• Latest

Max’s View

December 8, 2015
Montpelier Rotary Confronts Roots of Homelessness with Showing of Film The Wisdom of Trauma In Collaboration with Good Samaritan Haven, Another Way and the Montpelier Police Department

Montpelier Rotary Confronts Roots of Homelessness with Showing of Film The Wisdom of Trauma In Collaboration with Good Samaritan Haven, Another Way and the Montpelier Police Department

August 16, 2022

Dept. of Libraries Partners with Dept. of Corrections to Provide Over $42,000 In Books to State Correctional Facilities

August 16, 2022
National Digital Archive Project Absorbs Vermont Music Album Art

National Digital Archive Project Absorbs Vermont Music Album Art

August 16, 2022

Upper Valley Everyone Eats Returns to Gifford in August

August 16, 2022
African Queen (1951)

Becket (1964)

August 16, 2022

Vermont Maple Recognizes Outstanding Members

August 10, 2022

MPD Will Serve as a Pilot Sight for Training

August 10, 2022

Become a 4-H Health Hero

August 10, 2022
African Queen (1951)

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

August 10, 2022
Just Some Thoughts

A Secret Worth Sharing

August 10, 2022

Secretary of State Jim Condos Reminds Voters that the Primary Election is Only Two Weeks Away

August 2, 2022

Montpelier Alive Announces 2022 Hunger Mountain Co-op Brown Bag Summer Concert Series

August 2, 2022
  • Home
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
The World Online
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
    • Weddings & Engagements
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
    • Weddings & Engagements
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The World Online
No Result
View All Result

Max’s View

vt-world by vt-world
December 8, 2015
in Max's View
0

The Farm: Angola, USA
**1/2

In heartening news, leaders from all over the political spectrum – from Pat Leahy to Newt Gingrich, from Bernie Sanders to Ted Cruz – have spoken up about the terrible state of America’s prison system.
There are simply too many people locked up in too many awful cages. It is destroying lives, destroying families, destroying communities, and costing all of us tax money that we don’t really have.

“The Farm: Angola, USA” is—almost unintentionally—a thought-provoking documentary. It shows us a prison that is frighteningly horrible but actually better than modern penitentiaries.

In the Antebellum period, Angola was a plantation named after the country from which most of its workers were imported. Not long after the Civil War, a former Confederate officer came up with a logical and efficient use for the land. “Hey, since we can’t force all black people to work in the fields for free anymore,” Maj. Samuel Lawrence James said, “why don’t we force convicted felons—most of whom are black—to pick the cotton for free! #winning #profit.” (this is not an exact quote).

Today, Angola is Louisiana’s maximum security prison and the largest state penitentiary in the country. The inmates still work the fields and receive about 10 cents an hour for their labor.

The moving film will make you feel for the prisoners; going to Angola is a fate worse than death. However, I sincerely argue that it is better than the average prison.

Firstly, the vast majority of the men there committed violent crimes. They are not there for selling weed or for parole violations; they are actual menaces to society.

Secondly, the majority of the men there are serving life sentences. The current practice of putting moderately unsavory people behind bars for a few years seems to have the effect of turning naughty young men into hardened criminals. If a man is truly dangerous enough to be imprisoned, he darn well should stay there.
Also, having a prison where most men are there for life creates a more wholesome community than one where convicts come and go. The film has a surprisingly heart-warming scene where a racially diverse group of inmates visit a dying man in the infirmary. Ultimately, the deceased chooses to be buried in the prison cemetery with his friends rather than on the outside with his family.

Thirdly, working the fields every day—though hot and unpleasant—is clearly better than 23 hours in a cage. It is a crime (pun intended) that we let prisons waste so much public money when there surely has to be a better way.

By the way, I think I know a better way.

I propose that we carve out a large piece of land – an island of Hawaii perhaps – and send all the violent criminals there. Instead of housing them in expensive and soul-sucking buildings, we’ll let them create their own felon society.

They will be able to build homes, start businesses, pay taxes, and try to make a real life for themselves. If their intrepid wives and girlfriends want to move there, more power to them. The felons will be allowed to do anything but leave and endanger the general public.

This is not a perfect system. But it will probably be more humane and will definitely be cheaper than prisons.

We clearly have to try something new. If Senator Sanders and Senator Cruz agree that the system is broken, then it is darn well broken.

Previous Post

Reiss’s Pieces

Next Post

You Will Not Hear It Fall

Next Post

You Will Not Hear It Fall

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This Week’s Ads

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
The World
403 US Route 302
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: (802) 479-2582

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

No Result
View All Result
  • Art Exhibits
  • Audit and Reader Surveys
  • Births
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Daily Horoscope
  • Food & Recipe
  • Home
  • Obituaries
  • Ongoing Events
  • Pay Your Bill Here
  • Senior Living Edition
  • Showtimes
  • Submit Birth Announcement
  • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
  • Submit Engagement Announcement
  • Submit Listing to our Local Directory
  • Submit Sports News/Photo
  • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Summer Guide
  • Testimonials
  • The World Coupons
  • Weather Forecast
  • World Deadlines
  • World Distribution Map
  • World Rate Card
  • World Rates and Ad Sizes
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Vermont Lottery
  • Advertising Information
  • The World Staff
  • Advertising Inquiry
  • Submit Letter To The Editor
  • Local Directory
  • Poll Results
  • Local Deals
  • Classifieds
  • Submit An Article To The World
  • Events
  • The World – This Week’s Online Digital Edition
  • The World Auto & Sports

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In