When the pope goes to prison
Last year, he called for an end to solitary confinement, the death penalty and life imprisonment. Just days after his election, on Holy Thursday 2013, he washed and kissed the feet of inmates at a Roman prison. And this summer, he visited the most violent prison in Bolivia, telling the prisoners he sees no difference between them and himself — everyone is a sinner.
Criminal justice reform advocate Bryan Stevenson, author of the best-selling book “Just Mercy,” says that the pope’s trip to Curran-Fromhold is “enormously significant.”
“What does it say about the pope, that he is interested in visiting these particular facilities, full of violence and violent criminals?” Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric asked Stevenson.
“I think it is really important because we can’t make the kind of change we want to see in society by simply bifurcating the world into violent offenders and nonviolent offenders,” replied Stevenson. “I think it’s critically important that the pope wants to revive that, wants to stand next to the people who’ve been cast aside, cast away, thrown away, and say, ‘No — this person’s life has value and meaning.’”
Of the 10.2 million prisoners around the world today, 2.2 million are in the United States. America’s prison population is far and away the highest in the world — Russia and China, the next two closest — barely come close. Since 1980, America’s prison population has quadrupled.
Stevenson says this is in large part due to the “war on drugs” and mandatory minimum sentences. “I think we’ve gotten to the point in our nation’s history where we recognize there’s a big problem — we’ve gone too far,” he says. “The Bureau of Justice now predicts that 1 in 3 black male babies born in this country is expected to go to jail or prison. That’s a horrific statistic … lots of people are motivated to see us end mass incarceration, and for perhaps the first time in 40 years, there is a consensus that this is a problem we have to address.”
“I think [The pope] brings great influence,” says Giorla. “And he may be able to reach people who would not normally feel that the criminal justice system needs reform. As someone who’s been deeply involved in this for a long time, I know that we have to reconsider the way we adjudicate people, the opportunities or the options we give them as part of sentencing, when they’re found guilty. We have to look at incarceration more as a reason or, I would say, a chance to reeducate. A chance to resupply a person with resources and opportunity. He brings that message.”
While Amanda Cortes desperately wants to see systematic change, knowing that the pope even cares about her issues and would pay her a visit moves her to tears. “He’s probably never been locked up. So it’s just like, you really care. You’re really willing to speak about these issues that no one wants to touch. I think that’s awesome. I’m grateful.”
