If you have not read, What the Eye Omits By: Woodz , you have missed the start to a new series the RTL Podcast will upload soon, False Hope. Real Pain. Heres a quote, Parole Boards feel obligated to hold the victim's families of said crimes, tightly to their bosom, which is expected of them by law abiding citizens. But, what most citizens are oblivious to is the other side of the fence. In this series we will journey into criminal cases that ended with a sentence that has the individual go before the parole board in New York State and is denied. The affects of such denial can be harmful mentally, emotionally and sometimes physically to a prisoners who receives anywhere from 1 to 2 years added onto their sentence. Only to be send back to the parole board to undergo the same mental uncertainty exhaustion again. All of that is coupled with the pain and suffering due to false hope in seeing their loved one home.
At no time can we forget some of the physical and emotional pain victims and their families endured at the fault of those incarcerated. However, the system does not want to also admit, how after conviction the focus of the case only shines on the defendant. Those incarcerated should have every right to pursue their freedom especially after being rehabilitated. It is no secret, that a person who is incarcerated finds pout quickly that it is not easy. Being around some of the worst people, living in harsh conditions, eating quick chilled food and sleeping on horrible mattresses. These are just a few of the low level standards a person in New York Prisons must face whether deserved or not. To say they deserve such harsh conditions and stay in prison forever is see yourself on a high horse that can buck any minute now. It is to protest that once a person takes a cookie from the cookie jar they would end up with a life sentence in prison. Society tends to forgets that how we are all flawed individuals who cannot be perfect no matter how much money we have or the color of our skin.
To rehabilitate prisoners it is encourage that they take college courses and special programs while under regular and sometimes outrageous prison conditions which is never taken into consideration. Harvard students may have stress and some fears surrounding their lives daily in the course of obtaining a degree. Families of those incarcerated are able to see loved ones excel by changing their views of life, obtain a degree, and learn coping skills to stop from being triggered. They are proud of how time away has been well used and has transformed their loved one into a better person. To bring them home would equate to placing the icing on the cake with decorations. Having all of those feelings taken away with a parole denial is heart breaking for the family no matter the crime.
They get emotional and upset because they can see the work put in day and night to become who they are at that moment. Only to be denied a chance based on their previous actions from 20 to 30 years ago. After being denied the parole board would give a new sentence anywhere from 12 to 24 months. At that time, the person will have another chance to prove that they have changed and ready to be released. In most situations, the prisoner is not taking more programs and there are no more opportunities to acquire another degree so they literally sit and wait until their next hearing. The family hurts in ways unexplainable to those who never experienced the side affects of the parole board.
In upcoming episodes of RTL we will talk to people who were denied parole and learn of how the affect touched their family. If you have questions or comments you want to include please email JJosephRTL@gmail.com. Subscribe Now! Love on Life Podcast on Substack.