Convicts on the Outside

This is clearly an old cover letter responding to a job ad but without the ad something of context is missing. This is poor writing on my part. I should have written this so that anyone could pick it up and read it and then understand.

 

25th October 2023

Hi (HR),

I’m a security officer with more than ten years experience working with convicts on the outside. (Pickle) is a convicted felon and there is a woman doing thirty years after she broke a time clock over my face. You could say that I have an interesting relationship with the convicted felons of Southern California.


To add another layer to that I have a BA in Psychology, and I’ve spent six years working with the homeless. To say that another way, I’ve seen the felon at work, at their home, and in the streets. I’ve examined them, I helped them deal with their anger, and I’ve helped them look for jobs.

I’ve looked a real person in the face as I gave the testimony that would put them away knowing that they would just become a hardened criminal and likely spend the rest of their life in and out of jail.

Best,


Richard Leland Neal

Halls of Justice - Lenny Bruce

Sunday Balls Issue 11 Way of the Lord

Unlucky Car Thief

Liberty Cannot be Preserved Without Knowledge - John Adams

A Comment on Our Prison and Law

8^th December 2011

Dear Cassi,

   

The other day one of the supervisors came down and shot the breeze with me and we got on the topic of prison time. It just so happens that there is a crippled man in our area known for assault with a knife. He was last sentenced to three years, but was let out in three days.

   

It was George Remero who wrote “when there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.” Well when the prisons are full dangerous folk will walk the streets.

   

Here in the state of California we have “the three strikes and you’re out” law. Yes, like many states in the union, we pattern our laws after baseball. Due to this law people have gone to jail for twenty five years for stealing a hand full of cookies. No joke, a hand full of cookies and twenty five years.

   

In the grand scheme of things it cost the state more for every hour that man would be in prison than the whole of his theft is worth. I do believe it is the goal of our system of justice to let the punishment fit the crime. I think in that regard we have failed.

   

Then the question must be asked if we call the prison system the Department of Corrections then should not a person be corrected by their third felony? Have we not failed this unfortunate folk who it has become our responsibility to correct? Perhaps we punish the taxpayers who flip the bill for their imprisonment.

   

I know not what would be the best way to correct the damaged minds that fall into the traps of concrete and bars, but I do know that we can do better.

Stay safe, Cassi,

Richard Leland Neal

The Lawyer Who Oinked

 

Justice and Force - Blaise Pascal