“I am not a monster.”
Most of those who find me on the project’s site, as well as other inmates who have also been, or currently are, incarcerated for a grouping of crimed referred to as “sex offenses,” would not believe the above statement. Many media outlets, “docudrama” style reality programs and True Crime-inspired shows sensationalize and dehumanize those even accused of these crimes. Even after proven innocent somehow by a court of law, the formerly accused often lose everything in the social justice conflagaration that accompanies it – jobs, marriages, friendships, even family. They effectively become exiled, guilty or not.
Unfortunately, the ease with which society points fingers at offenders and compensates victims also leads to another problem: those who exploit the “machine,” victimizing in reverse, and in the process they also trivilaize the seriousness of those whom have actually been harmed. Treating Bueaucrats, legislators, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, and ultimately also prison staff, as a “cudgel” for their own selfish desires, and exploiting a hitherto unknown component of federal SO crimes — Little or no evidence is needed for an indictment, conviction, or even an arrest warrant. Many who are arrested are sentenced to years and in some cases CENTURIES of prison time based on little or no more than an affadavit or even heresay. If something occurs that would otherwise prove innocence, such as a mistaken identity/ incorrect arrest, technical issues, witnesses admit to lying (perjury is a crime), or pure foul play occurs, it is by and large purposely ignored or covered up.
“Well, you should have not taken a plea deal and intead took it to trial,” they (and you) might think.
It is much more complicated than this simple idea.
Nearly none of these pretrial inmates gets even a chance to post bond, and few to zero defense attorneys want to defend a “molestor,” let alone know how to get forensics ordered. The largest portion of these crimes occurs only on the internet, which is costly and difficult to figure out who went where and accessed what on the world wide web. Does the government need to prove you even were at the keyboard? No.
Complicating matters further, most sit and rot in hostile county jail atmospheres where they are often targeted, extorted, and threatened by other inmates; they are denied medical and mental health care on the basis of their crime; get crammed in the back of a Sheriff’s van with ten or more other inmates with only six available seats for hours with no access to toilets or hot meals; then are again crammed into “holding tanks” kept below 60 degrees farenheit and locked with the latest of security protocols from 6AM to 6PM in full chains, cuffs, and leg irons; then endure the same process many, many times over a period of years for every court date.
Many do not understand that this is considered torture.
Many do not understand how this process breaks down the mind, harms the body, destroys relationships, and often ultimately ends in suicide.
Especially if you are not guilty, but no help will come for you. Ever.
You can take a plea deal for 15 to 30 years (no promises, though) or face potential multiple life sentences or even a death penalty. What would you do?
During the Third Reich era, many groups of peoples were reclassified as “enemies of the state” and had little choice but to plead for mercy and hope not to be forced to march to their own death chamber. Why didn’t they all fight for their freedom? Some may have as history books will show; however, many were executed for trying, and most simply had to accept their fate, and pray for liberators to come to them. Nobody wants to die within the confines of a prison.
I am not a monster.
-Chris
