Juvenile Prison with a View – Georgia leads the way in more humane penal systems

At the age of 17, Christoper Peeples ended up in a prison in the US state of Georgia, in the deep south of the USA. Today he is 26.

For robbery with a gun, he received the minimum legal sentence of 10 years imprisonment, he says. He can go home again in 18 months. At that time he broke into three houses with a friend. The two youngsters stole computers, jewelry, and money. In one of the break-ins, Christopher Peeple’s friend threatened the residents with a gun.

America’s prisons are full, overflowing with people like Christopher Peeples serving high minimum sentences – many of them for drug offenses. More than two million prisoners are currently in prison in the US; almost a quarter of all prison inmates worldwide.

President Barack Obama also believes that the reason is that the penal system is in need of reform:

“How can we address the issue of these ridiculous mandatory minimum sentences?”

In an interview with the US broadcaster NPR, Obama described the practice of high statutory minimum sentences as ridiculous. Ridiculous – and above all out of date, because such a long term of detention, especially for young people, is primarily used for punishment and not for rehabilitation.

In fact, aspects such as upbringing and social rehabilitation have played a relatively minor role in US criminal law to this day.

“Our attitude was long: we lock the prisoners up, throw away the key and don’t care what happens inside.”

Bruce Lee has served in the prison system for more than 30 years. Today he is the director of Walker State Prison, in which Christopher Peeples is also incarcerated. Lee is a witness to the failed penitentiary policy in the United States.

Obama calls for more lenient sentences for drug offenses

Many prisoners are repeat offenders, he says. According to statistics, 67 percent of all prison inmates will re-offend within three years of their release. In Germany, the relapse rate is 35 percent. Lee is convinced that if there were more accompanying training and rehabilitation programs, fewer prisoners would relapse.

That should change now. President Obama’s Justice Department has advised prosecutors not to always insist on maximum sentences, especially for drug offenses. And 29 states in the US including Georgia are working on reforming their law enforcement agencies.

Bruce Lee’s prison is a showcase project. He has been working on converting his detention center for almost two years.

Walker State Prison is idyllically located in an Appalachian valley in northern Georgia. The double barbed wire gives the approximately 400 prisoners a wide view of the mountains – a prison with a view and a long list of applicants who want to serve their sentences here. No wonder, says Lee.

“This is a 180 degree U-turn from old politics. This is about getting back into society from day one. There are drug counseling programs that have already proven themselves, but also motivational seminars designed to help inmates to change their lives. “

And not only morally, but also very practically: The inmates in Walker State Prison can undergo state-recognized professional training during their detention. This is not yet a standard in American prisons. But the offers are limited, geared towards the specific and short-term needs of the industry.

And that’s why Christopher Peeples is now also becoming a welder. A profession that is currently in short supply in the USA. 300,000 welders are needed, says an industry study.

“Actually I would much rather be a computer programmer, something with IT, but as a welder I have better chances of getting a job.”

Financially motivated prison reform

In addition, a permanent job reduces the risk of relapse, say experts. However, the turnaround in the prison system is not only due to a suddenly awakened social awareness, but primarily to economic pressure, says Michael Leo Owens, professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta.

“The development is clearly financially motivated. States spend a huge amount of money to imprison people. We cannot go on like this.”

The turning point in the American penal system is bearing the first delicate fruits: The number of prisoners in Georgia, for example, has fallen by 3,000. Other US states are also having small successes, says Owens.

“Of course that doesn’t work by simply opening the prison gates and releasing the prisoners. Rather, the law enforcement authorities no longer punish less serious crimes with imprisonment immediately, so fewer people end up in prison.”

Owens refers in particular to the initiative of some states that have abolished prison sentences for minor drug offenses and replaced them with strict probation requirements. President Obama now wants to push the reform of the penal system even further at the national level.

“We now have a chance to have a broader discussion on the issue because there are also some Republicans in Congress who want to address the issue of high minimum sentences and the need for rehabilitation programs.”

And for the remainder of his presidency, he says, he will do everything possible to further reduce the number of inmates in America’s prisons.

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