August 21, 2024
Opinion Article
Dear supporters of the relaunched Echo, there is a growing concern about citizens, particularly those vulnerable to being imprisoned for minor technical parole violations here in N.J. On a side note: this is not an article that encourages people to not to report to their parole officers. It is simply an information report with the author's opinion. There is a undercurrent movement of before mentioned citizens who are standing up against re-incarceration in a prison system that repeatedly exposes them to dangerous environments plus threats of sexual assault by same sex mainstream prisoners. It's important to note that 1700 citizens are currently incarcerated in New Jersey due to technical parole violations, with a majority of the population being Black citizens. Where with we must understand that the above mentioned technical parole violators have not broken any laws. And are by design being blocked form job opportunities as a result of NJ placing non-law breaking citizens in prison for technical parole violations.
New Jersey's prison systems are well aware of the ongoing violence and the threats of sexual attacks that technical parole violators, who have not committed any new offenses, face on a daily basis while being re-incarcerated. On average, these individuals spend approximately one year and three months in prison for non-criminal violations such as testing positive for alchohol consumption or drug use. Despite the fact that, it would be more cost effective and efficient to place citizens with drug violations in rehabilitation facilities as example for 60-90 days to address their issues. The state of N.J. has not chose such common sense mandates for technical parole violators who are citizens. Despite the fact that this approach would provide a better solution for those who have relapsed and require assistance to get back on track with their lives. It would also be a more affordable and effective alternative to incarcerating citizens for extended periods in prison system that per a 101.5 Radio Report confirmed that "The Murphy administration reveals the shocking cost of housing inmates at state prisons." Which cost taxpayers "$74,000 per year," per individual inmates including technical parole violators who on the most part do not deserve to be imprisoned in the first place.
Read More: Alarming: NJ Spending More On Inmates Than Kids' Education | https://nj1015.com/inmate-cost-new-jersey/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Per universal mandates, America's prison systems, including New Jersey's, are required to operate under these standards:
"Prisoners in state jails should be provided with a safe and secure environment, free from abuse or mistreatment. Safety measures that are required to prevent abuse include:
1. Adequate supervision: Proper supervision by trained staff should ensure the safety and well-being of prisoners.
2. Staff training: Personnel should be trained to recognize and respond to signs of abuse and to handle situations involving conflict or violence.
3. Implementation of anti-abuse policies: Prisons should have strict policies to prevent abuse and harassment and measures for reporting and investigating any incidents.
4. Access to support services: Prisoners should have access to mental health support, counseling, and other services to address any trauma or abuse they may have experienced.
5. Monitoring and oversight: Regular monitoring and oversight of prison facilities by independent bodies can help ensure that safety measures are being implemented effectively.
6. Transparency and accountability: Transparency and accountability in handling abuse cases and perpetrators' responsibility for their actions are essential.
These above measures are crucial in ensuring the safety and well-being of prisoners in state jails."
So, why aren't the above rules plus similar reforms being implemented in New Jersey's prison systems, to the extent that individuals who have committed minor violations are hesitant to return to jail for a year for such trivial offenses? Is there a deliberate effort to repeatedly incarcerate non-violent alleged drug offenders, potentially exposing them to the threat of sexual assault, instead of providing them with opportunities to work, support their families, worship freely, and seek refuge in the churches their families have helped to build? Why the church? Because per historical church doctrine "unnatural, unjust laws are derived from nullified authority, which people are entitled to disobey."
(Page 2 third paragraph: https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2566&context=student_scholarship)
What's the big idea of the past four to six governors who allowed such transgressions plus a waste of taxpayers' dollars on fellow citizens who served their time, who are primarily Black citizens, who want to work and live a simple life? Per an article shared by the American Friends Service Committee's Prison Watch program, in collaboration with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens provided a report on July 16, 2024 "Report Documents Harms Of Technical Parole Violations In New Jersey" that focused on the topic that "Reincarcerating people for minor infractions has a high cost for individuals and taxpayers" Shares that
"A new report, titled "Voices from the Inside: Restructuring the Conversation on Technical Parole Violations" documents the harms caused by New Jersey's parole system, which sends people back to prison for minor violations of parole policies. The report includes stories from people who have been harmed by this system and provides recommendations for the state on parole reform. The report was authored by the American Friends Service Committee's Prison Watch program, in collaboration with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and a scholar from the Institute for Women's Leadership at Rutgers University."
AFSC's report highlights the staggering fact that "1700 individuals in NJ are in prison due to technical parole violations, despite not having committed any new crimes." What is the reason for New Jersey's high rate of imprisoning individuals for non-criminal actions over the years? Who is benefiting from displacing these citizens into crowded jails, where they face repeated threats of violence and assault? It's troubling to note that a majority of these individuals are Black citizens who have not committed any new offenses.
It all could link back to the desires of a treasonous portion of Americans to see once again the actions exhibited during the 400 years of Chattel Slavery be revisited upon the descendants of formerly enslaved African children who are now citizens and free to put them back into a bondage situation like their ancestors? The stress that the targeted citizen population faces forces them to live in poverty on the outskirts of society because they'll be prosecuted for obtaining a job. As per the relaunched Echo's previous report in June 13, 2023 titled "Slavery By Another Name, Is Still Slavery - An Opinion Article About N.J.'s Parole Board Practices" https://www.echonewstv.com/post/slavery-by-another-name-is-still-slavery-an-opinion-article-about-n-j-s-parole-board-practices
As a consequence of the state of New Jersey's four to five decades of overt, premeditated attacks on its own citizens. Per the states racially motivated stressors can cause targeted citizens population to more than likely self-medicate. These bullied citizens then consequentionally are made to feel inferior to other citizens plus insourced populations who aren't harassed with these systematic primarily racist attacks. Attacks against citizens that mirror an Antebellum South historical reflection of a slave owners mentally which goes against the Constituition of these United States of America.
And if this is indeed the fact of the matter every citizen should be very disappointed with NJ for executing such a heinous plan against their fellow citizens who did wrong, served their time, and sought to be productive members of society but can't because NJ constructed her prison systems to operate like the Antebellum South that's ethically and morally wrong. What's next, parole officers and prisons will start amputating limbs, whipping, branding, and hobbling technical parole violators along with allowing the sexual assault or threats to these citizens as in days of old, the way their ancestors were treated, during American chattel slavery? God forbid.
But this is happening today to primarily but not only but primarily Black American men, women, and children not because of laws on the books that once enforced can stop the racial profiling and trickery of the state of New Jersey's racism plus mass incarceration problem. But because of citizens lack to protect and speak up on behalf of other citizens. Which is your civic duty plus right as United States American citizens with the authority that's invested in you as individuals to enforcing standards that are righteous and just. Please check out the AFSC report, and let's put it in our minds as readers of the relaunched Echo that two wrongs do not make a right. And that it's time to remove every aspect of chattel slavery that this state has reconjured up these last 40-50 years that have devastated and destroyed American citizens families plus blocked citizens from acquiring jobs so that they can be self sufficient and not forfeited into a prison to be attacked in the way that Black citizens ancestors were attacked regularly by those who enslaved them for 400 years. Which is unconstitutional per the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. It's time for N.J. to not want to study war no more against their fellow citizens. That means the treasonous attacks against citizens offered up to imprisonment for non-lawbreaking minor technical parole violations must end in New Jersey.
Thanks for reading. Your feedback is appreciated.
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Disclosure claim:
The author did not receive external funding for this work and has no conflict of interest.
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