Speaks at symposium on crime and punishment

Monday, November 10, 2003

By JEAN JONES
Bridgeton Evening News

"Punishment doesn't work."

That may be a strange statement coming from the state commissioner of the department of corrections, but Devon Brown has the statistics to back him up and has plans he believes will improve the chances of prisoners when released.

Speaking at a reporters round table at South Woods State Prison on Friday, Brown, who has an impressive background in law, psychology and administration, answered questions and talked about his philosophy of crime and punishment.

"In certain segments of the population, doing time is considered a rite of passage to adulthood. It's almost a badge of courage to these kids," Brown said.

He said he has asked criminals how much money they made during their best year, then divided it by the time they served.

"It comes out to about $200 a year, just in dollars and cents, not to mention the restriction in freedom and what it did to their family."

There are programs like Project Pride, to try to dissuade kids from becoming involved in crime, he said. He recalled an adage heard from his grandparents: An ounce of prevention is worth a pond of cure.

"If you can cut them off young, you're saving the $20,000 a year it costs to keep them in prison," he said.

"The most violent thing on TV is cartoons," Brown said. "They can restructure the cartoons, tone down the violence, and teach them courteous, constructive ways of handling conflict. Too much is at stake here. We are going to lose a generation of children to the correctional system. It comes to a time when a child has not one, but both parents who have a history of incarceration. Prison visitations are like a homecoming. There's dad over here, and an uncle over there, and somewhere else a cousin. It's sending the wrong message, that prison is OK."

Brown said the most popular Halloween costume this year was an orange prison jumpsuit.

"Gangs in this society are increasing. Many say it's just a form of organized crime. Gangs do present problems when members are incarcerated. There is a special unit in Northern State Prison to house and dismantle (gangs).

"Gangs are more prevalent in some prisons than others. It's a problem of increasing the magnitude of institutional resources to contain them."

Brown said a graded tier system which allows more privileges for better behavior has had some success

He wants changes in the state prison system based on research-driven results. As part of that approach, televisions in prisons now are limited to educational programs such as those found on public television, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel or Biography channel

"It's all about education, about increasing cognitive skills," he said. "That's also true in youth facilities. We assume young people know right from wrong but the truth is that some are very deficient in that area."

Research has shown that the "Scared Straight" approach does not make kids less likely to be involved in criminal activity, he said.

"We have treatment facilities in state prisons. Southern State just opened a 120-bed minimum unit that is for drug treatment. Should those people be behind bars? There are not enough beds but it's important that the public understand it is not solely a correctional problem, it's a societal problem. We do not solicit our clientele. They come to us," he said.

"It's got to take a societal approach, with the state, local agencies, the private sector and the faith-based community," he said. "Corrections can't do this alone, nor should we have to do it alone. It's going to take the collective resources and effort of all of us and it's best addressed not at the back end, but at the front door."

"I think overall morale is increasing. The department is in the midst of major changes. Those who will resist change will be disgruntled and I will give them a reason to be disgruntled. This department will change," he said. "Other states will emulate what we are doing and the philosophy of our staff. The majority of our staff takes great pride in that."

Brown disputes the claims of some corrections officers that the prisons are understaffed. The number of recruits continues high and there currently are 9,700 employees in state prisons, 6,500 of them corrections officers, he said.

Brown said he thinks DNA collection from prisoners is a wonderful idea.

"It is new in New Jersey. It is not just a criminal justice tool but a wonderful tool to promote justice," he said. "It may even help inmates. Those who are wrongfully incarcerated, that may be rectified."

"We're among the few states to realize men are different than women. Women constitute the fastest growing inmate population, but the type of offense tends to be less violent. They bring special needs to the penal system. There are health issues and they tend to be the primary caretakers of children. We have applied for, and received, grants directly leveled at the motherhood aspect. Children are allowed to come to prisons, and parenting skills classes are provided."

Two out of three people released from prison repeat within three years, Brown said, and that is everyone's problem.

(This article has been reprinted courtesy of the Bridgeton Evening News.)