandal and the current presidential administration have supplied quite a few convictions with more to come. High profile, well-known and wealthy people are heading to jail in significant numbers.
Apparently a prison consultant serves as an advocate of those incarcerated, advising them of their rights, connecting them with prison programs, helping them find perks and sometimes assisting with changes in facilities. One of the consultants interviewed for the article had, among his credentials, the fact that he served a decade as an inmate. He said of himself, “I’m like a cross between a psychologist, a marriage counselor, a life coach and a priest.” I doubt that the description is accurate. Licensed psychologists and counselors and priests all devote years of their lives to education and preparation for their chosen vocations. It sounds like this particular consultant spent more time in the school of hard knocks than he did in a formal educational setting. This particular consultant also speaks of advising his clients on when it is best to take a plea deal and when to take the case to trial. That sounds to me like giving legal advice, which unless this guy also happens to be a lawyer, might be crossing a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed.
Actually, I’m not very concerned about what rich people do with their money, although I do think that those who can afford tp pay restitution ought to do so.
What I do know is that there are plenty of people in the system who don’t have consultants. There are plenty who don’t have advocates. I’ve met a few who feel the they have been abandoned by their families.
The prison system performs a lot of different functions in our society. Some think of it as a deterrent, though there is virtually no solid scientific evidence that it is effective in deterring crime. Others think that it is punishment for wrongdoing, and certainly it functions in that way. Being locked behind steel doors in a concrete box is an experience of losing control. Even with years of experience, I’m always just a bit uncomfortable when I’m visiting behind bars. I joke about making sure that the control room operator is in a good mood and recognizes me, but the knowledge that I can leave when I am ready is important to my anxiety levels when going into a secure facility.
At least in theory, however, prisons are about rehabilitation. People are capable of making changes in how they live their lives. We even use the term “correctional facility” to refer to the places where people are held in jail. There are a few prison programs that are geared towards rehabilitation. There are educational programs in jails and prisons. There are opportunities for study and learning.
White collar criminals typically end up in prison camps that are a lots less frightening than maximum security facilities. They might have to bunk with dozens of other inmates in a dormitory-style building, but they have access to exercise spaces. Some even have private places where they can read or meditate without being bothered. Some federal prison camps don’t even have fences.The prison where Michael Cohen will be serving his time is known for kosher meals and Jewish services.
High profile celebrities are not the reasons our prisons are overcrowded, however, Most people who end up on the wrong side of the law and locked up are in prison because of the use and selling of illegal drugs. Many are completely without any financial resources.
I exchange letters with an inmate in a federal prison facility. He was convicted of a crime in South Dakota, but is currently serving his time in Texas. He wasn’t given any chance to choose which facility he would serve his time in. He doesn’t have any outside funds that can be directed to a prison consultant. He worries about his family having enough money for food and keeping the house warm while he is serving his time. He has no say about his diet or his roommates. He has no say about a whole lot of things. He writes letters to everyone he can think of who might write a letter back to him. He has to pay for the paper, the pencil, the envelope and the stamp, but that is less expensive than phone calls and he’s learned that there are very few people who will accept a collect phone call from a federal prison facility.
Even the conditions in prison are dependent upon whether or not you can afford to pay.
I’m not a psychologist or marriage counselor or life coach. I’m just a minister. There is no one who is willing o pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars to be their prison consultant. I am, however, someone who is allowed to visit prisoners in the jail. With my bible and book of worship I make my way mourned the facility and meet with inmates in cramped conference rooms where the tables are bolted to the floor. I don’t give any advice. I don’t have any expertise about how to obtain perks or changes. I can listen to complaints about food and roommates, but I can do nothing about them. I’m very careful never to make promises to the people I visit.
The story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 lurks in my mind. “Lord, when did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” I’ve been on both sides of that one. I’ve visited those sick and those in prison, but there have also been times when I’ve not made those visits.
I suspect the same is true of those who get paid for their consultant visits.
There have been quite a few celebrities facing prison time. The college admissions scandal and the current presidential administration have supplied quite a few convictions with more to come. High profile, well-known and wealthy people are heading to jail in significant numbers.
Apparently a prison consultant serves as an advocate of those incarcerated, advising them of their rights, connecting them with prison programs, helping them find perks and sometimes assisting with changes in facilities. One of the consultants interviewed for the article had, among his credentials, the fact that he served a decade as an inmate. He said of himself, “I’m like a cross between a psychologist, a marriage counselor, a life coach and a priest.” I doubt that the description is accurate. Licensed psychologists and counselors and priests all devote years of their lives to education and preparation for their chosen vocations. It sounds like this particular consultant spent more time in the school of hard knocks than he did in a formal educational setting. This particular consultant also speaks of advising his clients on when it is best to take a plea deal and when to take the case to trial. That sounds to me like giving legal advice, which unless this guy also happens to be a lawyer, might be crossing a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed.
Actually, I’m not very concerned about what rich people do with their money, although I do think that those who can afford tp pay restitution ought to do so.
What I do know is that there are plenty of people in the system who don’t have consultants. There are plenty who don’t have advocates. I’ve met a few who feel the they have been abandoned by their families.
The prison system performs a lot of different functions in our society. Some think of it as a deterrent, though there is virtually no solid scientific evidence that it is effective in deterring crime. Others think that it is punishment for wrongdoing, and certainly it functions in that way. Being locked behind steel doors in a concrete box is an experience of losing control. Even with years of experience, I’m always just a bit uncomfortable when I’m visiting behind bars. I joke about making sure that the control room operator is in a good mood and recognizes me, but the knowledge that I can leave when I am ready is important to my anxiety levels when going into a secure facility.
At least in theory, however, prisons are about rehabilitation. People are capable of making changes in how they live their lives. We even use the term “correctional facility” to refer to the places where people are held in jail. There are a few prison programs that are geared towards rehabilitation. There are educational programs in jails and prisons. There are opportunities for study and learning.
White collar criminals typically end up in prison camps that are a lots less frightening than maximum security facilities. They might have to bunk with dozens of other inmates in a dormitory-style building, but they have access to exercise spaces. Some even have private places where they can read or meditate without being bothered. Some federal prison camps don’t even have fences.The prison where Michael Cohen will be serving his time is known for kosher meals and Jewish services.
High profile celebrities are not the reasons our prisons are overcrowded, however, Most people who end up on the wrong side of the law and locked up are in prison because of the use and selling of illegal drugs. Many are completely without any financial resources.
I exchange letters with an inmate in a federal prison facility. He was convicted of a crime in South Dakota, but is currently serving his time in Texas. He wasn’t given any chance to choose which facility he would serve his time in. He doesn’t have any outside funds that can be directed to a prison consultant. He worries about his family having enough money for food and keeping the house warm while he is serving his time. He has no say about his diet or his roommates. He has no say about a whole lot of things. He writes letters to everyone he can think of who might write a letter back to him. He has to pay for the paper, the pencil, the envelope and the stamp, but that is less expensive than phone calls and he’s learned that there are very few people who will accept a collect phone call from a federal prison facility.
Even the conditions in prison are dependent upon whether or not you can afford to pay.
I’m not a psychologist or marriage counselor or life coach. I’m just a minister. There is no one who is willing o pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars to be their prison consultant. I am, however, someone who is allowed to visit prisoners in the jail. With my bible and book of worship I make my way mourned the facility and meet with inmates in cramped conference rooms where the tables are bolted to the floor. I don’t give any advice. I don’t have any expertise about how to obtain perks or changes. I can listen to complaints about food and roommates, but I can do nothing about them. I’m very careful never to make promises to the people I visit.
The story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 lurks in my mind. “Lord, when did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” I’ve been on both sides of that one. I’ve visited those sick and those in prison, but there have also been times when I’ve not made those visits.
I suspect the same is true of those who get paid for their consultant visits.