Prison life gone bad? I've known, and been a victim of, someone who has reoffended (relapsed, recidivised. Recidivism refers to committing a crime after being "rehabilitated" in prison and released. When it comes to prison life, recidivism is a big "No No." It is to everyday taxpayers, to new and old victims, to ideologues supporting prison reform, and to criminologists like me who study this sort of thing. Recidivism is a sign of corrections failing to "correct," a sign that … [Read more...]
Prison life 101: Help adjusting to life outside.
Despite America's current turn to the political right, there is still momentum in the US to reduce the number of inmates in prison—for financial as well as "fairness" reasons. That means a lot of inmates—mostly nonviolent offenders—will be soon confronting life outside cell bars and perimeter walls. They often falter making the adjustment from prison life to "freedom." We can expect a good deal of recidivism in the future in the US.. We're also entering a new era of Federalism where … [Read more...]
Villains you sort of root for—Russell & Rhys in “The Americans.”
One of the few TV shows that's got its hooks in me is The Americans. Maybe it's because I grew up during the cold war. Or maybe it's because the villains often seem like heroes. Keeping bad guys and good guys straight is fun. Watch, esp if you think Russians are channeling Soviets now.The new season of the show starts this Wednesday on FX (10pm PST). This season is bound to resonate even more deeply than in the past four seasons because Russia and the Trump administration seem to be … [Read more...]
Prison rehabilitation: Turning zeroes into heroes?
A recent article about carcerite, “prison syndrome,” is especially interesting in that it gives insight into the prison system in Italy. While bedeviled with overcrowding, just like the US, Italy has some "inspired" prison rehabilitation programs that're worth knowing about.However, the main reason I'm posting today's blog is to make us aware of the gamut of thinking about "prison rehab." What do you think of the comments below in response to the "prison syndrome" article?Mary Phillips … [Read more...]
Thanks to fans of my book and blogs re cleft lip and palate.
I appreciate all of you who’ve followed my cleft lip and palate blogs over recent years. I'll continue to post info relevant to this most common of birth defects.I'm also grateful to those of you who've bought Cleft Heart: Chasing Normal about my experiences with my clefts regarding bullying, facial asymmetry, speech difficulties, etc.Since no good intentions or deeds ever go unpunished, I’m hoping you blog and book fans will consider giving copies of Cleft Heart to your doctor and dentist. Or … [Read more...]
Beware villains who work for “The Greater Good.”
We're in a dangerous political time when everyone seems to be an advocate of "The Greater Good." World history has been rewritten by leaders/demagogues/villains who believed they were doing everyone a favor.The United States is divided now into almost two equally-sized camps, each trying to outshout the other. Both believe they have a lock on "the truth." That's why the following article caught my eye.Villains who work for "The Greater Good."In the story below, Johnny Galecki says his favorite … [Read more...]
Lookism: Dr. Oz’ age-reducing elixir?
We've all seen the lookism click-bait before and after shots, esp of celebrities. They try to get us to buy anti-aging products. One that's been getting a lot of attention lately is Parisian Glow cream that claims to have Dr. Oz's endorsement. I've printed excerpts from a recent Parisian Glow ad below. However, if you read that ad carefully, it really suggests only that Dr. Oz recommends Vitamin C, and maybe he has. Whether he's endorsed Parisian Glow or any other anti-aging product is still … [Read more...]