Many incarcerated people I talk to are older & have done a lot of time. They consistently describe the younger generation in prison as out-of-control- more violent, drug-addicted & hopeless than they ever were. I hear this from officers too. So what's going on? 1/5
I've wondered- is this just middle-aged scorn for young people? "Back in my day, we didn't disrespect our elders... etc" or are they onto something? Is the younger generation in worse shape and if so why? What is different for them and about them to produce this perception? 2/5
I'm talking about young men in their 20's & 30's. Incarcerated people & officers say this demographic is responsible for much of the horrific violence playing out inside Alabama prisons. People ages 26-30 make up the largest group of new prison admissions, 31-35 is second. 3/5
"They come in here like feral cats," one man told me. They've had zero supervision or guidance. Many of their parents are incarcerated, drug-addicted or absent. They have literally been raised on the streets. This is horribly tragic & alarming to me. Where is the remedy? 4/5
The media does not tell this story. We see mugshots and hear about violent crimes and people shake their heads in disgust and leaders pass new laws to further punish. We never get to the root cause. We need to talk about this more. Why do leaders not talk about this more? 5/5
