June 10, 2009
Editiorial: One man’s journey through prisons and parole brings problem into focus
…The Reception Center at San Quentin is a warehouse, a place where people await their next jail cell. It is not a place where people like Scott learn to mend their ways. It's a Petri dish of recidivism. Jailers acknowledge that there is no attempt at rehabilitation of any kind. You are more likely to get mental health services on the moon.
This is not to say that Scott deserves kid gloves. He either can't or won't improve his condition and as a result he leaves a trail of victims everywhere he goes. His convictions include vehicle theft, fighting and obstruction of a police officer. He has never followed the instructions of his parole officer and here's betting he never will. He can be combative. He is unapologetic. He is frightening at worst and at best merely frustrating.
And he'll be back. Trust me. It's an uncertain world, but this much I know: James Scott will return here upon his release for a matter of days before he does something that gets him thrown back in jail, where you and I can pay for his three hots and a cot for another few months…
LINK - HMBReview.com (Half Moon Bay Review)
