DEFUND D.O.C.: DIRECTOR AT THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC DEFENSE SOUNDS THE ALARM AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION
USA News November 24, 2024
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By Daniel J. Simms, Incarcerated Independent Journalist/Author/Podcasterwww.DefundDOC.netNationwide - November 24, 2024/(USAnews.com) - Is it time to Defund D.O.C.?
Larry Jefferson, Director of the State of Washington Office of Public Defense, joins the National #1 nonpartisan social justice DefundDOC.net podcast to address the failed mass incarceration system. As President Donald J. Trump and a new slate of politicians take office across the country, it is time for an honest introspection on national criminal-justice policies. Many Americans believe it is beyond overdue to end the failed hard-on-crime policies of the past and enact new smart-on-crime practices and policies that protect the public through restorative justice.
Newly elected politicians will inherit a deeply flawed criminal justice system—a system that has seemingly targeted and severely harmed minorities, the impoverished, and the mentally ill. Since its inception, those communities have been bludgeoned by hard-on-crime policies. Instead of addressing root causes, focusing on rehabilitation, and restoring troubled Americans to successfully reenter society, the Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) has done the opposite.
D.O.C.’s legacy of exploiting prisoners’ slave labor has ensured they are financially unable to reintegrate adequately. Keeping prisoners untreated and uneducated has kept troubled Americans shackled to criminalistic ideologies. Extracting vast sums of money from prisoners’ families and friends for phone calls, media, or commissary has alienated support networks and further impoverished communities. Rampant violence, guard brutality, and prison administrator corruption have imbued lawlessness behind prison walls.
Dehumanizing Practices
Repeated strip-searching, a form of visual rape, deeply dehumanizes and humiliates prisoners, leaving them sexually abused. Torturous solitary confinement, diesel treatment (constant prison transfers), and cell insecurity have inflicted harmful mental damage on the incarcerated. Harshly long, draconian sentences for masses of our disadvantaged citizenry have been likened to a slow holocaust.
In totality, the criminal justice system is an abject failure. The trauma inflicted upon incarcerated Americans is an atrocity, perhaps even rising to the level of Crimes Against Humanity. A paradigm shift towards a fair and equitable criminal justice system is essential.
Insights from Larry Jefferson
Speaking frankly, the top Public Defender shares solutions to the long-standing injustices facing troubled people. He explains how the vast majority of those incarcerated could be released, particularly the elderly, the over-sentenced, and others who were dealt with harshly. Jefferson outlines restorative justice alternatives to mass incarceration—solutions that restore the victim and address the root causes of offenders.
Evidence-Based Methods
Providing treatment and career training disrupts cycles of criminal activity. Methods like these are evidence-based and proven to work, unlike hard-on-crime policies, which are rooted in emotional fearfulness and repeatedly shown to be ineffective.
Larry Jefferson’s Journey
Larry Jefferson is no stranger to violence. As an African-American growing up in a domestic violence household, he felt its impact firsthand. Early exposure to violence was mitigated when his mother pursued higher education, bringing Larry along and opening his eyes to the power of knowledge. This thirst for understanding led Larry to law school and eventually to public defense.
One defining moment, shared on the podcast, was a police encounter that exposed him to potential maltreatment or even death. Now, as the State of Washington’s top Public Defender with over seventy staff under his directorship, Larry’s lived experiences define his leadership. Notable reforms include requiring Public Defenders to gather comprehensive historical information on each client, ensuring root causes are addressed and presenting holistic reports to the courts.
Defund D.O.C. Movement Gains Momentum
The Defund D.O.C. social community movement is growing rapidly. Americans, irrespective of political party, religion, gender, or race, are collectively demanding criminal justice reform. The murder of George Floyd exposed festering social inequities, sparking nationwide calls for action.
Politicians across the political spectrum must consider evidence-based, smart-on-crime policies like those advocated by Larry Jefferson. A renewed focus on treatment and career training could lead to a future where the criminal justice system is defined by the number of Americans restored to society—educated and rehabilitated, with reduced recidivism and improved public safety.
Don’t Miss This Podcast Episode
New subscribers to the DefundDOC.net podcast can receive a free digital copy of either book, Defund D.O.C.: Turn All Prisons Into Treatment and Career Centers, or The Art of Living: Everything You Need to Achieve Success in Life and Business, I Learned in Prison.
Click here to subscribe and listen now.
