On September 11 (an all too ominous date), the CT Judiciary Committee will begin hearing testimony regarding sentencing and inmate release processes, as well as sites for potential new prisons. This hearing comes on the heels of a suburban backlash to the Cheshire murders. There are calls for strengthening Connecticut’s three strike laws through a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, replicating California’s three-strikes law. In addition there is an online petition rapidly collecting signatures supporting this three-strikes law. Sadly the originator of this petition, Jessica Ryan, seems to believe that by adding burglary to a mandatory three strikes law she is going to “keep those that deserve to be in jail out of the neighborhoods that I and my family live in, [and] then raise them!” [from blog correspondence on petition website] Perhaps Jessica would like to talk with Mark Klass who was an original crusader for California’s three strikes law in the wake of Polly Klaas’ murder. Mark Klass now concludes (Aging Behind Bars: “Three Strikes” Seven Years Later, August 2001, The Sentencing project) that in its current manifestation, the “three strikes” law is not working. He is quoted as saying: “In the depth of despair which all Californians shared with my family immediately following Polly’s murder, we blindly supported the [Reynolds] initiative in the mistaken belief that it deal only with violent crimes. Instead, three of the four crimes it addresses are not violent.” Or perhaps Jessica should consider the case of Scott Benscoter, a three striker serving 25 to life, who had two prior felony convictions for residential burglary when he was sentenced for the theft of a pair of sneakers. Or perhaps these 48,000 plus names, quickly signing a three strikes law petition, should carefully heed Rep Lawlor’s words when he states to the Courant that a “tougher three strikes law like California’s would not have kept the two suspects in the Cheshire case behind bars.”

We know all too well that African-Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented in the US penal system, with Connecticut comprising, per one hundred thousand: 211 Whites to 2,532 Blacks to 1,401 Hispanics (2005 Incarceration rates). Connecticut is currently the fourth highest state of Black to White Incarceration at 12.0% while the national average is 5.6%. The impact of a mandatory “three strikes” law in Connecticut will simply enhance these disparities within the prison system. But perhaps this serious racial disparity is of no concern to the petitioners; especially considering that the two suspects are white!

If these 48,000 folks are outraged by such murders perhaps they should turn this outrage to a fascist government which negligently let thousands of poor blacks die in New Orleans, then deny the survivors any Right of Return to their New Orleans homeland, the many murdered in the name of US Imperialism around the world in places well known such as Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon; or at home considering the horrific fact that the richest state in the Union has one of the poorest cities nationally within its borders. Perhaps the structural racism that permeated the government’s lack of response or assistance to the blacks in New Orleans is not far different from that of the majority white and wealthy peoples of Connecticut!

If they truly care and are compassionate about “homeland security in Connecticut”, I encourage the 48,000 petitioners and Jessica to work to not fund prisons, enhanced racial incarceration disparities, ICE/Police supported deportations ~ though rather to work to eliminate the horrific and deadly health care, economic and educational disparities between towns such as Avon, Simsbury, Greenwich, Cheshire and our urban centers such as Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Danbury! My guess is the cost of universal health care in Connecticut would be a much greater return on investment than another prison, a prison and law that will do nothing to protect the many (mostly white) suburbanites such as Jessica who seem to have a highly selective moral social responsibility to [ALL] the peoples of Connecticut!

References:
Aging Behind Bars: “Three Strikes” Seven Years Later; The Sentencing Project

UNEVEN JUSTICE: State Rates of Incarceration by Race and Ethnicity ; The Sentencing Project

CT NEEDS AN EFFECTIVE 3 STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT LAW; Petition created by Jessica Ryan on Jul 25, 2007

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