Just Prosecution in Youth Justice Reform

“Prosecutors have a real moment at this time to step up and make a big change, to really lead in this effort, to be really innovative and forthright in their intentions, to reduce mass incarceration, to address racial disparity in the system, to look for alternatives to oppressive sanctions. We missed so many things, and now is the moment.”

--Meg Reiss, Chief of Social Justice, Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office

Do you know that the person with the most power in the courtroom is not the judge? More likely it is the Prosecutor. It is she who decides to plea bargain and what those terms will be or whether charges will be brought or not and what penalty will be asked for if the Defendant is convicted by the jury.

In November 2018 at John Jay College there was a symposium given by the Pinkerton Foundation: Just Prosecution: Redefining the Role of the 21st Century Prosecutor in Youth Justice Reform. Before we started the afternoon discussions, there was a re-entry simulation (re-entry into the community) in the morning. Real-life Prosecutors were put in the position of someone released from prison, and it was their job to meet all of their court obligations as well as find a job, find a place to live, buy food, pay their debts, and so on. If they did not meet their court obligations, they would be – warm my heart – put back in jail. These prosecutors had a first-hand experience that was a real eye-opener by their own admission. Quite a few ended up back in jail – including me, the only mentally ill person in the room who got a break occasionally – and few reached the services set up to help them. Some turned to crime to meet their obligations. And, as a result, all of them saw how hard it is for a justice-involved individual to walk the straight and narrow. Hopefully they will take this experience into the future as they work with real inmates in the courtroom.

Child Visitation

Today, October 24, 2018 as I write this, I attended a symposium at John Jay College of Criminal Justice organized by NYCIP and the Prisoner Re-entry Institute. The topic was “Inside and Outside the Visiting Room” regarding child visitation in prison as well as its effects. It was a very emotional conference resulting from stories from both parents who had been incarcerated as well as those who had been children visiting their incarcerated parents.

There are 2 million children in the US who have an incarcerated parent. The US leads the world in this. As a note, 80% of women incarcerated in NY State are single mothers. This is a growing number. How can we do better?

These people are hurting. One panelist spoke of her experiences as a child visiting her father in prison for so many years. She said, “Leaving is the part that hurts the most.” She was always afraid as she grew older that she would get a call from the prison telling her that her father, who had health problems, had died. One day she got that call. She broke down here.

Another man had spent decades in prison. During that time, he had visitation with his son who asked him constantly, “Daddy, when are you coming home?” “Soon.” His reason for being in prison for so long was because he had killed a man, and never wanted to say that to his son, but he did eventually. The good news was that his son still loved him.

I remember going through these issues with my own children even though I had mental illness. There is a lot of stigma in having a parent who is incarcerated, but it doesn’t always turn out the right way. In my experience with my own children, my daughter hates me now. I have a letter from her from 2013 stating that she resents (her word) that I have mental illness. What am I supposed to do now? Put everything back? It doesn’t happen that way. Will she love me again as she once did if I make my crime go away? I cannot shed my past any more than a man can shed his skin. The judge made it worse. I was sending Hallmark cards once per month to my son and daughter for many years as we were not seeing each other. In my request for dismissal of my case this past year, the judge sent a detective just a few months ago to interview them and decided, based upon the report, that I should no longer have any communication with my son or daughter (and their families as a result) who are now adults in their 30s and 40s, completely capable of making their own decisions. The doctor disagreed with the decision, citing his own experiences in similar matters that these things sometimes work out.

These things matter. That is why there are organizations fighting the good fight, to advocate for a different criminal justice system – a healing system.

Addressing Homelessness in NJ

On August 22, 2018 I made a trip to Haddonfield, NJ to learn about the Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council (IHOC) program for homeless men in Camden County. It was presented by WNET in their program “Chasing the Dream” which concentrates on poverty and opportunity. They look for reasons why these things happen and answers to them. IHOC concentrates on quality over quantity.

With that said, there are over one million people experiencing homelessness in the US. These people suffer from drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, and physical and sexual abuse.

This is a 28-week program lasting from October to May for 12 selected men. Participants are chosen from the streets of Camden, and they are lodged in participating congregations which provide them with meals and a warm, secure place to sleep. The program provides addiction recovery counseling, life skills training, resume writing, mock interviews, computer skills training, transportation, and regular attendance at AA meetings. But the statistics on success are very low. My comment is: Don’t give up on these guys in their hour of need.

As one of the graduates of the program said, “Nobody gets out of homelessness by themselves.”

Bail Reform

I was invited to tour the Bergen County, NJ jail with Patrick Hughes, Director of Psychology, back in May of 2017. Julia Orlando, the Director of Housing, Health, and Human Services, had read my book and wanted all of us to meet for lunch.

One of the topics that came up was bail reform. Bail reform is good for the most part. Few want to be in jail although there are exceptions. Their families don’t want them to be there, either, and depend upon them for financial support. There was a problem, though, that Pat brought up. There was a plan to educate the prisoners while incarcerated, things like reading and speaking English – something that I’ve been advocating. But now that prisoners are being released in a matter of days as a result of reform, that plan had to be dropped. The result is that they are back in jail more often for the same things.

More recently, another negative aspect of bail reform arose. Pat says the issue is that bail reform has reduced the ability of the jail to enroll inmates in the drug rehabilitation center on site which is a 30 day period to produce a drug-free inmate upon release.

Clearly, what we should do in this situation is to keep the prisoners in jail until they have finished their programs. It is a hard choice, I know, but it may be the best one.

Do any of you have other suggestions?

David E. Geiger Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who

Mr. Geiger has been endorsed by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the engineering industry

CLIFTON, NJ, June 21, 2018, Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present David E. Geiger with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Geiger celebrates many years’ experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

A registered professional engineer in the state of New Jersey, Mr. Geiger recently began working for AFG Group, Inc., in New York City just last year. Bringing with him more than 40 years of experience, he formerly worked for such organizations as Merrimac Industries in New Jersey, Con Edison in New York where he spent two decades and was awarded a Con Edison Team Award in 2013 for his project engineering work, and PSEG in New Jersey. Certified in business administration through Heriot-Watt University in Scotland since 2002, he also holds a Bachelor of Science with honor and Master of Science in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.

The awarded author of numerous articles, including “Change Happens: What Direction for NNJM” in 1995 and “In the Joyful Noise” in 2007, Mr. Geiger recently authored his autobiography “In the Matter of Edwin Potter: Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Reform” in 2016. The latter book is Mr. Geiger’s personal account of how the criminal justice and mental illness systems can often render people into second class citizens with limited access to careers, education and opportunities. Diagnosed with schizophrenia but in full remission since 2001, as part of his recovery he also wrote an article called “Reducing Recidivism,” which addresses these issues and is included with the book. An interested party at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, he also attends conferences as part of his effort to reduce such recidivism.

Mr. Geiger is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Smart Cities, the Communications Society, the Power and Energy Society – and a long-standing member of American Mensa since 1989 where he was Local Secretary in 2009, and he has been an Eagle Scout for 50 years. Maintaining a strong interest in both music and art, Mr. Geiger continues to study at The School of Visual Arts in New York City where he showcased his work in spring 2014. Notably, some of his work can be seen in his most recent book.

Married to his wife Marni Nachman with two children and one step-child, Mr. Geiger enjoys hiking in his down time and writing to pen pals. The recipient of a Mensa Individual Recognition Award in 1995, he has also been showcased in every edition of Who’s Who in America since 2005, as well as several more editions of Who’s Who in Science and Engineering and Who’s Who in the World. For more information, please visit www.davidegeiger.com.

In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who’s Who community, David E. Geiger has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.

About Marquis Who’s Who®:

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Re-classifying Schizophrenia

In the June 2018 newsletter from SARDAA there is this:

“SARDAA is working to change the paradigm of how we treat people living with neuro-psychiatric brain illnesses.  Our white paper has been submitted to the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) and we have advocates in high places on the committee to present and support our efforts to reclassify schizophrenia spectrum disorders.  We have also submitted a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding changes to the ICD-11.

“What difference does it make to reclassify?  If you or your loved one has become involved with the criminal justice system due to behavior stemming from neurological brain symptoms you likely realize that the legal system regards schizophrenia as a psychological disorder and  disregards the fact that schizophrenia is a neurological brain illness that requires TREATMENT not incarceration.  Incarceration delays treatment, increases stress, and isolation magnifies psychosis, all leading to further decompensation and acute illness.  That is only one reason, there are many others: comprehensive evaluation and appropriate treatment, increased access to hospital beds, treatment instead of incarceration, true parity, increased research, social change as clinicians, patients and family receive respect and dignity and with appropriate treatment individuals will have the opportunity for fruitful lives.

“Please, be sure to contact your representatives in Washington, D.C.  The Hearing Voices of Support Psychosis: Changing Perceptions Through Art & Science experiential exhibit will be there for them to experience on June 27, 28 and 29, 2018 in The Rayburn Office Building Foyer.  Help us change their perception of psychosis, the people affected and the value of research and treatment. This is an unprecedented opportunity, help us reach as many decision makers as possible.  Participants can take as much time as they can spare, even 5 minutes will be effective.  But they will stay longer to visit all of the cones and take time to talk with diagnosed individuals, family members and clinicians.  The Neurological Legislative Briefing is on June 28 at Noon in Rayburn 2103 and requires a RSVP: sardaabriefing@gmail.com. “

For more information, write to info@sardaa.org.

Credible Messengers – PART 2

I advocated mentoring for those coming out of prison ‘way back in May 1998. In October 2017 there was a conference at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC where research results were presented showing that credible messengers/mentors keep at-risk youth from a life of crime. This is important because it means the beginning of the breaking of the cycle of crime.

Just recently – April 2018 – there was Part 2 of Credible Messengers which gives us the ideas of how this is done. And, simply, it is done by building trust, building relationships rather than enforcing the great divide that exists between, say, the parole officer or the probation officer and the report.

Success is measured by the desire of the young people to go forward and become mentors themselves. It is not measured in the number of program attendees. Mentors give hope and show participants in the program how to change because they were once in their shoes. The mentors “show up” for the youth they are trying to help.

And there are some really difficult issues that are part of the problems: poverty, drugs, joblessness, crime, lack of services. These are just people doing what they can with what they have, and the young people are stepping up to the plate and bringing about success. “Instead of focusing on parole officers, or probation officers, or prisons, we can build communities,” said Saj Rahman, Director, Institute for Transformative Mentoring.

How can we support this movement? Hire credible messengers/ mentors. Yes. Pay them. Otherwise they have to turn to crime to support themselves.

Why Don’t the Mentally Ill Take Their Medication?

My wife and I went to a SARDAA medical conference in Houston, Texas in conjunction with Baylor College of Medicine this past April 20-21, 2018, and this was one of the topics there. Xavier Amador, Ph.D. wrote the book dealing with this subject: I AM NOT SICK. I Don’t Need Help!: How to Help Someone with Mental Illness Accept Treatment (2012). The issue is that the person does not realize that he is sick – not that he denies it. Denial, as the doctor points out, means that somewhere deep down inside the patient realizes he has an illness. This is different. It is a symptom of the illness.

In my book, In the Matter of Edwin Potter: Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Reform, Edwin also does not realize that he has an illness and acts out accordingly. He did not understand why he was arrested, put in the hospital, or why he lost his freedom. He saw nothing wrong with himself except that his employer was out to get him. And now, today, having realized the truth, he lives with remorse and regret for the death of his wife.

Reminder! Bruce Hurwitz Presents has offered me the opportunity for a podcast interview on May 14, 2018 at 5pm. We will discuss mental illness and criminal justice reform as well as the book. Here is the link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bhp/2018/05/14/david-geiger-mental-illness-and-criminal-justice-reform

Rise and Fall with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a terrible thing. It takes your life away. In my youth I was involved with a number of acceptable activities: Boy Scouts (I made it to Eagle). I played guitar though I was never satisfied with the quality of instruction that I received. I was always at the top of my class throughout school, for example, I received a full scholarship to attend a private high school where I graduated second in my class of about 100. In college I received a partial scholarship based upon an essay contest and always made the Dean’s List – except once. So there are some examples.

Schizophrenia appears in men about the age of 18. From there we can expect them to spend their lives in prisons and psychiatric hospitals or as homeless wayfarers – or so we are led to believe by the news media. I did respond to medication, and I went on to graduate school for a master’s degree in electrical engineering. I am retired now – unless someone has a paying job for someone of my age with gray hair. I noticed in my more recent interviews that there is not a gray hair in the room. I never get the offer though I more than meet the job requirements.

I do have other skills. I joined Mensa back in 1989. Since 2013 I attended The School of Visual Arts here in New York City. Some of my work is displayed on the school web site. But, easier to find, 10 of my works are included in my book In the Matter of Edwin Potter.

Schizophrenia does not mean my life is over.

SARDAA

I’ve been talking about mental illness as well as criminal justice reform. Today I want to bring SARDAA to your attention (Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America).

From their email, SARDAA is the only national voice exclusively representing people diagnosed with serious neuropsychiatric illnesses – schizophrenia and related brain disorders. Among their goals are to eliminate stigma and discrimination and to increase research and improve treatment. Another goal is to reclassify schizophrenia as a neurological brain disorder which will lead to more scientific research, access to hospital beds and improve treatment outcomes.

Currently 200,000 – 400,000 people with severe neuropsychiatric brain illnesses are incarcerated (!) with only 37,679 State hospital beds. SARDAA works to stop incarceration of people with brain illnesses and start providing treatment. Schizophrenia is a neurological brain disorder that requires treatment, NOT incarceration or a result in homeless!

This coming April 2018 in Houston, Texas there will be their 10th annual conference. For more information on this or any related topic, email: info@sardaa.org.

Legalizing the Use of Recreational Marijuana

I think legalizing the use of recreational marijuana is a bad idea. Having lived in psychiatric hospitals, I’ve seen these people – oh, your friends didn’t tell you that part, that you could very well end up in the hospital with your head all screwed up? Smoking marijuana does not make one smarter. That it does is a delusion or another lie from your friends.

Drug addiction is an illness, we are told. So why encourage it? Grudgingly, I will grant you the use of medical marijuana. At least it is regulated.

Big corporations must deal with this use every day. Some of their employees are responsible for the lives of thousands of customers – and that may be the issue. They are a menace to property and the lives of OTHERS. Do we care about the lives of OTHERS, meaning your daughter or your grandson or your newborn? This is why an employee is not allowed on the job when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Let me say it again: I think legalizing the use of recreational marijuana is a bad idea.

How Can You Help?

You may have been reading in these blogs that the incarcerated and “at risk” youth do not have the proper education or skills to succeed in accepted society. Some of you may be thinking, “I’d like to help, but I don’t have any teaching skills. I don’t know anybody in prison. I am not a Probation officer or have a degree in criminal justice. What can I do?”

Well, there is something simple that you might want to do for youth at risk: Donate to the Inner-City Scholarship Fund offered by the Archdiocese of New York. 69% of Inner-City Catholic school students live near or below the poverty level. As many as 98% graduate from Inner-City supported schools. 95% go on to college. 85% of Inner-City expenditures are directed to students, schools, and programs, and all of this for $8000 annually per student as opposed to NYC public schools at $20,000. And you can give as little as $15 per month, tax-deductible.

For more information you may reach them at 212-753-8583 or www.innercityscholarshipfund.org. I am not associated with them, but give them a call today, and make a difference for a child. I did. 

Job Advocacy for the Formerly Incarcerated

A short time back – this being two weeks before Christmas 2017 – former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey appeared on the TV news again regarding the soon-to-be-released incarcerated. He strongly advocates for their employment, and they were filling out job application forms in the news article.

This is more than a Santa Claus issue. These guys have nothing going for them when they get out of prison. They need jobs to stay out of trouble, out of prison. I can talk from my experience. I had a hard time just a few months ago: I had no job, and savings were disappearing like greased lightning. I finally had to apply for social security benefits. It wasn’t much, but it kept the wolf from the door.

What would I have done if I did not have that to fall back on? What if I were younger than 62 as many of the incarcerated are? What would you have done? The formerly incarcerated know no other world than that of crime. They most probably would have turned to crime. This is one reason why they need role models and mentors. McGreevey begs outright for employers to “hire just one person.” Employers see this as a problem. But there are already programs in place in corporate America to help these guys: education, substance abuse counseling, psychological support, and so on. Use them and make the world a better place in 2018.

Happy holidays.

Hiring the Mentally Ill

As a manager considering the hiring of a mentally ill person, you might be interested in some stories that I have to tell as one mentally ill and in a supervisory position.

In my younger days as an engineer I had the opportunity to hire some summer interns. I remember one who I scheduled for an office interview. When the time came, I received a frantic phone call that he was running late and would not be able to make it. Could we reschedule? This was not a good sign, but I had been working in New York City for a number of years by that time and realized that things sometimes happened – a helicopter falls out of the sky, the subway catches on fire, there is a parade en route, and so on. So reluctantly, I scheduled a new date. When that date came, I received a frantic phone call that he was running late and would not be able to make it. Could we reschedule? I said no.

Oh, come on. You gotta give me a chance.”

“I gave you a chance,” I replied, and that was the end of the interview.

On another occasion I had a young but very good engineer intern working for me. I needed some field work done. So I outlined what needed to be done: where to go, who to see, what to do. When I was done I told her clearly and emphatically to use my name. When she came back, she told me the story. She wasn’t getting anywhere at the site and was getting frustrated at not making headway on her assignment. Then the light dawned: She used my name, and she said it was like the parting of the Red Sea. She accomplished her mission

So maybe the mentally ill are not so incompetent after all. Someday I’ll have to tell you the story of the former stunt man who I almost threw out of the electrical substation for safety reasons.

Have a good one.

Hatred: Where Does It Come From?

Checking Google for information leads predominantly to dictionary definitions. As such, the Urban Dictionary gives us this: “Haters gonna hate.” This is a colloquial expression meaning that “people who don’t like you will always find a reason to dislike you, no matter how stupid that reason may be.”

Also, hatred is often associated with feelings of anger, disgust, and a disposition toward hostility.

This is all well and good, but where does hatred come from? Well, let’s look at this: Like love, hatred begins at home. They believe they are right. Why do they believe they are right? Because they belong to a larger group of people who think the same way and believe they are right as well. We must break this cycle. Do they feel threatened? Challenging them on the issues will only make them angrier. Angry at always getting the short end of the stick? Executing one of them is not going to solve the problem. It threatens them and only makes them herd closer together.

he recent tragic terrorist attack in New York City (Nov. 2017) brings out these elements. From personal experience, I would say people like that belong in a psychiatric hospital, not to face execution as some in power are advocating. His execution would not make America great. Tyrants do that.

Credible Messenger Mentoring

On the afternoon of October 17, 2017 there was a symposium at John Jay College of Criminal Justice sponsored by the Pinkerton Foundation. It was called “Part 1: Credible Messenger Mentoring.”

Mentoring is something that I advocate in my book In the Matter of Edwin Potter. In this case the mentors are those who have been incarcerated and can offer their experience to help “at risk” youth – AND IT WORKS. We don’t get to say that too often in the world of criminal justice, but what is this? We are going to hire thugs to work with our children? Well, let’s not put it quite that way. These mentors have experience that no one else has and can help. So, a rap sheet is the resume for getting the job? This is wrong. The reason why they went to prison is because they themselves did not have someone there to tell them to stay away from the situation. And now they are paying for it – with the remainder of their lives. This, too, is wrong. They served their time, now let’s get them back into the community because it is a community issue.

So, who is going to hire them? It is too much of a risk. Let me tell you about risk. Put in support systems AS FOR ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE: substance abuse counseling, psychological support, etc. These are in place in much of corporate America now. And there should be a balance in the community: If we need more cops, then we need more mentors.

Who is going to pay for this? There are big financial benefits by keeping people out of prison. This should offset at least some of the cost.

But let’s not marginalize the mentors now that they are contributing to society by fighting on the front lines. They, too, have dreams in life, and we should not encourage the media image of becoming a rapper or a basketball player. There is a bigger world out there.

Part 2 of this topic is scheduled for April 19, 2018 at John Jay.

Housing Issues for Those Released

About a year ago I attended a symposium at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (JJC) here in New York City. The topic was housing for those released from prison.

Well, first, they can’t get a job because they have a criminal record, so no one will hire them. So they don’t have the money to rent an apartment. This means that they will have to live with family. Ha! In New York City, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will not allow anyone who has less than a perfect record to live in their housing. This is called Permanent Exclusion. This means, in short, that the family must break up because if anyone in the housing even so much as breathes in the direction of a jail, he will be thrown out. So, the parent cannot see his children. He has no base from which to start his life over. His predicament is usually so dire that he must turn to crime to support himself – and he is back in prison. This also applies to someone whose arrest never led to a conviction.

Fortunately, someone from NYCHA also attended that symposium last year, and the person said, “We have seen the light.” The Prisoner Re-entry Institute (PRI) (a research organization) at JJC “is working with a diverse group of organizations and tenant-stakeholders to overturn the NYCHA… policy.” (From the PRI web site.)

In my case (not with NYCHA), my first discharge from the hospital allowed me to go in steps, but I could not live with my parents because my young son was living with them, and the Court would not allow it. But I thought that particular process made some sense. I was directed to get a job and transportation (a car) – which I did – while I continued to live at the hospital. Family and staff helped. At the end of the probationary period I was given permission to live in a place of my own, and I had the wherewithal to do that.

My second discharge was not as easy. The Court would no longer allow a smooth transition from the hospital. I must have a job, transportation, and a place to live all at once. As we are talking about housing, I was not allowed to live in Section 8 housing because of my Court involvement though I was never convicted of a crime nor involved with parole. Technically I was never on probation although that is how the Court monitored the case.

It was a hard go for the Social Worker. Nobody wanted me, and I had no support. So, what was I to do? Fortunately for me, my son had grown and moved out of my parents’ house, giving me the opportunity to live with my parents while getting back on my feet. If they had not taken me in, I could still very well be in the hospital now 14 years later.

Overcoming Mental Illness

When I was very young, I was taught that life was meant for suffering, that God is angry with us. Twenty-some years later I tried to kill myself in an acute schizophrenic episode. Others were injured as well, and after a jury trial where I was found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity I was placed under the supervision of the Court and experienced – all told – well over half a decade in a psychiatric hospital.

Time passed – slowly. I discovered who my enemies were, and I overcame them. Almost 40 years after my initial breakdown, I was on the right side of the keys to the jail cells. I had written a book, and it was generating interest.

Recently I was invited on a tour of the Bergen County (NJ) jail where I saw once again the suffering of the mentally ill. Suffering is chronic for this class of people.

Remembering my days past, I asked my guide, “Do they know where they are?”

“They seem to.”

I thought I knew where I was that 40 years ago, but I was in a world of fantasy and delusion. Today I believed these people were no better off. Maybe medication made a difference. But we want to help them. We want them to live a life of joy and happiness, not just some subsistence level of living in a locked room.

What can we do to get these people jobs, improve their lives? Well, first we must address their illnesses. Research into better drugs and gene therapy, for example. But are jobs the only thing we want for them? Some can’t handle the stress of having the responsibility of a job.

I can and have handled the stress. I ran multi-million-dollar projects in New York City for twenty years for Con Edison, improving service and winning industry awards. And I believe there is more that I can do.

Cop Shot – Ban the Box!

Last night a female police officer was shot in the face near to my wife’s house in Yonkers, NY. There are no further details at this time, but it is reported that she will be OK. Drug sales are suspected because of easy access to the highways.

Let’s turn to my experience of being locked up with some of these people: Why do people sell drugs? Because they can’t get a good job. Even when they come out of prison on fire with the thought of turning their lives around – and there are those – they can’t get a decent job and have to turn to their old ways.

It makes me raging mad to see that box on job applications: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Not me, but it screens out other applicants right away, and they must turn to crime once again to support themselves and their families. Yes, some of these guys have family. I just saw the box yesterday.

What would you do if you could not get an honest job? I have been fortunate in my life to some extent. I played by the rules, and I was able to get a job. It is much more difficult now because I have gray hair, and age discrimination is rampant. I just filled out an application yesterday that asked if I am over 40 years old. I can’t get a job. What do you say that I should do? Fortunately, I’m old enough to apply for social security and take withdrawals from my IRA, but it is not enough. Again, what do you say that any of us should do?

Ban the box!

Reporting a Pending Crime

Too many times we hear on the news that a murder or mass murder was committed by someone – just today as a matter of fact in Las Vegas! What can we do to stop it?

One thing is that neighbors see something unusual is going on in the community, but the police can’t respond because nothing had happened yet. How true is that? At one of my Court appearances after my commitment to a psychiatric hospital my mother told the judge that she saw something happening with me but did not know where to go but was later instructed by the judge to get in touch with the Probation officer. In the case of Adam Stein – a real character in my book – to his recollection he was sitting at home reading the newspaper when a police officer came to the door with a warrant and took him away to the same maximum security psychiatric facility where I was committed. He had no idea why, but it was done.

“If you see something, say something” is great directive, but it is useless if there is nowhere to go.

One suggestion is to bring him to a hospital for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation, but who has the right to do that? From personal observation families have turned in family members, but what if they don’t want to do that or there is no family? Then we have a problem. Can we change that? Is it worth somebody’s life? Sometimes freedom is a little too free and brings about anarchy. It is important that we realize this, and don’t let it go that far