The story was hard to read, but even more difficult to believe that any judge---who should know better--- would stoop so low. BUT, those folks were in an area of our nation where ignorance runs rampant.

But the story presents a larger, more troubling picture of our criminal justice system-----the outright disdain and contempt that the system has for offenders, even those convicted of very minor crimes.

It is this abject scorn for any offender---or anyone even accused of a crime---which creates real problems for our criminal justice system when striving for any fairness or justice. When men and women are allowed to be treated like cattle in this way the system becomes one in which all compassion is lost and punishment is the only goal.

This attitude bleeds through the system and makes any form of justice impossible. When judges view offenders as nothing more that "blood suppliers" and no longer see them as human beings it becomes easier---more tolerable---for juries or judges to dole out sentences of hundreds of years or, in the case of POs, to treat probationers even worse than pre-Civil War slaves.

It is too easy to treat someone badly when they are hated so much.

Just a deplorable situation.

.rewdiazepam

And in the state of Alabama, no less. I'm a legal stranger in a case for custody of a male juvenile minor whose mother ran back to fayette county Alabama to Judge Clary's court when the state of Florida gave the birth father full physical custody.

Every pick-up order has been vacated for some excuse or another. Now, three years into the case, the judge assigned a guardian ad litem and then after the guardian agreed that father should have custody decided to make supervised face-to-face visits necessary one hour each during normal working hours and has decreed emergency safety jurisdiction over the case.

It does NOT surprise me that the judge did the blood drive option. It is normal business in Alabama to do whatever the hell they want to do, there's no oversight of the judicial system in the state of Alabama that I've been able to find.

You're right, it is easy to treat people badly when there's nothing stopping you from your consequences.

Amazing.

Wrong on so many levels.

I believe that his heart was in the right place. And I think that he may have believed that he was giving the people a break...but still, oh so wrong.

There total arrogance is mind blowing in one respect and not on another... The 'criminal Ha justice' system is so filled with arrogant as#hol*s that nothing surprises me anymore

Unfortunately when a lot of them 'act out' little is done to make them accountable ...

I honestly think and I know I've said this many times that the first steps in changing the system in the US is stop privatizing prisons ... I would love to see this become a strong political issue... Unfortunately everyday people don't realize the horror of it....sigh

I wish all of these arrogant people working in the justice system were called up on their behaviour... We have this a lot to and sometimes people back off because no one wants to peeve off a sitting judge... A double edged sword and far too much power if you ask me....x

Their-there

There is a prevailing thought that a person's character and values can be determined by how that person treats the most vulnerable people in society.

Individuals such as young children, older folks, animals,----and even offenders---- are dependent on other members of society to tread them with respect and dignity.

A famous quote that we often hear is one attributed to Winston Churchill----
"The degree of civilization in a society is revealed by entering its prisons." Winston Churchill actually said that a society's attitude to its prisoners, its "criminals", is the measure of "the stored up strength of a nation."

In this regard, we have failed as a nation. The young men and women in this article were undoubtedly offenders who had broken a law, but they are more than just "offenders." They are people, human beings made of flesh and blood----someone's son or daughter, a child's father or mother, or a wife's husband.

Offenders deserve some punishment, as we are a nation of laws and without laws there would be chaos.

But offenders should be treated with the respect that any human being should enjoy and these offenders giving blood are no different; the inmates in this story were not treated with respect, but scorn.

Nobody wins when we continue to rob people of their dignity.

The judge here showed very poor judgment and displayed absolutely no respect of for the offenders.

One of our biggest problems in our criminal justice system is that offenders----and especially sex offenders----are seen as some sort of sub-human individuals for which there is no hope that they will ever change. In short, too often we have given up on these people.

Rather sad, considering this is a nation which prides itself on honor, freedom, and fairness.

rewdiazepam

You stated it eloquently.

I've never heard that Churchill quote and it's a great one indeed... There are so many that seem to like to lord their power over others... I found it working in a secured mental health facility... I was shocked to see how many nurses behaved... They seemed to feed off of one another so I can imagine how much worse it would be in the prison system.... I agree mideye eloquent.... Big hug for you rew....xo