People Can’t Flourish in a Prison Cell

The United States accounts for nearly five percent of the world's population, yet it makes up an estimated 20 percent of the world’s prison population. That means that every one in five people incarcerated worldwide can be found right here in the United States.  

The impact of mass incarceration in America is so profound that close to 113 million individuals have a direct relative who is currently in the system or has gone through the system at some point, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. 

There is a very evident lack of sustained, successful, re-entry efforts being made in this country; the recidivism rate for people released from prison in the U.S. is 82 percent. This means that 82 percent of individuals end up reincarcerated within a three-year span after being released. This discrepancy occurs when a system is built upon the idea of retributive justice instead of restorative justice. The emphasis is not on rehabilitation; the emphasis is on punishment — a punishment that in many ways can serve as a never-ending sentence. 

Let’s talk about why.  

Before being released from jail or prison, an individual must show proof of housing. But if someone has a criminal record, most agencies will not accept their application until at least seven to 10 years have passed. On top of this, individuals are faced with immediate financial responsibility and will likely be responsible for paying at least one of the following: parole fees, probation fees and/or drug taxes. That’s not to mention the cost of living in general: housing, electric bills, water bills, food and other necessities.  

Then, there is the matter of finding employment. To get a job, an individual needs to have all their vital records including a valid state-issued I.D., Social Security card and/or birth certificates (many people leaving the prison system no longer have access to their vital records). Of course, there is also the difficulty that comes with not only finding a job but sustaining employment. Bear in mind that for people reentering society, keeping a job can be challenging for many reasons, including, but not isolated to, lack of access to mental health resources, unhealthy relationships, substance abuse, trauma, etc. The list of barriers goes on and as a result, it’s easier for people to revert back to the same path that got them sent away in the first place. 

So, how can communities and grassroots efforts make a difference? The Edge had the opportunity to sit with a local organization to gain some insight into their work toward a solution.  

On the corner of Friendly Road in Burlington, North Carolina, you can find an organization by the name of Sustainable Alamance. Sustainable Alamance is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals coming out of prison with finding and sustaining employment. Phil Bowers is the organization’s founder and has served as Executive Director for the past fifteen years. Since opening, dozens of men and women have gained full-time employment, family relationships have been restored, millions of dollars have been created in local economic impact and, most importantly, lasting relationships have been made.  

“If a young child is seeing the only person not struggling in their neighborhood is the drug dealer, why are we surprised when they want to be like them? We as a society have to ask ourselves what better options have we given them,” says Bowers.  

At Sustainable Alamance, the core belief is that everyone is inherently deserving of a second chance and capable of change when they are given the resources to do so. 

The organization refers to the community of people they work with as clients. New clients’ cases are reviewed by Emily Flack, the case manager. Flack then crafts a personalized plan of action to address the individual needs of each client. Furthermore, the organization offers numerous services that people in the community can call in for such as lawn maintenance and moving. They then provide clients with the materials needed to do the job. 

Kivette Smith, the organization's job coordinator, receives a request for a given service and communicates the necessary details to the clients interested in working that job. The profits made are shared among each client who worked on that job. 

The purpose of offering services to the community through the organization is to provide clients with direct access to job opportunities and allow them to accumulate job references until they are able to find full-time employment. 

Sustainable Alamance is also working to change the conversation around criminal justice in the community. Without knowing someone's story, there is an underlying stigma around people who have a record of any kind. For Sustainable Alamance, an organization located in a predominantly southern and conservative community, misconceptions about their work and the criminal justice system are not rare. 

“The misconception that’s the most harmful is that the general public does not understand that the vast majority of cases are adjudicated by plea bargains rather than evidence and conviction by their peers,” Bowers explains.  

For our readers wondering why plea bargains are so common, Bowers explained to us that it’s often because they are under the impression it is in their best interest. To elaborate, if an individual does not have the means to make bail, they are forced to sit in a cell awaiting trial. During that period, they might receive a visit from a court-appointed lawyer or public defender. However, in some cases, they may be waiting until the day of their trial to have a chance to confer with their appointed counsel. 

As Bowers exclaims, “One day they do show up and say the DA has offered a plea bargain for a minimum sentence and guilty plea. If you choose to go to court and fight it, for example, they will say you could go to jail for 15 years. But, if you take the bargain, you will only go for three.”

For someone who has been sitting in jails for months on end with only the guidance of their counsel, they think a plea bargain is their quickest path to get home. In reality, it is a lifetime conviction that will follow them far after they are released. 

Here are some final takeaways to consider:   

Mass incarceration does not rehabilitate or protect. What mass incarceration does is disproportionately impact BIPOC and low-income communities with little consideration as to why they are more vulnerable to the system in the first place. Until we acknowledge something is unjust and broken, we cannot fix it. 

Sustainable Alamance serves as a testimonial not only to what acknowledging this looks like, but also to the impact of grassroots efforts and social good that can come from choosing to put resources into people instead of into prisons.