What I Bring To Light By Jarmaine Spruill

 

Jarmaine M. Spruill & Family

My name is Jarmaine M. Spruill, fighting the fight for judicial freedom, justice and equality in the Virginia penal system.

From the starting point of the HB1532, it was introduced to impact all inmates with a reevaluated calculation of earned sentence credits to be determined in accordance with full participation and cooperation in programming, education, having no more than one minor correctional infractions and no serious correctional infractions, and also employment; Which statue the specification of the Earned credited prerequisites following the four-level classification system.

This was the initial information that emphatically made sense. Pertaining to the claims and prerequisites of the bill, the change from it effectively impacted me, to now "a conviction for any offense is ineligible".

I've been following this particular reenacted House Bill for 3 years now and from it's birth it offered interest rewarding all inmates an incentive for maintaining full participation and cooperation in programs, school, education, remaining infraction free and maintaining employment. With the slight change that the Governor signed into act made me ineligible disqualifying me from the earning of the sentence credits I've worked hard to obtain and maintain, because of my Robbery conviction labeling me a violent offender. The irony of it is, my offense will never change, but my character can.

For instance, it's become despairingly normal to bear witness an elderly inmate return from his parole hearing with news of another turn down due to the laconic reasons of "Serious nature of the crime". Amazingly, and ironically regardless of the proof of low recidivism, proof of rehabilitation they're in authority to both legitimately and determined to perpetuate the same systematic approach to any of Virginia's flawed self- contradictory mindset when it comes to equity while complying with the conditions of meeting their default system. I've gone through great lengths to defuse any of my situations psychologically, emotionally, physically all for the sake of my well being and having the desire to reverse the polarity of a young black man coming to prison being sentenced to more time than he's lived in society.

Which brings to my attention these rhetorical questions, "What's the point of maintaining good behavior if we're tricked every time into believing in a fairytale incentive"? I'm not even given a fair part of the so-called "deal" and there are those who are like me that rightfully worked towards empathy, betterment of self, who practice and display a civilized way of themselves.

What I want to bring to light is, regardless of the offense or charge, it is based upon that individual to choose whether they want to participate in Earning Sentence Credits (ESC) or not. Being that I've been reforming myself I feel as though I shouldn't be ineligible from any incentive based upon the nature of my crime.

Peace,
Jarmaine Spruill

We at vapac thank Mr. Spruill for his voice.

Harvspot: HARD TIME VIRGINIA Vol. 6, No. 2

Harvspot: HARD TIME VIRGINIA Vol. 6, No. 2: 2021 Parole Release Numbers Remain Disappointing       Since Governor Northam directed the Parole Board to prioritize their review of Fishb...

With A 1+ billion Dollar Surplus In Virginia Budget and With 4.3 Billion Coming from the Federal Government Now Is The Time VADOC

 Hello,

With a 1+ billion dollar surplus in the Virginia budget and with 4.3 billion coming from the Federal Government, NOW is the time for the Virginia Department of Corrections to make major improvements in DOC facilities and operations.

With about 25% of VA inmates living without AC and still wearing masks, AC must be a high priority.  Safety and the security of the inmates is dependent in part on the quality of the personnel hired by DOC.  Please give these people a living wage so they won't be so tempted to bring contraband into the facilities.  Also, after a year of living on hard boiled eggs and peanut butter, it is time to upgrade the diet of those behind bars.  Please give them portions more appropriate to a male/female adult and please more fruits, vegetables, and higher quality meats.  Finally, according to the interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, they are due the same quality of health care whether they are behind bars or not.

Please, allocate the monies necessary to operate the DOC safely and humanely.  After a year dealing with  a COVID positivity rate 4x the Virginia rate overall, this demographic has suffered enough.

Thank you.

vapac committee member

Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee Supports the End To Long Term Solitary Confinement

 

There Has To Be Mechanisms Behind Prison Walls By Phillip Daniel

There are many issues that we wrestle with in here. Self hatred, lack of conflict resolution skills, divisions, negative reinforcements from the administration, and ignorance are all part of the problems we have to overcome.

In order to become better men, productive men, full of unique contributions there has to be a mechanism behind these walls which builds us up instead of tearing us down.

Most of us are soon to be citizens. We will be charged with a responsibility and accountability that prison is not preparing us for. With a rising national violent crime rate and an overall moral decay permeating every facet of society, I am not encouraged. Prison reform has to be effective in not only keeping us safe but also in preparing us for reentry into society.

They have a re entry program in most VA prisons but its only for prisoners who are soon to be released. If you have ten years, fifteen years, etc you just do your time wherever you end up at.

You can voluntarily sign up for therapeutic programming but nothing mandatory. The way the system is set up you don't have to work or do anything constructive with your life for twenty years if you so choose.

Idle hands are the devils workshop. Because I'm in here and I see what's going on I know that the only way to change mindsets and work ethic is by mandating it.

The choice is either reprogramming criminal mindedness or releasing a more hardened, criminally educated, breed of gangsters into our neighborhoods and communities.

By Phillip Daniel

Phillip Daniel #1008019,

River North Correctional Center

329 Dell Brook Lane

Independence, Virginia 24348