Unless you have direct experience with incarceration, many people think that all correctional facilities and systems in the United States are the same.
The reality, however, is that there’s considerable variety among the places and systems that manage the approximate 2.1 million people who are currently incarcerated.
We can probably come up with five categories on which these entities vary including: philosophy of incarceration, facility types (e.g., city and county jails, state prisons, federal penitentiaries, specialized units, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Centers, etc.), management styles, public versus private entities, the types of populations that are incarcerated, and geographic/cultural variations.
Thus some jails, prisons, etc. are better at providing safe and secure living and working conditions, adequate health, medical and psychological care, while others are worse at delivering these kinds of things, etc..
Why is this important to know?
First, given the importance of jails, prisons and other correctional facilities not only for the criminal justice system, but in their attempts to achieve their goals (i.e., punishment, public safety, rehabilitation, deterrence, etc.), it’s important that we encourage informed discourse, and avoid making generalizations, and relying on myths, especially when they do not accurately reflect what we know to be true.
Second, understanding that there is considerable variety may help us to recognize disparities and perhaps address them in a timely fashion.
Third, understanding the diversity may assist correctional administrators and planners to tailor or better shape interventions and policies.
Fourth, and most important, understanding that there is variety may lead to better approaches to humanizing the carceral experience.
So how do we go about addressing the disparities, and improving jail and prison conditions so they are more just, safe and humane not only for inmates but for correctional workers too?
Numerous proposals have been advanced, including improved reporting systems, 1-800 numbers, etc. Overall these approaches are typically piecemeal.
If we want to better target our efforts, we might consider directing them towards the jails and prisons and correctional systems that need them the most.
How would we go about doing that? To begin with almost all correctional facilities and systems can be rank ordered on the previously mentioned continuums.
And a handful of organizations (e.g., Prison Policy Initiative; Vera Institute of Justice; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; PrisonInsight, and the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) do this sort of thing.
Sometimes this process generally relies upon self reports, provided by correctional institutions and systems and at other times they don’t. More importantly, there is no comprehensive scaling system, and the reports are released on a sporadic basis.
Until then activism directed at improving jails, prisons and other correctional facilities and systems is going to be a little bit of this and a little bit of that. People protesting against substandard and/or horrific jail and prison conditions, policies and procedures may feel like they are spinning their wheels because their efforts are spread all over the place.
Photo: Orleans Parish Prison, Louisiana. March 2012.
Photographer: Bart Everson
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2023-05-12-at-5.53.45-PM.png489889Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2023-05-13 20:00:412023-05-14 12:18:46Addressing the diversity of American correctional facilities and systems
The United States is known around the world for lots of great things. Often referred to as the land of opportunity, America is blessed with spectacular wilderness areas replete with natural beauty, well-respected educational and medical institutions, generally friendly people, and Disneyland .
Part of this latter package includes one of the highest incarceration rates in the world and prison conditions, that are often abysmal (including overcrowded, understaffed and dangerous correctional facilities).
Not only is this reality known among the average foreigner, but the judiciaries of those countries from whence they come.
That’s why many foreign criminal justice and political systems are reluctant to extradite citizens of all countries, irrespective of how hideous the crimes they are alleged to have committed, who are wanted by the United States government (and regardless if they are in custody or not).
Although the judiciaries of foreign countries may distain America’s mass incarceration per sea, or the disproportionate number of African American’s and people of low income behind bars, they fear not only that the accused person whose docket they are presiding over is not going to get a fair trial, or may receive the death penalty, but they generally know that US prison conditions and the provision of services inside fall below generally accepted standards of human rights.
They are well aware of numerous reports developed by well-respected experts and organizations documenting the mistreatment and in some cases abuse of prisoners in US correctional facilities, not to mention inhumane and degrading treatment behind bars.
Many foreign countries (particularly Western and/or advanced industrialized countries) have better standards for their correctional facilities. Most European countries, in particular, are signatories to the European Convention on Human rights which bars inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners. If they believe that prison conditions in the United States fall below these standards they may be reluctant to extradite an individual to America.
One of the most salient of those aspects is the quality of care incarcerated people might receive, particularly if they suffer from a serious medical condition or psychological challenges (e.g., Asperger’s syndrome, autism, acute depression, etc.).
This is not just hyperbole. Repeatedly we have seen this in action. Four salient cases are illustrative.
In 2012, Gary McKinnon, a British Citizen, residing in the UK, was wanted by the United States government for hacking into the Pentagon computer system. If convicted, McKinnon, a long time sufferer of Asperger’s would be required to spend a considerable amount of time in isolation, most likely at a Supermax Prison. This condition, it was argued may prompt him to commit suicide. Thus his extradition request was denied.
In 2018, the Irish High Court denied the extradition of Eric Marques, who was charged with running a dark web child pornography website. The court cited concerns about the conditions of confinement in the United States, including the use of special administrative measures (SAMs), which can involve prolonged solitary confinement, as well as the lack of mental health facilities and the high rate of violence in U.S. prisons.
Also in 2018, British citizen, Laurie Love won an appeal against a US extradition request. Love was accused by the United States of perpetrating a series of cyber-attacks against American government agencies, including the Federal Reserve, NASA, and the Army. Love (a long time sufferer of Autism) and his attorneys argued among other things that his mental and physical health would be at risk due to the harsh conditions in American prisons.
And in 2021, WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who was wanted in the United States on charges of espionage and hacking government computers, and facing extradition, was prevented from being extradited because of his precarious mental health, that that his lawyers argued would deteriorate in American correctional facilities where he would be held for trail and possibly sentenced to.
Fighting an extradition request is not a slam dunk for individuals who have fled the United States and have been arrested in a foreign country, nor for foreigners wanted by the United States government, their defense council and loved ones. The process typically involves multiple court appearances, the involvement of one or more skilled legal teams, and expert witnesses that can testify not only to the wanted person’s medical and physical conditions, and psychological challenges, but also (depending on the particular charge) an intimate knowledge of local, state and federal correctional facility systems and practices, not to mention transportation practices.
Photo Credit: Alpha Photo
Extradition
A photo about the topic Extradition.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/52680682404_eaa6d6e87f_o-scaled.jpg17072560Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2023-05-05 16:26:232023-05-05 16:26:23How American prison conditions can impact extradition requests
Numerous films focusing on Japanese cooking or chefs have been released to Western audiences.
One of the more recent iconic and celebrated is David Gelb’s 2011 documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
The movie reviews the work (and to a lesser extent the life) of Jiro Ono, a humble and modest 85-year old Tokyo based sushi master chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, his ten seat restaurant (that once held the distinction of earning three stars from the famed MICHELIN review guide).
Although more then a decade has passed since the movie’s release, what makes this film interesting? Lots of things.
For sushi lovers there are copious shots of Jiro and his team carefully preparing sushi, and placing these creations on plates. To a lesser extent rarely seen sushi preparation practices like smoking fish with straw and treating nori over propane flame are shown to the audience. We also witness scenes from the early morning fish auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market where Jiro and other Tokyo based chefs inspect the fish and seafood, and then buy the food they are going to serve that day. Interviews with his primary fish monger (Mizutani Takashi) and rice dealer (i.e., Hiromichi) are also part of this dynamic.
Over the course of 80 minutes viewers are introduced to Jiro, who has devoted the majority of his life to perfecting his craft of making sushi, and to a lesser extent his grueling training of others (in particular his two sons, Yoshikazu and Takashi) in the fine art of sushi making. We briefly learn about his father, and the unusual upbringing he had. In particular, at the age of nine he was abandoned by his father, and started working in a sushi restaurant to support himself.
Unquestionably both the movie and the main character have some flaws.
• It may have been helpful if there were a sprinkling of interviews with other sushi chefs (i.e., his competition) or customers. This may have provided an additional sense of balance to the story. Instead Gelb appears content to give a rather complimentary examination of Jiro and his practice. Thus, the film can be easily construed as a sophisticated tribute or commercial.
• The film neither mentions his wife, nor considers the struggles his sons made in choosing to follow their father’s footsteps.We learn that despite his sons wanting to either go to university or be an airplane pilot, Jiro convinced them otherwise to join him at his restaurant. Moreover no mention is made of his wife. We don’t know if she is widowed, divorced, etc.
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi does not consider how the protagonist’s obsession (spending every waking hour of his life thinking about sushi) effects his family life.
• Although the film states that Jiro pioneered new techniques in the preparation of sushi and rice, it does not provide specific details. We also do not see any in-depth reflections from his mentors, etc.
Much like a well designed and prepared meal, however, the story is beautifully told. There is a balance, if not harmony, among the content, interviews, visuals, dialogue and music, focusing not just on Jiro, but his sons, his apprentices (shokunin deshi, in Japanese) and Yamamoto Masuhiro, a well-known and respected Tokyo based restaurant reviewer. There is also some social commentary towards the end of the film that deals with the challenge of overfishing.
The success of this movie may lie in the zeitgist of the decade in which it was release. Building upon Robert M. Pirsig’s, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance (1974), through Matthew B Crawford’s Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (2009), we learn about the pleasure of working with one’s hands. Similarly, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), we learn what it takes to devote one’s self to one’s career.
It is hard to say that making sushi was Jiro’s calling, but he has put his heart and soul in to the practice of this Japanese culinary practice, and this seems to be where not only he made a living but derived a considerable amount of enjoyment doing this sort of thing. Key takeaways are
1. In priniciple, over time, and with sufficient dedication you get better at your craft.
2. Have high standards. For Jiro, this includes selecting and using high quality raw ingredients, the proper use of tools, and the manner in which the fish is cut, rice is prepared, etc. and served on the plates.
2. See yourself as a professional and elevate your craft.
3. Develop mastery in a profession, take time and an almost obsessive compulsion perfecting your craft.
4. Understand that you need to serve as an apprentice (itame in Japanese) first, and only after sufficient training, can one become a master skilled sushi chef (itame-san, in Japanese).
5. After you have become a master, pay it forward by taking on apprentices.
These lessons are generalizable to many jobs, professions and careers. The benefit are not necessarily financial but they do enable a sense of commitment, purpose and satisfaction.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2023-04-28-at-10.25.14-AM.png7031246Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2023-04-28 21:01:492023-04-28 21:01:49Learning from JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
Addressing the diversity of American correctional facilities and systems
/by Jeffrey Ian RossUnless you have direct experience with incarceration, many people think that all correctional facilities and systems in the United States are the same.
The reality, however, is that there’s considerable variety among the places and systems that manage the approximate 2.1 million people who are currently incarcerated.
How exactly do correctional institutions and systems differ?
We can probably come up with five categories on which these entities vary including: philosophy of incarceration, facility types (e.g., city and county jails, state prisons, federal penitentiaries, specialized units, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Centers, etc.), management styles, public versus private entities, the types of populations that are incarcerated, and geographic/cultural variations.
Thus some jails, prisons, etc. are better at providing safe and secure living and working conditions, adequate health, medical and psychological care, while others are worse at delivering these kinds of things, etc..
Why is this important to know?
First, given the importance of jails, prisons and other correctional facilities not only for the criminal justice system, but in their attempts to achieve their goals (i.e., punishment, public safety, rehabilitation, deterrence, etc.), it’s important that we encourage informed discourse, and avoid making generalizations, and relying on myths, especially when they do not accurately reflect what we know to be true.
Second, understanding that there is considerable variety may help us to recognize disparities and perhaps address them in a timely fashion.
Third, understanding the diversity may assist correctional administrators and planners to tailor or better shape interventions and policies.
Fourth, and most important, understanding that there is variety may lead to better approaches to humanizing the carceral experience.
So how do we go about addressing the disparities, and improving jail and prison conditions so they are more just, safe and humane not only for inmates but for correctional workers too?
Numerous proposals have been advanced, including improved reporting systems, 1-800 numbers, etc. Overall these approaches are typically piecemeal.
If we want to better target our efforts, we might consider directing them towards the jails and prisons and correctional systems that need them the most.
How would we go about doing that? To begin with almost all correctional facilities and systems can be rank ordered on the previously mentioned continuums.
And a handful of organizations (e.g., Prison Policy Initiative; Vera Institute of Justice; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; PrisonInsight, and the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) do this sort of thing.
Sometimes this process generally relies upon self reports, provided by correctional institutions and systems and at other times they don’t. More importantly, there is no comprehensive scaling system, and the reports are released on a sporadic basis.
If we can find the correctional facilities, processes, practices, and system that need to be reformed the most, then prison activists and reformers, and correctional workers can target our collective efforts.
Until then activism directed at improving jails, prisons and other correctional facilities and systems is going to be a little bit of this and a little bit of that. People protesting against substandard and/or horrific jail and prison conditions, policies and procedures may feel like they are spinning their wheels because their efforts are spread all over the place.
Photo: Orleans Parish Prison, Louisiana. March 2012.
Photographer: Bart Everson
How American prison conditions can impact extradition requests
/by Jeffrey Ian RossThe United States is known around the world for lots of great things. Often referred to as the land of opportunity, America is blessed with spectacular wilderness areas replete with natural beauty, well-respected educational and medical institutions, generally friendly people, and Disneyland .
But all that glitters is not gold. The US is also recognized for its high rates of gun violence, (supported in part by the second amendment), homelessness, income inequality, intolerance, racism, etc.
Part of this latter package includes one of the highest incarceration rates in the world and prison conditions, that are often abysmal (including overcrowded, understaffed and dangerous correctional facilities).
Not only is this reality known among the average foreigner, but the judiciaries of those countries from whence they come.
That’s why many foreign criminal justice and political systems are reluctant to extradite citizens of all countries, irrespective of how hideous the crimes they are alleged to have committed, who are wanted by the United States government (and regardless if they are in custody or not).
Although the judiciaries of foreign countries may distain America’s mass incarceration per sea, or the disproportionate number of African American’s and people of low income behind bars, they fear not only that the accused person whose docket they are presiding over is not going to get a fair trial, or may receive the death penalty, but they generally know that US prison conditions and the provision of services inside fall below generally accepted standards of human rights.
They are well aware of numerous reports developed by well-respected experts and organizations documenting the mistreatment and in some cases abuse of prisoners in US correctional facilities, not to mention inhumane and degrading treatment behind bars.
Many foreign countries (particularly Western and/or advanced industrialized countries) have better standards for their correctional facilities. Most European countries, in particular, are signatories to the European Convention on Human rights which bars inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners. If they believe that prison conditions in the United States fall below these standards they may be reluctant to extradite an individual to America.
One of the most salient of those aspects is the quality of care incarcerated people might receive, particularly if they suffer from a serious medical condition or psychological challenges (e.g., Asperger’s syndrome, autism, acute depression, etc.).
This is not just hyperbole. Repeatedly we have seen this in action. Four salient cases are illustrative.
In 2012, Gary McKinnon, a British Citizen, residing in the UK, was wanted by the United States government for hacking into the Pentagon computer system. If convicted, McKinnon, a long time sufferer of Asperger’s would be required to spend a considerable amount of time in isolation, most likely at a Supermax Prison. This condition, it was argued may prompt him to commit suicide. Thus his extradition request was denied.
In 2018, the Irish High Court denied the extradition of Eric Marques, who was charged with running a dark web child pornography website. The court cited concerns about the conditions of confinement in the United States, including the use of special administrative measures (SAMs), which can involve prolonged solitary confinement, as well as the lack of mental health facilities and the high rate of violence in U.S. prisons.
Also in 2018, British citizen, Laurie Love won an appeal against a US extradition request. Love was accused by the United States of perpetrating a series of cyber-attacks against American government agencies, including the Federal Reserve, NASA, and the Army. Love (a long time sufferer of Autism) and his attorneys argued among other things that his mental and physical health would be at risk due to the harsh conditions in American prisons.
And in 2021, WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who was wanted in the United States on charges of espionage and hacking government computers, and facing extradition, was prevented from being extradited because of his precarious mental health, that that his lawyers argued would deteriorate in American correctional facilities where he would be held for trail and possibly sentenced to.
Fighting an extradition request is not a slam dunk for individuals who have fled the United States and have been arrested in a foreign country, nor for foreigners wanted by the United States government, their defense council and loved ones. The process typically involves multiple court appearances, the involvement of one or more skilled legal teams, and expert witnesses that can testify not only to the wanted person’s medical and physical conditions, and psychological challenges, but also (depending on the particular charge) an intimate knowledge of local, state and federal correctional facility systems and practices, not to mention transportation practices.
The challenges of the American correctional system that tolerates poor jail and prison conditions and practices are not going to be fixed any time soon. But the reluctance of foreign governments to send individuals who are wanted back to the United States because of poor jail and prison conditions, should serve as an additional reason why the American correctional system should reform and change sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Alpha Photo
Extradition
A photo about the topic Extradition.
Learning from JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
/by Jeffrey Ian RossNumerous films focusing on Japanese cooking or chefs have been released to Western audiences.
One of the more recent iconic and celebrated is David Gelb’s 2011 documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
The movie reviews the work (and to a lesser extent the life) of Jiro Ono, a humble and modest 85-year old Tokyo based sushi master chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, his ten seat restaurant (that once held the distinction of earning three stars from the famed MICHELIN review guide).
Although more then a decade has passed since the movie’s release, what makes this film interesting? Lots of things.
For sushi lovers there are copious shots of Jiro and his team carefully preparing sushi, and placing these creations on plates. To a lesser extent rarely seen sushi preparation practices like smoking fish with straw and treating nori over propane flame are shown to the audience. We also witness scenes from the early morning fish auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market where Jiro and other Tokyo based chefs inspect the fish and seafood, and then buy the food they are going to serve that day. Interviews with his primary fish monger (Mizutani Takashi) and rice dealer (i.e., Hiromichi) are also part of this dynamic.
Over the course of 80 minutes viewers are introduced to Jiro, who has devoted the majority of his life to perfecting his craft of making sushi, and to a lesser extent his grueling training of others (in particular his two sons, Yoshikazu and Takashi) in the fine art of sushi making. We briefly learn about his father, and the unusual upbringing he had. In particular, at the age of nine he was abandoned by his father, and started working in a sushi restaurant to support himself.
Unquestionably both the movie and the main character have some flaws.
• It may have been helpful if there were a sprinkling of interviews with other sushi chefs (i.e., his competition) or customers. This may have provided an additional sense of balance to the story. Instead Gelb appears content to give a rather complimentary examination of Jiro and his practice. Thus, the film can be easily construed as a sophisticated tribute or commercial.
• The film neither mentions his wife, nor considers the struggles his sons made in choosing to follow their father’s footsteps.We learn that despite his sons wanting to either go to university or be an airplane pilot, Jiro convinced them otherwise to join him at his restaurant. Moreover no mention is made of his wife. We don’t know if she is widowed, divorced, etc.
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi does not consider how the protagonist’s obsession (spending every waking hour of his life thinking about sushi) effects his family life.
• Although the film states that Jiro pioneered new techniques in the preparation of sushi and rice, it does not provide specific details. We also do not see any in-depth reflections from his mentors, etc.
Much like a well designed and prepared meal, however, the story is beautifully told. There is a balance, if not harmony, among the content, interviews, visuals, dialogue and music, focusing not just on Jiro, but his sons, his apprentices (shokunin deshi, in Japanese) and Yamamoto Masuhiro, a well-known and respected Tokyo based restaurant reviewer. There is also some social commentary towards the end of the film that deals with the challenge of overfishing.
The success of this movie may lie in the zeitgist of the decade in which it was release. Building upon Robert M. Pirsig’s, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance (1974), through Matthew B Crawford’s Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (2009), we learn about the pleasure of working with one’s hands. Similarly, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), we learn what it takes to devote one’s self to one’s career.
It is hard to say that making sushi was Jiro’s calling, but he has put his heart and soul in to the practice of this Japanese culinary practice, and this seems to be where not only he made a living but derived a considerable amount of enjoyment doing this sort of thing. Key takeaways are
1. In priniciple, over time, and with sufficient dedication you get better at your craft.
2. Have high standards. For Jiro, this includes selecting and using high quality raw ingredients, the proper use of tools, and the manner in which the fish is cut, rice is prepared, etc. and served on the plates.
2. See yourself as a professional and elevate your craft.
3. Develop mastery in a profession, take time and an almost obsessive compulsion perfecting your craft.
4. Understand that you need to serve as an apprentice (itame in Japanese) first, and only after sufficient training, can one become a master skilled sushi chef (itame-san, in Japanese).
5. After you have become a master, pay it forward by taking on apprentices.
These lessons are generalizable to many jobs, professions and careers. The benefit are not necessarily financial but they do enable a sense of commitment, purpose and satisfaction.