Campaign Promise # 20 - Hospitals & Jails Reform Act

I thankfully to date haven't been to too many jails or hospitals. I've been in small county / town jails three times that I can remember...once in high-school for throwing a huge party where the cops rounded people up in school buses. The next time, I was in Athens Georgia going to court to protest a speeding ticket. When I stood up to make my case they took my away claiming I had another ticket I hadn't paid. Turns out I had paid the ticket and had a cleared check to prove it.

Lastly, I got nailed for BUI....Boating Under the Influence on Lake Lanier in Georgia. That's a whole other and very funny story for another time, but I did learn to not make jokes anymore as they have a funny way of being twisted and showing up in the police report later...It's also not advisable when your stoned and buzzed to wave high to the police as you drive by their cop-boat when you have a nicer one with lots of girls on it...they then like to do "random safety checks".

Net-net is I think the prison system needs to be turned on it's head. The current approach to incarceration and reform only makes people worse, treats them inhumanely and gives them no options when they get out but to go back into crime. Additionally, we never attack the roots of the problem which are lack of education, lack of options (aka jobs which have all been shipped elsewhere) and poverty. My other campaign promises address the roots of the issue.

In terms of the existing system, it should not be privatized and people should not be in jail for doing drugs. Legalize it, focus on education, prevention and make money off it so taxes can be lowered! Violent people, child abusers and molesters should be in jail but they should be taught how not to be violent and exposed to elements of love and support. I could say a lot more here, but I’m going to switch to hospitals for now.

I worked in high school for over two years at a good small town hospital as a janitor...you want to talk about dirty jobs, I still remember cleaning the autopsy rooms...Anyway, I think too many hospitals are not places I would want to be whether sick or on my death bed.

Hospitals for adults should be like good children's hospitals...bright colours, activities, healthy non-chemical local food, comedy, alternative medicine options, animals to play with, plants, more social interaction and please a new smell other than sickness and death! People get healthier when they have something to live for, are happy and in a warm-loving environment.

Am I the only one who has observed most hospitals and inner city public schools look like jails without the towers?