Convicted Lives Matter

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WHY DOES ISRAEL MATTER?

Did you know that the time clock of the return of Jesus Christ isn’t based on America’s timeline? It’s based on what is happening in Israel.

Did you know Jesus wasn’t a “Christian” ? He was a Jew. He celebrated and kept the Jewish holy days and customs, as well as the feasts of the LORD. He didn’t come to eradicate the Torah and writing of the Prophets / Old Testament. He came to fulfill the prophecies that were written in them.

When Jesus returns, He isn’t returning to the United States. The Bible says He is going to plant His foot down on the Mount of Olives and go through the Eastern Gate, which is currently sealed off with 16 feet of concrete. A cemetery was also placed in front of that gate because touching the dead makes a Jew considered unclean and unable to enter the Temple, which is considered Holy. The Word of GOD says He will return there and from there He will rule and reign for 1,000 years.

The final battle isn’t going to be on U.S. soil. It’s going to be in the Valley of Megiddo, in Israel. The Bible says as the nations wage war against Israel Jesus will come and destroy His enemies with the breath of His mouth. 2 Thess 2:8

GOD did not replace the Jews with Christians as some believe. We are actually grafted in with them as you would graft a wild branch into an existing tree.

The Word of GOD says, “When you touch Israel, you touch the Apple of GOD’s eye.” Zechariah 2:8

“He that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. The LORD is thy keeper.” Psalm 121:4

“I will bless those that bless you and I will curse those that curse you.” Genesis 12:3

We are also commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in Psalm 122.

ISRAEL matters. 🇮🇱

PRAY FOR ISRAEL.🙏🏻

(Borrowed from a friend)

Have a loved one currently in State or Federal prison? Are they experiencing human rights violations? Contact me today.

Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) - Operational Definition
The Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is a set of symptoms that are present in many currently incarcerated and recently released prisoners that are caused by being subjected to prolonged incarceration in environments of punishment with few opportunities for education, job training, or rehabilitation. The symptoms are most severe in prisoners subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and severe institutional abuse.

The severity of symptoms is related to the level of coping skills prior to incarceration, the length of incarceration, the restrictiveness of the incarceration environment, the number and severity of institutional episodes of abuse, the number and duration of episodes of solitary confinement, and the degree of involvement in educational, vocational, and rehabilitation programs.

The Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is a mixed mental disorders with five clusters of symptoms:

(1) Institutionalized Personality Traits resulting from the common deprivations of incarceration, a chronic state of learned helplessness in the face of prison authorities, and antisocial defenses in dealing with a predatory inmate milieu,
(2) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from both pre-incarceration trauma and trauma experienced within the institution,
(3) Antisocial Personality Traits (ASPT) developed as a coping response to institutional abuse and a predatory prisoner milieu, and
(4) Social-Sensory Deprivation Syndrome caused by prolonged exposure to solitary confinement that radically restricts social contact and sensory stimulation.
(5) Substance Use Disorders caused by the use of alcohol and other drugs to manage or escape the PICS symptoms.
PICS often coexists with substance use disorders and a variety of affective and personality disorders.

Symptoms of the Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS)
Below is a more detailed description of five clusters of symptoms of Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS):

1. Institutionalized Personality Traits
Institutionalized Personality Traits are caused by living in an oppressive environment that demands: passive compliance to the demands of authority figures, passive acceptance of severely restricted acts of daily living, the repression of personal lifestyle preferences, the elimination of critical thinking and individual decision making, and internalized acceptance of severe restrictions on the honest self-expression thoughts and feelings.

2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [ii] is caused by both traumatic experiences before incarceration and institutional abuse during incarceration that includes the six clusters of symptoms: (1) intrusive memories and flashbacks to episodes of severe institutional abuse; (2) intense psychological distress and physiological reactivity when exposed to cues triggering memories of the institutional abuse; (3) episodes of dissociation, emotional numbing, and restricted affect; (4) chronic problems with mental functioning that include irritability, outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and an exaggerated startle response. (5) persistent avoidance of anything that would trigger memories of the traumatic events; (6) hypervigilance, generalized paranoia, and reduced capacity to trust caused by constant fear of abuse from both correctional staff and other inmates that can be generalized to others after release.,

3. Antisocial Personality Traits
Antisocial Personality Traits [iii] [iv] [v] are developed both from preexisting symptoms and symptoms developed during incarceration as an institutional coping skill and psychological defense mechanism. The primary antisocial personality traits involve the tendency to challenge authority, break rules, and victimize others. In patients with PICS these tendencies are veiled by the passive aggressive style that is part of the institutionalized personality. Patients with PICS tend to be duplicitous, acting in a compliant and passive aggressive manner with therapists and other perceived authority figures while being capable of direct threatening and aggressive behavior when alone with peers outside of the perceived control of those in authority. This is a direct result of the internalized coping behavior required to survive in a harshly punitive correctional institution that has two set of survival rules: passive aggression with the guards, and actively aggressive with predatory inmates.

4. Social-Sensory Deprivation Syndrome:
The Social-Sensory Deprivation Syndrome [vi] is caused by the effects of prolonged solitary confinement that imposes both social isolation and sensory deprivation. These symptoms include severe chronic headaches, developmental regression, impaired impulse control, dissociation, inability to concentrate, repressed rage, inability to control primitive drives and instincts, inability to plan beyond the moment, inability to anticipate logical consequences of behavior, out of control obsessive thinking, and borderline personality traits.

5. Reactive Substance Use Disorders
Many inmates who experience PICS suffer from the symptoms of substance use disorders [vii]. Many of these inmates were addicted prior to incarceration, did not receive treatment during their imprisonment, and continued their addiction by securing drugs on the prison black market. Others developed their addiction in prison in an effort to cope with the PICS symptoms and the conditions causing them. Others relapse to substance abuse or develop substance use disorders as a result of using alcohol or other drugs in an effort to cope with PICS symptoms upon release from prison.

PICS Symptoms Severity
The syndrome is most severe in prisoners incarcerated for longer than one year in a punishment oriented environment, who have experienced multiple episodes of institutional abuse, who have had little or no access to education, vocational training, or rehabilitation, who have been subjected to 30 days or longer in solitary confinement, and who have experienced frequent and severe episodes of trauma as a result of institutional abuse.

The syndrome is least severe in prisoners incarcerated for shorter periods of time in rehabilitation oriented programs, who have reasonable access to educational and vocational training, and who have not been subjected to solitary confinement, and who have not experienced frequent or severe episodes of institutional abuse.

Reasons To Be Concerned About PICS
There is good reason to be concerned because about 40% of the total incarcerated population (currently 700,000 prisoners and growing) are released each year. The number of prisoners being deprived of rehabilitation services, experiencing severely restrictive daily routines, being held in solitary confinement for prolonged periods of time, or being abused by other inmates or correctional staff is increasing. [viii]

The effect of releasing this number of prisoners with psychiatric damage from prolonged incarceration can have a number of devastating impacts upon American society including the further devastation of inner city communities and the destabilization of blue-collar and middle class districts unable to reabsorb returning prisoners who are less likely to get jobs, more likely to commit crimes, more likely to disrupt families. This could turn many currently struggling lower middle class areas into slums. [ix]

As more prisoners are returned to the community, behavioral health providers can expect to see increases in patients admitted with the Post Incarceration Syndrome and related substance use, mental, and personality disorders. The national network of Community Mental health and Addiction treatment Programs need to begin now to prepare their staff to identify and provide appropriate treatment for this new type of client.

The nation's treatment providers, especially addiction treatment programs and community mental health centers, are already experiencing a growing number of clients experiencing the Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS). This increase is due to a number of factors including: the increasing size of the prisoner population, the increasing use of restrictive and punishing institutional practices, the reduction of access to education, vocational training, and rehabilitation programs; the increasing use of solitary confinement and the growing number of maximum security and super-max type prison and jails.

Both the number of clients suffering from PICS and the average severity of symptoms is expected to increase over the next decade. In 1995 there were 463,284 prisoners released back to the community. Based upon conservative projections in the growth of the prisoner population it is projected that in the year 2000 there will be 660,000 prisoners returned to the community, in the year 2005 there will 887,000 prisoners returned to the community, and in the year 2010 1.2 million prisoners will be released. [x] The prediction of greater symptom severity is based upon the growing trend toward longer periods of incarceration, more restrictive and punitive conditions in correctional institutions, decreasing access to education, vocational training, and rehabilitation, and the increasing use solitary confinement as a tool for reducing the cost of prisoner management.

Clients with PICS are at a high risk for developing substance dependence, relapsing to substance use if they were previously addicted, relapsing to active mental illness if they were previously mentally ill, and returning to a life of aggression, violence, and crime. They are also at high risk of chronic unemployment and homelessness.

Post Release Symptom Progression
This is because released prisoners experiencing PICS tend to experience a six stage post release symptom progression leading to recidivism and often are not qualified for social benefits needed to secure addiction, mental health, and occupation training services.

Stage 1 of this Post Release Syndrome is marked by Helplessness and hopelessness due to inability to develop a plan for community reentry, often complicated by the inability to secure funding for treatment or job training;
Stage 2 is marked by an intense immobilizing fear;
Stage 3 is marked by the emergence of intense free-floating anger and rage and the emergence of flashbacks and other symptoms of PTSD;
Stage 4 is marked by a tendency toward impulse violence upon minimal provocation;
Stage 5 is marked by an effort to avoid violence by severe isolation to avoid the triggers of violence;
Stage 6 is marked by the intensification of flashbacks, nightmares, sleep impairments, and impulse control problems caused by self-imposed isolation. This leads to acting out behaviors, aggression, violence, and crime, which in turn sets the stages for arrest and incarceration.
Currently 60% of prisoners have been in prison before and there is growing evidence that the Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is a contributing factor to this high rate of recidivism.

Reducing The Incidence Of PICS
Since PICS is created by criminal justice system policy and programming in our well intentioned but misguided attempt to stop crime, the epidemic can be prevented and public safety protected by changing the public policies that call for incarcerating more people, for longer periods of time, for less severe offenses, in more punitive environments that emphasize the use of solitary confinement, that eliminate or severely restrict prisoner access to educational, vocational, and rehabilitation programs while incarcerated.

The political antidote for PICS is to implement public policies that:

(1) Fund the training and expansion of community based addiction and mental health programs staffed by professionals trained to meet the needs of criminal justice system clients diverted into treatment by court programs and released back to the community after incarceration;
(2) Expand the role of drug and mental health courts that promote treatment alternatives to incarceration;
(3) Convert 80% of our federal, state, and county correctional facilities into rehabilitation programs with daily involvement in educational, vocational, and rehabilitation programs;
(4) Eliminate required long mandated minimum sentences;
(5) Institute universal prerelease programs for all offenders with the goal of preparing them to transition into community based addiction and mental health programs;
(6) Assuring that all released prisoners have access to publicly funded programs for addiction and mental health treatment upon release.

Got a legal problem and cannot afford an attorney? I've been there and I got you.

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*LLC and Corporation Forming
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*Obtaining and Injunction or dropping one
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What is a Paralegal? And why should I choose Garrett Paralegal Services to draft my legal documents?

According to the AmericanBar.Org, "A Paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or OTHER ENTITY and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible."

In July 2022, I obtained my Paralegal/Legal Assistant Certificate from a Nationally Accredited School with honors. I personally have dealt with the Legal System, since I was 11 years old and, we know how it goes. You go hire an attorney and you never get them on the phone, or when you do, they're asking for more money. It is significantly cheaper to hire someone to file your legal documents, even if you decide to hire a Bar Certified Attorney at Law later for legal advice and representation.

Some Paralegals may choose to draft legal documents for a "PRO SE LITGANT" or someone like YOU looking to handle your legal affairs without an attorney, just not knowing how to do it. The State of Florida prohibits the use of the term Paralegal when NOT working as a Paralegal under the supervision of an attorney. When drafting documents, they are commonly referred to as a Legal Document Drafter to avoid being charged with Unlawful Practice of Law. Remember, a paralegal or legal document drafter CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE.

Don't waste money, contact me today. I got you! DM me for more info
Sincerely,

Jonathan T. Garrett
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Praise Yahweh for waking me up this morning, and God bless everyone who woke up behind a fence. You are not forgotten

Just got a msg from my old cell neighbor doing 40 years and I swear the man is such an inspiration. Sometimes hearing from your people in prison means a lot more to YOU than it does for THEM!

Write the ones who held you down when you were locked in there with them and ate with them everyday.

Jesus said to remember those in prison like you were there with them and I was in there with him. I don't care if he is a serial murderer, he is my best friend. So happy to hear from my dawg right now lol even if he is asking for sexy pics of S.E.L.E.N.A. and Halsey everyday hahahaha I don't blame him. Prison is a lonely place.

Jesus was wrongly convicted.

ConvictedLivesMatter

Saturday May 21st at Sumter Correctional Institution.This will be a PEACEFUL, NON-VIOLENT event. Spread the word. Let's make prison reform happen this year! The only time someone cares about prison reform is when they become a victim of crime or they have a loved one locked up. Let's make a change NOW! A life sentence shouldn't mean death!!!

Prison conditions in the State of Florida are inhumane and every day, the rights of the inmates are being violated. Some of you may say "They did the crime, they do the time" and I agree. But, in the same respect, they are STILL human beings. They are STILL American citizens.

Evidence shows lengthy prison terms do not have a significant deterrent effect on crime, but they do divert resources from effective investments in public safety. Long sentences also exacerbate many of the pains of imprisonment, including accelerated declines in health for which people receive substandard health care.

Criminal sentences that foreclose a meaningful likelihood of release are cruel and merciless. Most criminal careers are under 10 years and as people age, they usually desist from crime. Even people who engage in chronic, repeat offending that begins in young adulthood usually desist by their late 30s.

As the United States marks 50 years of mass incarceration, dramatic change is necessary to ensure another 50 do not follow. In no small part due to long sentences, the United States has one of the world’s highest incarceration rates, with nearly two million people in prisons and jails. The destabilizing force of mass incarceration deepens social and economic inequity – families lose not only a loved one, but income and childcare. Mass incarceration entrenches cycles of harm, trauma, and disinvestment and consumes funds that might support investment in interventions that empower communities and create lasting safety.

In the United States, over half of people in prison are serving a decade or longer and one in seven incarcerated people are serving a life sentence. To end mass incarceration, the United States must dramatically shorten sentences. Capping sentences for the most serious offenses at 20 years and shifting sentences for all other offenses proportionately downward, including by decriminalizing some acts, is a vital decarceration strategy to arrive at a system that values human dignity and prioritizes racial equity.

Countries such as Germany and Norway illustrate that sentences can be far shorter without sacrificing public safety. A wealth of criminological evidence makes clear that unduly long sentences are unnecessary: people age out of crime, and even the general threat of long term imprisonment is an ineffective deterrent.

Prosecuting attorneys can use their discretion to limit sentences to 20 years when charging and plea bargaining, as well as engage in sentence review. Judges can impose lower sentences where possible. And communities can invest in interventions that prevent long sentences by keeping people from entering or reentering the criminal legal system altogether. Limiting maximum terms to 20 years need not be the end goal of criminal legal reform – 20 years is still an extraordinary length of time in prison – but it is an essential step toward a fair and proportionate justice system.

Fifty years ago, the imprisonment rate stood at 93 imprisoned people per 100,000 residents in the general population.But as the United States started its sharp, upward climb over the following four decades, imprisonment rates eventually grew 700%. Though crime both increased and decreased over these decades, prison populations continued to grow until 2009. In the subsequent decade, the prison population declined at an annual rate of 1% – a pace that would require more than 50 years just to cut the prison population in half. Ending mass incarceration will require investing heavily in effective alternatives to limit reliance on incarceration and decreasing the length of time people spend in prison.

Laws and policies that lengthen prison sentences, enhance time-served requirements, and limit parole have combined to lengthen prison stays dramatically. In Georgia, for example, the typical sentence imposed for voluntary manslaughter in 1990 was just under 13 years and those convicted were released, on average, after five years. By mid-2022, the typical sentence for the same crime was nearly 20 years and the average time served was just over 11 years.13 Time in prison for this crime more than doubled in about 20 years.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that over half the people in prison are serving a decade or longer.

Natural life sentences are not only a violation of the United States Constitution, but they also create a violent, hostile environment for other inmates, some of which who are serving only a year or two! Life sentences and mandatory minimum sentences ultimately poison the prison system by taking away the ONLY incentive an inmate has to behave while incarcerated.....a release date!