Criminal justice reform group says stigma on ex-offenders
must end
Video Link Below
By Greg Bishop | Illinois News Network
Jason Spyres, who served 15 years of a 30 year sentence for
drug trafficking, and John Howard Association Executive Director Jenny
Vollen-Katz talk about criminal justice reform
A criminal justice reform group says more needs to be done
to help people move on after prison.
Jason Spyres, a 36-year-old Illinois man who is out of
prison after serving 15 years for trafficking cannabis, said he chose Stanford
University after being told by a University of Illinois admissions dean that his
criminal record meant a permanent scar on his academic record at the University
of Illinois.
“He said ‘as long as you don’t get in trouble again it won’t
matter.’ I said ‘yes, it will because when I apply to grad school I’ll have to
check a box that says academic probation was served,’ ” Spyres said.
Spyres plans to go to Stanford this fall with a full ride of
scholarships and grants.
Criminal justice reform group John Howard Association
Executive Director Jenny Vollen-Katz said policies, such as requiring a box on
job applications about criminal histories, need to change “and the same thing
with education.”
“They need a fair chance at an education without being shut
out of the process or held to a different standard simply because of their
background,” Vollen-Katz said.
Vollen-Katz said policy makers too often seem unwilling to
change some of the measures that foster prejudice against people who have been
in prison.
Vollen-Katz said Spyres is an example of someone being
rehabilitated.
Spyres said he is sharing his story to encourage reform.
“I’ve actively worked to try and get (Gov. Bruce) Rauner to
get rid of Class X sentencing for non-violent criminals,” Spyres said.
Vollen-Katz said long sentences do not deter future crimes.
“In punishing that person we frankly punish everybody
because the financial cost to the state is such that you have to wonder who’s
winning here,” Vollen-Katz said. “We’re spending a lot of money to keep that
person in prison when they have the possibility of being rehabilitated.”
Vollen-Katz said Illinois budget for the Department of
Corrections is $1.4 billion.
The Vera Institute of Justice said Illinois’ average cost
per inmate in 2015 was $33,500. That’s more than it costs for two years toward
a general degree at the University of Illinois.
Both Vollen-Katz and Spyres said more needs to be done on
sentencing reform, including addressing excessive fines, and ensuring there’s
proper post-incarceration job and skills training available.
Vollen-Katz said with the election coming up, it’s important
to make criminal justice reform a policy issue and not a political one, though
she’s very interested the various candidates’ positions.
Tags
Crim Criminal
Law Criminal Justice Jason Spyres
Jenny Vollen-katz Crime Reform
John Howard Association
Offender Politics Law
Policy
No comments:
Post a Comment