DJ Pepper

Welcome to another edition of Dr.’s Note. Today’s guest is an inmate called DJ Pepper. These are his words:

The Texas prisons are filled mostly because of minor violations. Things like address changes and addiction management cause returns. This should be corrected with help not incarceration.

The parole board often denies inmates who are eligible for long periods of time. This denial could last up to 5 years before another review opportunity. Inmates are simply holding space for this entire time.

Texas should also pay inmates to work. It would help the inmate’s families not be financially burdened. Working for pay would establish a healthy work ethic for inmates that would transcend into the outside. This would also inspire more inmates to study trades for a future career.

I believe releasing inmates would help the local economy as well. There are jobs that need to be filled. Most people don’t desire these jobs, but inmates do.

There are many issues within the prison. The sanitary conditions are ridiculous. Food workers don’t use gloves or mask. Hand washing isn’t mandatory. We often get sick from eating contaminated foods. People cough and sneeze in the food. Our complaints go ignored. This would never be allowed in any outside business. They don’t even offer training to inmates who serve food.

The menu is another mystery to me. They serve a lot of noodles. The variety of food is limited. The amount served is also not adequate for adult men.

Sanitation is an issue here. The tables we eat on are not sanitized. The floors and hand rails are dirty. Serving spoons are dirty and cross contaminated. We are forced to eat in these conditions or starve.

At this prison, we don’t receive eating utensils. They don’t supply us cups. I’ve seen inmates forced to eat with their fingers or ID card. Some search the trash for empty bottles in order to drink something. It is sad to see and totally preventable.

Here it has taken me over 4 months to receive a Bible I ordered. The mailing system is so backed up and unorganized. Often, we never receive our mail. Sometimes our mail is given to the wrong person.

If these problems are clear. The solution should be clearer. Let these inmates go.

Releasing inmates on parole helps them. They get restricted freedom. They gain structure from parole. They become part of the workforce. The get to benefit their family instead of burden them. The become taxpayers instead of taxpayer bills.

Inmates receive no benefit from being in prison. Therefore, the community paying for their incarceration receive no benefit either. Longer prison stays almost ensure an inmate will return to their community in an even worse state. Who wants that?

I’ll close using the ancient words of the prophet Moses… Let my people go!!!-

We’d like to thank today’s guest and you our readers for reviewing this post. We hope it provoked you to thought whether you agree or disagree.

Have a great day. Don’t forget… If you really desire to see a change, be the change you want to see. - Dr. J. James