Ten Die: How Can We Control Local Shootings?

 

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

A 96 hour span of shooting occurred in Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend. This topic stuck out to me because I was in Chicago during Memorial Day Weekend when these shootings were happening. I was shocked and couldn't believe hearing this in the news. There was not reason for the shootings to occur to these innocent people. This weekend's victims included a 7-year-old littler girl wounded Friday afternoon while playing in front of her house on the city's south side and a 13-year-old boy was killed in a pizza place in the city's north side. Several more innocent people were injured and killed.

The surge in deadly shootings has frustrated Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who vowed to cut the city's crime rate when he was elected last year. While most violent crime is down year to date, murders are up more than 50 percent, according to police data. This is a large increase.

Officials say years of targeting by law enforcement has shattered Chicago's once-stable gang structure and that the jump in murders reflects a power struggle between the smaller gangs trying to fill the vacuum. Is there a way to stop these gangs from doing what they are doing or at least have some sort of control to help the murder rate go down in this city?

Why is this happening and what can we do to control this to the best of our ability? Being there that weekend and hearing this news really opened my eyes to the crime that is going on to innocent people and how much of an issue it is now.

Rising Temperature Raises Body Count

Rising Temperatures In Chicago Raises The Body Count and Creates A Unsafe Environment
-Kierra T Reese

The first day of Summer is not until June 20th, yet the city of Chicago has been experiencing unusually high temperatures. The heat is seen as a relief from the cold for some, but there are other people that hate to see it coming. It is a known fact that when temperatures go up so does the crime and death rate. The city of Chicago is a prime example of this.  At the end of the Memorial Day weekend, over 10 people had died and  40+ people were shot or harmed. Many of the crimes are results of reckless activity and gang violence in various areas of the city. Memorial Day Weekend, in the eyes of some, marks the beginning of warm weather and their "unofficial" start to the summer season. Unfortunately this year it was a landmark weekend for violent death.

Jasmine Rice, a Senior Psychology major at Illinois State University and a native of Chicago, is ashamed   of the increase in crime but admits she is not not surprised. In a interview Rice stated, "In my 17 years of residency in Chicago before coming to college, I noticed a trend of violence and shootings throughout the months of May and August. In my social psychology class, taken last semester, I learned about a study that showed an increase in violence as a result of heat. I am not surprised but I wish that it would decline in the near future and eventually cease. My family decided to celebrate Memorial Day in the privacy of our backyard because public areas such as neighborhood parks seemed too unsafe. "

This is a harsh reality and makes me sad because it forces me to think about how things have changed since I was a young child. When I was younger, the change in weather still meant that the streets were safe for us to play on. Our parents did not have to be extremely worried and we were allowed to roam, ride our bikes, and play sidewalk games like most children do. These days, children are being killed at their birthday parties indoors, shot while sitting with their parents on their front porches, or even during trips to the local corner store. Children are also being killed going back and forth to school. I can only imagine how sad it must be for parents to lose their children because someone chose to engage themselves in foolish behavior. Many of the 200+ deaths that have taken place in the first few months of 2012 are due to gang violence. The summer months bring warm weather which seems like an ideal time for gang initiations. People are everywhere and are out enjoying the weather. It is sad that doing normal summertime activity makes them targets for people that have to do things to prove a point.
The rise of crime and death during the summer sets off alarms everywhere. Watching the news and hearing about the reported deaths breaks my heart and almost makes me want to not be informed because the news is always bad news. I am not looking forward to having children because of the possibility I may lose them to violence. My childhood in Chicago was great, especially the summers. I looked forward to  visiting my grandparents, riding my bike, and having water balloon fights with other kids in the neighborhood. If the crime in the city does not decrease, my children will not be establishing memories on the same streets that brought joy to my young life.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/chicago-murder-rate-up_n_1420382.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/chicago-shootings-10-dead_n_1552297.html

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-12/news/ct-met-chicago-homicides-soar-20120412_1_nonfatal-shootings-chicago-homicides-chicago-lawn

The Cost of Housing an Inmate

It cost $20,758 a year to house an inmate in a California state prison in 1998-99.  Many people asked, "Why so much when we can educate a child for less than one-fourth that amount?"  A prison, however, is not a school.  Therein lies the answer.  The state must meet all basic needs of an inmate: food, shelter, clothing and health care.  Numerous laws, court actions and regulations mandate the level and the extent of these basic support services.  There are also costs to diagnose and process inmates.  But by far the greatest expense (and the greatest need) in prison is security.  The state must make sure that the prisons are safe for both inmates and staff.

All told, it costs an average of $129.04 a day to house an inmate in the prison system these days.  Although these figures come from California corrections, it is slightly lower in other parts of the country, but not by much.  In 2007, around $74 billion was spent on corrections.  The total number of inmates in 2007 in federal, state, and local lockups was 2,419,241.  That comes to around $30,600 per inmate.  In 2005, it cost an average of $23,876 dollars per state prisoner.  State prison spending varied widely, from $45,000 a year in Rhode Island to $13,000 in Louisiana.  In California in 2009, it cost an average of $47,102 a year to incarcerate an inmate in state prison. From 2001 to 2009, the average annual cost increased by about $19,500.  In 2003 among facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it cost $25,327 per inmate.  Housing the approximately 500,000 people in jail in the USA awaiting trial who cannot afford bail costs $9 billion a year.  Most of these jail inmates are petty, nonviolent offenders.  Twenty years ago most nonviolent defendants were released on their own recognizance but now most are given bail, and most pay a bail bondsman to initially pay it.  Bondsmen have lobbied to cut back local pretrial programs from Texas to California, pushed for legislation in four states limiting pretrial's resources, and lobbied Congress so that they won't have to pay the bond if the defendant commits a new crime.  62% of local jail inmates are awaiting trial. 

Here is a breakdown of inmate costs per year:
1. Security and Administration- To have someone on duty for security, it costs $19,663 per inmate per year. That amounts to $53.87 a day.  Inmates in state prisons are convicted felons and must be supervised 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Custody staff oversee the inmates' movements from the time they wake up, during meals, when working or in class, during free time, and while they sleep.  More than half of the cost of incarceration can be attributed to this critical need.  Administration costs are $3,493 per inmate per year. That amounts to $9.56 a day. That amounts to $23,156 per year for security and administration.
2. Health Care- The cost for inmate health care can be high.  Because every inmate is entitled to health care, the cost per inmate for health care per year is $12,442.  Broken down, that is $8,768 for medical care, $1,928 for psychiatric services, $998 for pharmaceuticals and $748 for dental care.  That amounts to $38.04 per day per year.
3. Operations- The operations costs per inmate per year are $7,214.  Broken down, that is $4,503 for facility operations, classification services is $1,773, maintenance of records is $660, assignment, testing and reception costs $261 and transportation costs $18.  That amounts to $19.76 per day per year.
4. Rehabilitation- The cost per year for rehabilitation programs per inmate are $1,612.  Broken down, that is $944 for academic education, $354 for vocational training and $313 for substance abuse programs.  That amounts to $4.41 per day per year.
5. Inmate Support- To house an inmate and provide inmate support, it costs approximately $2,562 per year.  For every incarcerated inmate, the state provides a clean, dry place to stay, three meals a day, necessary clothing, case processing, religious programs and other leisure time activities.  Combined, these basic services account for more than 1/4th of all inmate costs.  That is $1,475 for food, $439 for activities, $407 for canteen and employment, $171 for clothing and $70 for religious activities.  That amounts to $7.02 per day per year.

So a couple questions I have for you are: Do you feel as though $30,000 an inmate a year is too much to spend on someone whose in jail for committing a crime against society?  And what are some suggestions you feel could help potentially lower these costs?? 

http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/laomenus/sections/crim_justice/6_cj_inmatecost.aspx?catid=3

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122986066

http://www.peer.state.ms.us/472.html

Teen Burns Classmate after a Dispute over Money

            Matthew Bent, now 17, was convicted of aggravated battery against former junior high classmate Michael Brewer in 2009. Bent orchestrated an attack on Brewer in which he and two fellow students doused Brewer in alcohol and then watched as one of the others, Jesus Mendez, set him on fire with a lighter. The burns that immediately ensued were severe and affected roughly sixty percent of Brewer’s body; he survived after jumping into an apartment complex pool in an attempt to extinguish the flames.  The attack left Brewer in the hospital recovering for months. Brewer stated that he simply stood there and allowed the alcohol to be poured on him in attempt to avoid confrontation. According to the prosecution, Mendez used a lighter to set his 15 year old classmate on fire immediately after. Prosecutors also argued that Bent lead the attack and persuaded the others to join him in pouring the rubbing alcohol onto Brewer, and to set fire to him over a dispute that was allegedly over money. Brewer supposedly owed Bent money, but he claims that the conflict occurred when Bent attempted to force him to buy a pipe for smoking marijuana and he repeatedly refused. The two accomplices have already pleaded no contest and are serving prison sentences. Denver Jarvis received eight years in prison and twenty-two years probation. Mendez received 11 years in prison followed by a nineteen-year probation period.  One of the young men testified that Bent had in fact offered both of the others cash for their role in the incident. This money however was offered to them in an attempt to get them to help beat up Brewer. The boys had stumbled upon the alcohol by chance and had not initially planned to burn their classmate.

Victim Michael Brewer in court

Brewer talked extensively in court, and described how he believed he was going to die while he was being pulled from the pool that may have in fact saved his life. He also recalled seeing the skin hanging from his arms in the aftermath of the attack.
Brewer also discussed being bullied around the junior high and how he would often fake illness to avoid having to see his harassers in school.

Attacker Matthew Bent

Bent was charged with attempted second-degree murder, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While Bent was only fifteen at the time of the attack, it is very apparent that a money motive existed and he fully intended to get it from Brewer by any necessary means. There were repeated threats and incidents of harassment before the attack on Brewer finally occurred. Is thirty years too harsh for the role that Bent played in this vicious crime, or is it fitting for his extensive plan to attack classmate Michael Brewer? Should age have played some sort of factor in sentencing considering that these boys are and were minors at the time of the attack, or would you argue that fifteen is old enough to hold accountable for a heinous crime like the burning of another minor?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/19/12304561-teen-found-guilty-of-leading-burn-attack-on-classmate?lite

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/15/12237445-teen-set-on-fire-i-felt-like-i-was-going-to-die?lite

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/michael-brewer-trial-matthew-zeke-bent-guilty-burning_n_1610642.html

We all know that the corrections system can be an extremely dangerous place to be and there are many measures taken to ensure that everyone is kept safe (for the most part) and we can all agree that the guards that run these prisons are all equipped to the teeth, but is it necessary? We have seen the videos where alternate forms of weapons are used to incapacitate suspects and criminals such as the rubber grenade, bean bag round, and the taser. The videos are all over the internet of the college student that screamed “Don’t tase me bro!!!! Most of the instances that are sensationalized are in the public domain. Most people agree that tasers can be dangerous. There have been a small number of reports of taser related deaths and the question that remains is, should tasers be used in prison?

            The taser is a small hand held weapon that can send almost 50, 000 volts of electricity through the body and incapacitate a normal person almost instantly. There are two types of tasers that are hand held. There are the pronged dart tasers, which are shot and pierce  skin and there is a taser that is used as a stun gun that does not pierce skin and makes contact on the surface of skin. Tasers have become one of two things: a joke like in the hangover or a serious weapon that people do not enjoy. “There have been 14 taser related deaths” says Erin Hicks in his article titled TASERs in prison: A good idea? There are obviously problems with the taser and not everyone takes to the taser. I understand that people have died but most people do not take to bullets very well either. The Taser is designed to incapacitate those who are violent and resistant to arrest, and in prison this would not be a problem. For the most part prison is for violent offenders.

            There is a positive side and a negative side  to using tasers in prisons. Don Bjoring, a retired police officer in Orange County California argued on the behalf of using tasers in prison facilities. Most police officers will agree that there is no such thing as excessive force with a taser. One shot gives officers or guards the ability to cuff and control whoever they need to control. “Granted you abuse it and shoot it 11 times, and then it is excessive force.” (Hicks) Another reason why tasers could be used in prisons is the fact that they are not meant to be lethal and a large majority of the time they are not. They are taught to be a weapon that has a result of order and cooperation through short term pain. Cons of using tasers in prisons are pretty cut and dry. Tasers have been known to break down skin tissue which can lead to heart problems. Tasers have been lethal in the past which paints a very negative picture for the general publ

   I can say from indirect experience that tasers would probably be a good idea to use in prisons because my father is in law enforcement and their taser policy is extremely strict. They are not allowed to carry tasers unless they have been trained with that weapon and if they have been shot by it.

 

What do you think? Is prison an appropriate place for the use of tasers?

http://www.correctionsone.com/products/less-lethal/taser/articles/4190968-TASERs-in-prison-A-good-idea/

Fascinating Prison Escapes

     The attempts by prisoners to escape from prison have mostly failed, and a large majority of prisoners who try to escape die, or get caught and sentenced for even longer sentences. Since prison is a place where prisoners have a lot of time to think, some have used that time thinking of ways to escape. Prisoners may have connections in the outside world to help free them from prison, even though the risk of helping someone escape will lead to that person going to prison as well. With this in mind, I wanted to look at a few of the most daring and craziest attempts by prisoners to escape beyond the walls of prison to freedom. 

     Since the 1970s, pretty much since the time helicopters were commercially available to the public, there have been about 5 different attempts to escape from prison with a helicopter.  Although in all 5 cases the escapees and the accomplices helping the inmates escape were caught, it is still amazing that people tried to escape from prison using a helicopter. In most of the cases, a friend outside of the prison learned how to fly a helicopter or hijacked a helicopter (one woman who was a mate of a man in prison hijacked a helicopter in 1978). Trying to pluck a prisoner out of the yard ends up being harder than the masterminds planned, and usually they are shot at or are followed and found not too far away from the prison. Although it takes a daring attempt to use a helicopter to escape, in the end it proved to be a vain attempt to escape in the 5 cases.

                                          

     Another daring attempt to escape from prison was in a case where 2 people drove a semi-truck through four fences of a prison and rammed into a wall there a prisoner was able to escape with the two culprits. The two people and the inmate then went and got into a car that accompanied the truck, which was being driven by the inmate's mother. The four were able to get away and swapped cars at a gas station a few miles from the prison. The mother and her son were caught near the gas station and the other two people were caught over 40 miles away after hitting another car while driving. It may have seemed like a perfect plan at first, but it did not work out for the mother and the other accomplices. The whole plot was blamed on the mother and she was sentenced to prison.

                                                          

     Although these attempts to escape failed, there was one incident where three prisoners successfully escaped from Alcatraz, and have still never been caught. The men used a utility corridor to get to a ventilation shaft that led to the roof of the prison. The men then used a drill to take out a big enough hole of an air vent for them to escape through, and they scaled the wall and floated away on a raft made out of 50 raincoats glued together. The men made paper mache models of their own heads with real hair from the prison barber shop to take their place in their cells. The men escaped in 1962 and still have not been found.

By: Nick Hammonds