Category Archives: success after prison

October 9, 2012 · 10:24 AM

Sentencing Day for Sandusky…

Sentencing day is here for Sandusky and what is he doing? Making media statements from Jail of course! So, either his attorneys have given up telling him not to talk or they all are media whores and nuts. Whatever the case, this is NOT the type of thing I ever let my clients do. A statement to the judge is crucial and must be carefully crafted. There should be no media comments whatsoever.

Yet look at the statements Sandusky is making. He says he is innocent of “the alleged disgusting acts.” WHAT! The acts are disgusting not allegedly, they are. Why Sandusky uses the word allegedly tells us a whole lot about him. You see he really doesn’t think the acts are disgusting or they wouldn’t be allegedly, they would just be. This is one very ill man.

I have been asked what will happen to him once he leaves county jail for State Prison. The answer is not much. He will be held in protective custody for a while and then he will join the general population. What people don’t realize is that that general population is apt to have many sex offenders just like Sandusky. Yes, we often house them together. Then it becomes a kind of don’t as, don’t tell.

I often work and coach people who can and have changed from their criminal thinking. I write that change is possible with hard work and I am living proof. Plus, I really believe this. Well, except when it comes to child molesters and rapists. There simply is no evidence that this population can change. SO, the question becomes what to do with people like this. Sad to say but the only option is incarceration, we must protect our children. As for famous cases like Sandusky, let these be lessons that there are consequences and they will catch up to you. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

Wendy Feldman is a criminal justice expert, insider and family legal coach. She is available for private consultation on how to prepare for a successful incarceration, probation and re-entry. She is also available for media commentary and has appeared on shows from The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, E! News, People.com, Fox News, NBC News, CNN, NPR and Nancy Grace. She is a weekly featured guest in the syndicated America Now radio program. She may be reached at wendy@wendyfeldman.com

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May 24, 2012 · 10:00 AM

Forgiveness and how it should work…

As a criminal justice expert and consultant, one of the questions clients always ask me is about forgiveness. Often they are told to try and make amends or simply ask for forgiveness from those in their life and those they have harmed. Yet, this is rarely such a simple task and if taken lightly can cause even greater harm.

First of all I think that Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, and I have both forgiven others and been forgiven myself. But, I said forgiven not forgotten. None of us should ever forget what poor choices we make and the consequences of those choices. Too often people re-enter society from rehab or prison and feel entitled to forgiveness. There is no such thing. Forgives takes work on all sides. Simply apologizing, or as 12 step groups call it “making amends” is not enough. You must mean it and earn it.

In criminal justice circles there is a concept called Restorative Justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by crime when victims, offenders and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results can be transformational. This is much more than saying I am sorry or asking for forgiveness. It is also a way of owning one’s own actions.

Think about it- in all aspects of life we need closure and simply asking for forgiveness may be one sided. This is why forms of restorative justice work. But a key question I ask my clients when they complain about not being forgiven is simply- “DO YOU FORGIVE YOURSELF?” Ask somebody this and often the response will be “I never thought about that.” It is my experience that one should not ask for forgiveness without doing the work and starting with themselves. Once you forgive yourself the rest will fall into place.

In a world that has gone a little crazy and in times of stress, forgiveness goes a long way towards the healing that usually needs to take place. Currently, many courts and even prisons around the United States are looking into this concept to bridge worlds that have been affected by crime. Those re-entering society should always look inward first and once done- they will have a more successful time.

I know that change is possible with hard work. So now let’s all look at somebody in our life and start the process of forgiveness.

Wendy Feldman is a criminal justice expert, insider and family legal coach. She is available for private consultation on how to prepare for a successful incarceration, probation and re-entry. She is also available for media commentary and has appeared on shows from Today, CBS Early Show, Fox News and Nancy Grace. She is a weekly featured guest in the syndicated America Now radio program. She may be reached at wendy@custodialcoaching.com. 

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August 15, 2011 · 7:19 AM

Will Casey Anthony become the poster child for Re-Entry???

I am not sure about that, but the Anthony case is a welcome opportunity to shine the light on our criminal justice system, what’s wrong and how to fix it. I have written much about the fact that as an insider, I believe that the only way to even attempt to fix out system is to turn it upside down. That means focus on the after prison or “Re-Entry” component. I believe there are three stages to our criminal justice system: the investigation/trial phase, the incarceration and re-entry.

Now, Casey Anthony is about to really experience what re-entry and probation are really like. Probation is designed to give people much need accountability as they transition back to society. As I said last week on CBS, Nancy Grace and Jane Velez Mitchell, there are two components that are usually needed to have a successful re-entry: Community ties and family relations and support. Obviously, Casey Anthony has neither. As a person who has worked with 100’s of people going through re-entry, it is possible to do so without these components, but it is a more difficult task. Just as an addict needs a support center, so does a person coming out of jail, what she does not need are ENABLERS. But, it looks like that’s exactly who she has. Recipe for disaster and a fast pass back to the slammer unless Anthony gets some real professional help.

But, first let’s look at some FACTS- Anthony is now ordered by Judge Belvin Perry to report back to Florida to begin serving one year of supervised probation. Not simple administrative probation, but supervised probation. That means, travel restrictions, random searches and U/A tests. She also must stay away from the victim in her check fraud case and get a JOB! What? Yes, a job. This is the interesting part as many people get around this by attending school, ordered mental health care etc…But, Anthony owes money to the IRS and also must pay her probation fee. She also may soon be ordered to pay money for the search for daughter Caylee. Plus, probation makes it much tougher for Casey to score a big money “tell all” deal.

Now, the probation officer assigned to Casey Anthony will have some say in the job/school issue. He may also allow her to write a written report by the 5th of the month with only  sporadic home and office visits. But, Casey Anthony will learn that games and lies do not work with probation officers. I believe that Judge Perry was right to be upset with Jose Baez for not preparing his client for this and for trying to pull one over on the court. A poor example for Casey herself. In fact, technically Casey Anthony is in violation of her probation right now as she left the state and has not begun probation.

Another fact is that like many people, Casey Anthony may be able to transfer her probation to another State. However, to qualify for this you must have a good reason. Valid reasons include family support in the other state, a better job and in some cases a rehab program. My guess is that the Baez team will be arguing the rehab issue and claim that she has already begun a program, so a transfer is needed. Convenient right? Well, rest assured that the Probation department will check it all out as will Judge Perry.

For now, these are the facts. I have been there done that and the moment I prepare a client for prison, I begin to prepare them for re-entry. It is no joke. Let’s stop making it a joke and look at what needs to happen for everyone involved. This insider knows that people do learn from probation and in most cases it is very helpful.

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Filed under Casey Anthony, casey anthony. jose baez, CBS Early Show, Criminal Justice, Jane Velez Mitchell, Nancy Grace, prison consultant, success after prison

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July 25, 2011 · 10:20 AM

Incarceration Nation and what we can learn from Norway…

The horrific mass murder of young people in Norway over the weekend shines new light on what is wrong with the criminal justice system in the United States. Norway is usually known as a country of peace and kindness. But, over the weekend that illusion was shattered with the murder of at least 100 people.

By now we have all read about not only the cushy prisons in Norway, but the fact that the maximum prison sentence is 21 years. There is a possibility that there could be extensions of this term in five year increments if the killer is proven to still be a risk to society.

The fact is that we must use this event to look at our own prison system and the huge lengths of time we send people to prison for on non-violent offenses. There is no doubt that a life term or worse should be given to the Norway killer. But a term of 21 years is handed down far too often in the U.S.. This is true especially in drug related cases. In many cases, especially Federal Prison cases, there are mandatory minimums of 10 years.

The U.S. is simply the Incarceration Nation. We have no idea how to hand down equal justice nor do we have consistency between State and Federal Courts. We have few prison programs and even less mandatory re-entry programs. This despite the fact that over 94% of people in prison are coming out and most in less than five years.

Change is most often brought about by catastrophic events. Let us pause and remember those in Norway and hope that positive change comes to criminal justice systems all over the world. Here is to Equal Justice. Let the Time fit the Crime.

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July 18, 2011 · 11:17 AM

Do we care where in the world Casey Anthony is???

At this point the mystery of how Casey Anthony would be released is over. Truth be told it was never a mystery. As I said on The CBS EARLY SHOW Saturday, all inmates have a similar release protocol. No, the Sheriff does not have to provide 24/7 protection and let us keep in mind that high profile people are released everyday.

The questions still abound for many about her re-entry into society. I also addressed this on the Early Show. Re-entry is the single hardest part of the incarceration process. Anybody can do time. But, many people have a hard time coming back into mainstream society. As with anybody I work with, I advise Casey Anthony to get help.

Celebrities in high profile cases often re- offend because of the enablers and takers around them. This case is not likely to be any different. After all, change takes work and admitting you NEED to change. How can Casey Anthony expect society to forgive her until she does the work? Maybe she should practice some restorative justice? Probably not, that takes work too.

Will Casey Anthony write a book? Can she write a book? That takes work too. Lying does not make somebody a murderer, but her lack of attachment and empathy do make her an unlikely candidate for change.

So, how long until Jose Baez looses interest and they too split? Criminal thinking is done in patterns. There are eight patterns of criminal thinking. Most people in prison exhibit at least a few of these. Number one pattern of criminal thinking- ENTITLEMENT.

Casey Anthony may never realize that there is a difference between FAME and INFAMY. Or, she may not care until she lands in jail again.

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Filed under bail, Casey Anthony, CBS Early Show, celebrities, Criminal Justice, Criminal thinking, incarcervention, jail, Jose Baez, Nancy Grace, prison coaching, prison consultant, prison re entry, restorative justice, success after prison, women in prison

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