A Word Please

February is Criminal Justice month here on my blog. The topic intrigues me on many levels, from the inner workings of individual minds, to the social ramifications of our choices, to public policies and the legal system backing them. My interest in these issues is the reason I write suspense. In my attempt to understand the inner workings, I’ve written to death row inmates, interviewed correction officers, and read books by journalists, psychologists, and inmates. Through all this, one thing stood out: What we’re doing is not working.

Dedicating this month to Criminal Justice is partly self-indulgent. That admission aside, I do believe these discussions need to happen on a much more public forum. We can’t fix the system unless and until we acknowledge which parts are broken. And we can’t support what works unless and until we’re confident the facts support the hypothesis. But this series of posts isn’t all seriousness and definitely isn’t dull. I’m honored to have some fascinating guests who openly share their personal experiences and knowledge with us. Each and every post throughout the month of February is written by a different guest, in their own voices, expressing their own opinions. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Criminal Justice Blog Series Schedule:

Friday, February 1: Wayne Zurl talks about Real Cops vs Hollywood.
Monday, February 4: Lillian Brummet shares her personal experiences of abuse and life on the streets in her post about Growing Up and Moving On.
Wednesday, February 6: In Life Without Parole, John Moore discusses his traumatic experiences with child abuse, and the lack of intervention.
Friday, February 8: RJ McDonnell gives us an inside view of what it’s like to counsel inmates in My Killer Internship.
Monday, February 11: Julie Clement shares The Truth About Women In Prison.
Wednesday, February 13: Christina Wilkinson gives us An Inside View of Drug Addiction and Prison.
Friday, February 15: Bob Helle shares some of his experiences as a journalist behind prison walls with Injustice Inside The Walls Of Justice.
Monday, February 18: Ken Lang gives us a glimpse into the world of forensic art with Me? A Forensic Artist?
Wednesday, February 20: Retired police captain Howard Rahtz gives us A New Prescription for the War on Drugs.
Friday, February 22: Avery Tingle gives us Abuse: A Male Victim’s Perspective.
Monday, February 25: Jennifer Lane shares her thoughts on Mental Illness and Incarceration.
Wednesday, February 27: I’ll close out the series with a post of my own, which will be a surprise to all of us since I haven’t written it yet.

** The above links will not be active before the given date. **

I hope you’ll follow along and share your thoughts on these important topics.

Thanks for reading.

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Tags: An Inside View of Drug Addiction and Prison, Avery Tingle, Bob Helle, Child Abuse Discussions, Christina Wilkinson, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Discussions, Forensic Artists, Growing Up and Moving On, Jennifer Lane, John Moore, Julie Clement, Ken Lang, Life Without Parole, Lillian Brummet, Male Abuse Survivors, Mental Illness and Incarceration, My Killer Internship, Personal Stories of Child Abuse, Prison Counseling, Prison Social Work, Real Cops vs Hollywood, RJ McDonnell, The Truth About Women In Prison, Thoughts on Criminal Justice, Wayne Zurl