Prison reforment

BRONSTHER, JACOB. “Torture and Respect.” Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, vol. 109, no. 3, Summer 2019, pp. 423–490. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=137175766&site=ehost-live.

Bryan, Jennifer, et al. “Envisioning a Broader Role for Philanthropy in Prison Reform.” Society, vol. 52, no. 6, Dec. 2015, pp. 572–579. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s12115-015-9951-x.

Schriro, Dora. “Getting Ready: How Arizona Has Created Created a ‘Parallel Universe’ for Inmates.” American Jails, vol. 23, no. 6, Jan. 2010, pp. 15–19. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=48050944&site=ehost-live.

Nilsen, Arne Kvernvik. “Punish with Dignity.” New Scientist, vol. 231, no. 3091, Sept. 2016, pp. 20–21. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(16)31693-1.

Mental health awareness

How big of an issue is this? How do you know (what evidence is there)? “

Recent reports have shown that college-aged students are
dying by suicide at a rate of approximately 6.5–7.5 suicide deaths per 100,000 students.1–3 Twenty percent of
deaths annually for 15–24-year-olds is due to suicide.
Also, suicidal thoughts and attempts are significantly
higher within young adults between the ages of 18 and
29 years old.” These numbers continue increasing each year. (Journal of American College Health)

What communities does it affect? Which communities does it negatively affect the most? Am I a part of or do I empathize with these communities? What are their perspectives on the issue?

Mainly young adults, but everyone who suffers from mental illness. I am not part of the community, but I have some insight from my sister. People feel and know they are not normal, but when society isn’t aware of and tries to ignore these type of issues, people with mental disorders feel less normal then they already do.

What are other opinions on the issue (informed, uninformed, and misinformed)?

We need to bring more awareness and give more resources to help these people. OR they are not my problem nor responsibility.

Why is this issue important to me? Why should it be of importance to my classmates?

We deal with this on a daily basis. We may not have a mental disorder, but we should want to help the ones around us and we never know when we can be affected by someone with a mental disorder since, they are unpredictable and don’t have self control.

Fostercare

How big of an issue is this? How do you know (what evidence is there)?

“A decade earlier, police in Chicago had discovered 19 children, ages 1 to 14, living in a filthy two-bedroom apartment with a half-dozen adults. Police described a horrific scene of dirty diapers, spoiled food, roaches and dog and rat droppings. One child had cigarette burns, cuts and bruises.” (http://0-library.cqpress.com.library2.pima.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2005042200&type=hitlist&num=0)

What communities does it affect? Which communities does it negatively affect the most? Am I a part of or do I empathize with these communities? What are their perspectives on the issue?

Children in foster care and families who cant provide for their children. I am not part of this community, but i am able to empathize with the foster children I have came across my life. They feel helpless, confused and end up being the “trouble kids” since they go through so much trauma.

What are other opinions on the issue (informed, uninformed, and misinformed)?

We need to do better by our kids. OR It doesn’t affect me so i don’t care.

Why is this issue important to me? Why should it be of importance to my classmates? 

The children are our future and we cant fail them.

Prison reforment:

1. I think It is a bigger issue than most think. I believe people don’t look at it because it has to do with prisoners and they are put last in society.
2. It affects prisoners and their families in the entire United States.
3. I am not part of this community, but my uncle was so I have a small idea of what prison is like.
4. Prisoners, when guilty, know they have done wrong but it only angers them and makes them lose sanity when enclosed in cold brick buildings with mistreatment. Then, when it’s time to release them, they are no better then they were before and often times tend to go back to what first got them in there.
5. Opinions vary from “prison should be a punishment and not a nice place for them” to “prison is a punishment but, we want good to come out of the punishment so we need to provide resources like therapy and allow them to think about their actions where they can sleep and eat well.”
6. It is important to me as it should be to everyone else because we are all effected by the prisoners and once they are released and how they act. If they come out helped and improved then crime rates will go down and they more than likely will stay out.

One issue i may be interested in would be either prison system— whether prison should be punishment or rehabilitation —or the foster system and what improvements it can use.

The community effected by both of these is the entire USA.

Some potential solutions for prison can be making our prisons more of a place where the inmates can rehabilitate and be better rather than keeping them enclosed and make them feel worse.

1. I feel like for my narrative essay, much more detail was needed therefore, it was much longer than the first essay. It was harder to write because there was a lot of details I wanted to include, but i had to limit myself to the important ones.
2. My writing benefited from this writing because I was able to learn more about storytelling and what affect it has.
3. I prefer writing narratives over persuasive writing. I think i have this preference because I am not confident in my writing so I know trying to persuade in my writing isn’t as effective.
4. I enjoy writing about topics that i am interested in and topics that have effect on me. For example, if i were to write a research paper on the foster system, illegal immigrants, or even about nursing (all topics i have an interest in) I would more than likely learn things i didn’t know about and i would intrigued to add it to my writing.

Kesiah Olvera

Janel Spencer

Writing 101S

5 November 2019

A Blessing in Disguise 

My entire life I have been around foster kids; younger and older ones, all with their own story to tell. On both my mom and dad’s side of the family, numerous foster kids come in and out.  Very few of them ever have a happy ending. As I get older and come across more and more kids in the system, I learn more about them and their stories. It has made me realize some changes we can make  in the foster system to help these innocent kids go through less trauma. 

There was one particular baby who came into my life and opened up my eyes to something I would have never thought of before. This baby was named Araceli Ley. Araceli was born two months early due to her biological mother being in a car accident. She suffered from a severe head injury as well as being exposed to drugs. She spent her first 23 days in an incubator, then the rest of her first year under the care of my uncle and aunt (Jacob and Marisol). Doctors did not expect her to live more than a few days, but being the warrior she is she strived through. Her biological mother Susanna Ley was under the care of her  grandmother at the age of sixteen. That was one of the reasons she wasn’t able to take care of her own daughter. Another reason being when doctors investigated Araceli’s injury, they concluded it wasn’t an injury that could have come from inside the womb. Something had to purposefully come into physical contact with her head. Along with her head injury, Susanna exposed Araceli to drugs while she was in her womb, making her a drug-addicted baby. All of these reasons were why Araceli Ley was taken away from her birth mother and put into Jacob and Marisol’s care. 

November 23, 2017 –Jacob and Marisol get their first foster child straight out of the hospital. They fall in love with her, the same way we all did, not thinking about the long term and how getting attached to her may affect us. As a premature drug baby, Araceli didn’t eat, cry or sleep like a normal baby which was different for her foster parents. It was easy to get frustrated and stressed out when the baby that is in your care eats less then she should be and cries and sleeps more than the normal. The weight that was put on Jacob, Marisol and their family wasn’t expected by them, keeping in mind they have their own kids as well, ages six and four. There were times where my aunt felt so defeated that returning her to the foster system would cross her mind. She started having these thoughts about three months in, which, by this time we were all so attached to her, which meant we would try our hardest to keep Araceli where we know she was being well taken care of. When my aunt expressed how she was feeling and how it was affecting her, my mom offered to help and take care of her through the weekends. Which we did, for eight months, we took her home with us Friday through Monday, and when we were able to, we would extend her stay two more days! My mom, two younger brothers, and I absolutely loved having Araceli over at our house. She added so much joy and happiness to the household, even at nights when I would lose over five hours of sleep, everything was worth it. My dad was the only one who preferred not to have her at our house. Not because he didn’t like the baby or any of that sort, but because he was thinking ahead and he knew she would eventually leave and he didn’t want to get attached, nor did he want us to although, we did. 

During this whole time, Susanna still had rights to Araceli and would be able to get her back once she took required classes as well as having her grandma, who took care of her own kids as well as all her four grandkids, to agree to take Araceli in. Susanna also at this time would have supervised visits with Araceli. As time went by, Susanna stopped going to her classes, canceled her visits time after time, and eventually had very minimum to do in Araceli’s life. Susanna still having her rights to Araceli, she would constantly ask Jacob and Marisol to adopt her. Their response was and always has been “no” since they wanted to finish having kids of their own, then later, eventually adopt when they were ready. They didn’t just say no, but they offered their help to Susanna if she were to ever get Araceli back. Araceli was getting older, growing, having more milestones and of course, more and more attached to us all as we were to her.  

We were the only family she knew. She was always happy, healthy and safe with us. We were her family and that would never change. The first year came around and Jacob and Marisol  knew if they kept her much longer, the process of Araceli having to leave would be a heavier pain for everyone including Araceli, herself. This is the time they decided to take things more seriously and try finding her the best home as soon as they could. Around the month of October 2018, a family of five was looking to adopt a baby and came across the sweet baby, Araceli Ley. They came into contact with Jacob and Marisol and set up a date to meet her. November 18 was a Sunday which meant we had her at the time and that was also the day we all met her possibly and hopefully new family. The family seemed like a great fit, but of course, none of us were completely satisfied. Not because the family, but because we wanted Araceli to be in a perfect home, in a safe and healthy home where we knew she would always be greatly taken care of. Only way, we would know this was in our care, our home and in our arms, but we couldn’t do that, so we had to accept the option that is next best for her. The mother, Michelle, was a stay home mom and had three kids ages twelve, seven and five with her husband Manuel. Michelle and Manuel wanted another baby, but were not able to have their own which is when they started looking into adoption. Their great interest and trust allowed Jacob and Marisol to be able to move forward with the process and give them a weekend where Araceli spends with them. December 8th through the 9th, was the weekend Araceli spends with Michelle and her family. Keeping in mind, again, we are the only people she knows, only family, and almost always wanted to only be with either one of her foster parents, my mom or I. So, she was pretty picky with who she allowed to hold her, and now, we just sent her to some strangers house for the weekend. This was the first hurt I felt with her. I felt useless since I couldn’t help her knowing she isn’t happy where she is at, knowing she is confused, and feeling abandonment. Monday, December 10th was the day she came back to us. Everyone was at my grandmas house to see her and hear how everything went. I arrive and walk in the house and see her in my mom’s arms with a neutral face, so I didn’t think much of it… I was just so happy I got to see her. I walk up to her full of joy and excitement as she usually does with me. I went to her waiting to see a smile, a sound out of her, her arms reaching out so I can hold her, anything at this point. I received nothing. She looked at me with a face of heartache for about 3 seconds then looked away. She was mad at us all, confused as to what is going on and why we did what we did to her. This angelic, beautiful baby who has brought so much joy and happiness into my life is now feeling abandonment and heartbroken. We were the cause of her first heartbreak. I instantly go in another room and let myself cry some more. I wasn’t the only one, we were all feeling a great amount of hurt. The same day, everyone realizes what has been done, my mom says she’ll adopt her. Now, she was still in the care of Jacob and Marisol’s, and we were still taking care of her as we usually would on the weekends but everyone was getting more involved including my dad. He would do things he would have never done before, for example, the baby slept with me every night we had her and one morning, my dad came in my room, with both me and Araceli still being asleep, and woke her up so he can hold her and be with her. So, you can imagine how much more involved we were all getting with Araceli. By this time, Marisol had already reached out to Michelle over the phone and let her know the situation. Michelle was also upset, but asked Marisol to reach out to her if anything changes. Marisol had also let Susanna know what was going on since, Susanna still having her rights, had to agree and okay everything which she did. About two weeks in, my mom starts having her own doubts. Wondering if she is ready to take in another baby after already having four of her own and the youngest being 11 years old. Wondering if she is being selfish knowing that she can’t give Araceli half the time Michelle would be able to. At this point, my mom takes everything into consideration and finalizes that it is best for Araceli and the rest of us that she goes to her new family. No matter the pain and heartache it brought us all, we knew we couldn’t be selfish and continue to make things worse by keeping her and being indecisive when we knew what truly was best for her. December 17th, she returns once again to Michelle and her family, but this time, she doesn’t come back and is now being fostered by Michelle until she is able to adopt her. It was best this way that way we wouldn’t have to be tossing Araceli home to home and she’ll get used to them quicker and be okay. 

After a year and two months, Susanna decides she wants to fight again and keep her. This is when I realized the system doesn’t want what’s best for our children, but instead, what’s best for the system itself. After all the canceled visits with her own daughter, the irresponsibility and very minimum interest she showed, after her absence while her baby was in the hospital, after trying to, what doctors conclude, kill her own baby while in her womb, Susanna Ley still had rights to Araceli and decided she didn’t want Michelle to adopt her and instead, thought it would be better for Susanna to keep her, herself. She had every right to, according to the system. So she did, she fought, went to a few court dates until she, once again, didn’t feel like it anymore. It was a relief for us all since we knew going back to her biological mother wouldn’t be the best for her and she would have a higher chance of returning back into the system, but this time most likely she would be going home to home. Susanna yet again, stops showing up to her court dates and gives the okay to adopt. 

It’s a long process, still going on right now, but we know Araceli is safe and happy. Since the day she went with Michelle permanently, December 17th, we had our first visit at her new home January 6th. This was when I started healing again. I saw her so happy, full of joy, well taken care of, and smiling like she always does. Most importantly, she didn’t forget about us, she knew who her first family was and she was, again, so excited to see us just the way she would be when she was in our care. She was happy, safe, and so well taken care of that us leaving, didn’t phase her, she was okay with saying goodbye and knowing we’ll still always be her family no matter what the case is. She knows we’ll never let her down. To this day, we continue visiting her, of course, we limit how much we see her since it hurts us saying goodbye, or more like “see you later,” but each time gets easier and easier. Araceli Castro Sophia was adopted September 19th, 2019. Her family, now ours, allows us to have her once a month through a weekend. Araceli’s case was one of the very few lucky ones. If it wasn’t for my aunt, uncle and mom’s involvement, Araceli would be in Susanna’s care or in the system going home to home. We weren’t going to let the system take her, or in some worst cases the children stay with their family and once again, let another child go through sufferings and trauma.

My 5 title ideas:

1. A Blessing in Disguise
2. Digging Deeper
3. The Foster Care System
4. Are We Doing Enough?
5. What More Can We Do?

1. What did you learn about others form your experience? Everyone has their own story and do what they do however they do it for a reason. Don’t judge because they are different from you, learn from everyone you come across.
2. What did you discover about yourself? I really don’t have a “traumatic” life event or even really all that significant. I am grateful I haven’t but, also curious as to ‘what if things were different?’
3. What did you learn about the world and your part in it? (How to survive?/How to be true to yourself?/What’s most important to you?/How to fulfill your needs?/What’s needed of you?) I am comfortable where I am but I know I am going to do more and eventually get out of what my comfort is. I am working to what I am meant to be wether that’d be helping kids and/or helping people in general.

November 23, 2017, Jacob and Marisol get their first foster child straight out of the hospital. They fall in love with her, the same way we all did, not thinking about the long term and how getting attached to her may affect us. As a premature drug baby, Araceli didn’t eat, cry or sleep like a normal baby which was different for her foster parents. It was easy to get frustrated and stressed out when the baby that is in your care eats less then she should be, cries and sleeps more than the normal.  The weight that was put on Jacob, Marisol and their family wasn’t expected by them, keeping in mind they have their own kids as well, ages 6 and 4. There were times where my aunt felt so defeated that returning her to the foster system would cross her mind. She started having these thoughts about 3 months in, which, by this time we were all so attached to her, which meant we would try our hardest to keep Araceli where we know she is being well taken care of. When my aunt expressed how she was feeling and how it was affecting her, my mom offered her to help and take care of her through the weekends. Which, we did, for 8 months, we took her home with us Friday through Monday and when we were able to, we would extend her stay 2 more days! My mom, 2 younger brothers and I absolutely loved having Araceli over at our house. She added so much joy and happiness to the household even at nights when I would lose over 5 hours of sleep, everything was worth it. My dad was the only one who preferred not to have her at our house. Not because he didn’t like the baby or any of that sort, but because he was thinking ahead and he knew she would eventually leave and he didn’t want to get attached, nor did he want us to although, we did. During this whole time, Susanna still had rights to Araceli and would be able to get her back once she took required classes as well as having her grandma, who took care of her own kids as well as all her 4 grandkids, to agree on taking in Araceli. Susanna also, at this time would have supervised visits with Araceli. As time went by, Susanna stopped going to her classes, canceled her visits time after time, and eventually had very minimum to do in Araceli’s life. Susanna still having her rights to Araceli, she would constantly ask Jacob and Marisol to adopt her. There response was and always has been “no” since they wanted to finish having kids of their own then later, eventually adopt when they’re ready.

It was a chilly evening in October with a beautiful sunset. As I get out the car, I can already here the kids cheering and the parents anxiously watching. I can tell its a good game already. I see my brother going up to bat with bases loaded, then I see the score board with a tie score of 4-4.

I’m rushing to the hospital even though I know the baby is okay and doesn’t need me urgently. I get to her room and see her peacefully sleeping. The room is quiet as well as the halls. At this point, i am relieved that the baby doesn’t have to be alone anymore.