蜜柚直播

In a visitation room decorated with murals depicting the history of flight, space exploration, Frida Kahlo, American industrialism and the military, groups of people sat on plastic chairs around plastic tables, and talked.

It was a community meeting held by 蜜柚直播 Town Hall, an organization that focuses on one significant issue each year and brings together experts, policy makers and residents.

Their 2018 topic is Criminal Justice in 蜜柚直播. They鈥檙e holding gatherings around the state.

Who better to ask than the people who know the system best, from the inside?

About 40 men from the prison were joined by about 40 community members who came to learn from them.

It was the first of two community meetings planned within an 蜜柚直播 prison 鈥� something corrections officials said hadn鈥檛 happened in this way, on this scale, before.

蜜柚直播 Department of Corrections incarcerates 42,141 men and women in its prison system, as of August. Just over 8,200 inmates reside in private prisons.

According to a report by 蜜柚直播 State University researchers, put out by 蜜柚直播 Town Hall, 蜜柚直播 had the fifth-highest incarceration rate in the nation, as of December 2015 (781 per 100,000 adults).

According to the study, 鈥渁pproximately half of all of the people currently incarcerated in 蜜柚直播 have served a prior term in prison.鈥�

Gov. Doug Ducey has made reducing recidivism 鈥� recommitting crimes and returning to prison 鈥� a priority.

The men were selected because they鈥檙e part of a recovery support specialist training program, they鈥檙e in the Second Chance program preparing for release, or because of their 鈥減rosocial behavior,鈥� said Deputy Warden Cathryn Squires.

Corrections Director Charles L. Ryan participated in the conversation, too, taking notes of what inmates suggested. Participants hashed out what should be the 鈥減rincipal goals for 蜜柚直播鈥檚 criminal justice system,鈥� and how we can improve the system before, and after, a person is incarcerated.

Most people in prison will be released, and helping them return to the community is crucial for their success 鈥� which makes it crucial for all of us.

The men talked about what brought them to prison 鈥攏ot the crime, but broader factors that shape a life: lack of education, substance abuse, mental health problems, unstable housing, unemployment, dysfunctional and broken families, isolation.

Daniel Negrete said signs of mental illness and drug or alcohol abuse should be flagged, and addressed, as early as junior high.

Jayme Takala nodded. 鈥淭hat would have helped me,鈥� he said.

Ryan, the DOC director, said his wife taught school for 40 years and told him she could identify fifth-graders who would most likely end up in prison.

鈥淲hen you said that teachers could predict students 鈥� that hit me. That was me,鈥� said Ruben Garcia. 鈥淲hen you said that, it felt like a nail in the coffin.鈥�

Programs inside the prison should be open to more people, and participation not determined by what Jonathan Antonucci called the 鈥渂ureaucratic algorithm鈥� that offers more opportunities to inmates with higher risk factors. He teaches a voluntary public speaking course for fellow inmates, complete with homework assignments, that鈥檚 in its third offering.

Spending money where it will help the most makes sense, they said. 鈥淭his is using taxpayer money 鈥� and for those of us who are in orange, that鈥檚 our families鈥� money,鈥� said Edwin Pellecier.

The men expressed gratitude for the chance to share their experiences 鈥� to be asked.

鈥淭his is the first time in some years I鈥檝e felt a part of a community,鈥� Isiah Gamez said. 鈥淭hank you for coming and making us feel we鈥檙e human, too.鈥�

Isiah is scheduled to leave prison later this week.