Draft

Extra Credit: Ear Hustle Podcast

Home For Is Really a Memory

The "Ear Hustle" episode titled "Home for is really a memory" features interviews with several incarcerated individuals. This episode goes down memory lane of individuals who have been incarcerated and who share their stories regarding their experiences in trying to form a sense of home, belonging, or community within the prison system. One of the interviewees, Leslie, had earned a period of over half a century in prison for a crime that she committed when she was 19. This case is critical because it creates a rationalist approach to the issue of creating a sense of life within the prison system in that Leslie has lived a big part of her life in prison. It is also suitable because she was barely a grown-up when she was enrolled in the prison system for the crime he committed. It is important to note that she was convicted of being a member of the Mason family responsible for committing several crimes, including the murder of several people in the late 1960s. Despite her approach to try and be offered parole in the sense that she tried to show remorse for her actions, she was denied parole. The argument behind the denial of parole is that the nature of her crime is very dangerous and that there is a perceived need for retribution in her case, which is expected by the judicial system.

The episode relates to the idea of life in prison in the sense that life sentences are the type of sentences that are given to individuals who have committed serious crimes, such as in the case of murder, which is the case of Leslie; however, it can be noted that from the episode there is the reflection of the idea that this form of punishment creates a big issue to the individual in the prison system. Notably, the podcast features interviews with several incarcerated individuals who all talk about their efforts to create a sense of home in the prison system, primarily through approaches where they take time to decorate their cells and also interact with other inmates to form bonds with these other inmates and also coming up with activities and programs in which participate in hence allowing them freedom of being part of given communities within the limitations of prison. The concept of three basic categories of murder, including first, second, and third degrees are also essential aspects in the episode in the sense that the degree of murder is used as a position to determine the severity of the punishment where those who are accused and convicted of first-hand murder are given more serious sentences and often carry long sentences such as life sentence. Leslie's case lies in this category.

Dirty Water

The Podcast episode dirty water explores the concept of Restorative Justice, which is an approach that seeks to examine the harm caused by crime and, to an extent, determines how to repair the issues that surround crime and punishment and looks into the implications that the offenders receive while at the same time holding them responsible for their actions. These two episodes tie together in the sense that they create a look into the idea of punishment as a form of aspect that may have outcomes that should not be desired by Society. Notably, the law is an aspect that is put in place to ensure that those who commit offenses are punished. In this case, a good example is Megan's Law which requires sex offenders to be registered and their information and identity to be made available to the public as a form of deterrence and to ensure that they did not commit the same crimes. However, questions are raised regarding how this approach is effective for the different crimes and the possible resources which can be used as a form of rehabilitation in the sense that it can be argued that the offenders in such cases need to be rehabilitated you know that means what are the possibility of occurrence of the same crime does not carry forward after they are released from prison.

This form of Justice is known as restorative Justice. It focuses on restoring people in Society in a manner that ensures that they are better than the way they were when they left and also creating an environment where the Importance is not put on the idea of the public being aware of the potential of someone to do a crime rather the Importance is placed on the element of change that is depicted within this individual and their ability to interact with others without committing the crime in future after their time in prison. Overall, the episodes offer an ideal manner of thought in that they raise questions about the purpose of punishment and rehabilitation and integration into which individuals who commit serious crimes are enrolled. Thus, the focus is placed on the justice system's ability to create a conducive environment that can also employ a change in the same capacity to ensure that those who commit crimes are punished. This implies that the justice system should not punish crime-doers alone but also navigate ways these individuals can be brought back into society as better individuals rather than people who are only allowed to be free because they have been punished.

Annotated Bibliography

Essential Episodes. (n.d.). Ear Hustle. https://www.earhustlesq.com/essential