Adena M'lynn's Voice

While I don’t share Alice Johnson’s political leaning for all the MAGA’s ideas, I do have a lot of admiration for her, she’s a woman of integrity, wisdom, and unwavering faith. While we served prison time together, we were not close friends, but we shared mutual respect through our involvement in the chapel and education departments.  Alice was known for her commitment to peaceful solutions, personal growth, and fostering a positive environment for those around her. She appeared reflective and a deeply honest individual whose faith guided her responses. Alice was never one to create problems; instead, she sought ways to bring peace and understanding to difficult situations with individuals. Her presence was a source of encouragement to many, and her resilience in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. Since her release, Alice has become a dedicated advocate for criminal justice reform, using her personal experiences to champion the rights of others. She has been called by God to...

The intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system presents a complex challenge that has long been overlooked. With a significant portion of the incarcerated population grappling with mental health issues, the need for specialized mental health professionals—psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors—within correctional facilities has never been more urgent. This blog post delves into the necessity of integrating mental health workers into the incarceration system to address the root causes of behavioral issues and to foster rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The Overlooked Crisis: Mental Health in Prisons Incarceration facilities, by their very nature, are not conducive environments for mental health. The stress, isolation, and often violent conditions can exacerbate existing mental health issues or give rise to new ones. Despite this, the provision of mental health care in prisons and jails is frequently inadequate, leaving many inmates wi...

The criminal justice system stands as a cornerstone of societal order, tasked with the dual responsibilities of safeguarding communities and ensuring justice for all. However, the growing consensus among policymakers, researchers, and activists is that the current system, especially its reliance on incarceration, necessitates reforms. Let’s look into the intricacies of the criminal justice system, spotlighting the pressing need for reform, rehabilitation efforts, and the undeniable influence of social and economic factors on crime rates and recidivism.   The Current State of Affairs The United States, in particular, has one of the highest incarceration rates globally, a fact that underscores the systemic reliance on imprisonment as a primary mode of punishment. This punitive approach, however, has not corresponded with a proportional decrease in crime rates, leading to questions about the efficacy of incarceration as a deterrent. Moreover, the prison system is beleaguered with issu...