Posted on 02/14/2013 12:37:36 PM PST by San Rafael Blue
A 71 year old man with a headful of uncombed steel grey hair entered the Chicago Bank of the Commenwealth. The elderly man sported a weathered tan tweed wool jacket, with no buttons or elbow pads, and gripped a scuffed -up heavily varnished cheerywood cane as he walked slowly toward the teller. The man raised his head up to directly face her. She could see her inverted reflections in his brown bloodshot eyes, eyes that appeared flat, glazed and methodical. She has yet to forget those eyes, set just below a bushy nest of eyebrows, also untrimmed, unfettered. His name is Walter Unbehaun, who was released from prison for bank robbery two weeks prior to this incident.
Mr. Unbehaun had a written note in his left hand and pistol tucked down into his braided belt. he wanted the teller to look at them both. Mr. Unbehaun's Barreta was loaded and ready for quick use if need be, said the note. The banks' camera system shows him staring mutely at the teller, moments after displaying his loaded gun and making clear his intent. Mr. Unbehaun was so very smooth and subtle in his theft, that he was able to hobble away with over 4000. without anyone giving immediate chase. Over $4000. in crisp green american bills. The dollars had probably been marked by the bank for easier identification.
Walter Unbehaun quickly surrendered to the police when they located him the next day. He had been patiently, perhaps impatiently waiting for their arrival, not to ambush or threaten the cops, but to throw the responsibility for himself, the expenses and worry of trying to stay alive, the lack of pals and peeps and long dead gun molls who understood or at least condoned, rationalized and personally benefited from his lifestyle. Mr. Unbehaun has lived a relatively long life, albeit mostly behind bars as an adult, and he has 'Had Enough' of the worry. It was time to 'leave it in the Lap of the Gods', to quote Freddie Mercury or the legal powers that presently pretend to be of influence.
Do we need to change the ease with which someone can return to the jail system in the country? I personally know of a nephew of mine who has kind of given up on trying to carve out a life for himself. He too would much prefer just living off the state, being kept like a fat rabbit in a locked cage.
We, the family try to encourage him without getting sucked down into that whirlpool or black vortex of his own making. What's that word? Recitivism. The returning crooks perpetually add layers of new expenses on top of old ones. Maybe we need a new set of rules, run state to state. Three strikes, or three episodes where it can be proven that a criminal has purposely SABOTAGED their release from incarceration, after the third occurance, they are barred from that particular prision and sent some place far less desirable. No, I don't mean we need some new Gulags, just a few less jails that resemble Frat Houses for retired golfers. No easy answers, but we could use some of that money for Charter Schools or Schoolarships, to give hope to either children OR adults.
I think there should be more opportunity for adults to be considered for schoolarships and grants. Many adults need it more than kids, because they want to expand or refine there skill set. Many adults (like me) are still paying off ancient school loans or interest on other loans.
Jail is already hellish. Prison is where the vacations are taken.
How about Hell?
Let him stay there forever. Staff the prison with women who write those love letters to them(it’s feb14). That way the taxpayers don’t have to pay them.They’ll do it for free.
OOPs sorry about mis-spelling scholarships/ I don’t need two ‘o’s, now do I?
No, but you do need a link.
Let him stay there forever. Staff the prison with women who write those love letters to them(it’s feb14). That way the taxpayers don’t have to pay them.They’ll do it for free.
Let him stay there forever. Staff the prison with women who write those love letters to them(it’s feb14). That way the taxpayers don’t have to pay them.They’ll do it for free.
The prisons in the Illinois Department of Corrections system are hellish. Part of the problem is that there is no interest by the state in rehabilitation of offenders. It is a complicated problem with no easy answers.
I’m new to posting and just barely weaned from WEBTV. I resisted the dreaded computer a long, long time. In other words, I don’t know how to link other articles with my entries.
I’ve been meaning to ask somebody’s kid under 30 for help. I see the photos and GIFs you guys post up, looks like fun, as I peer through the window of the candy shoppe.
How do you rehabilitate ex-Governors?
It’s kinda simple. When you are posting a thread - there is a field asking for the url (the link).
Copy and paste it. Its that simple.
I went to The Blaze looking for this article. Didn’t find it. I know better to assume anything, but you did indicate The Blaze was the source. Right?
Anyway - if you want to keep this thread from being pulled - please go find the link and ask the admin moderator to add it right away.
About 15 years ago I did 6 months for drunk driving and the jail was hell. I jumped at a chance to be a trustee and worked at a community center away from the jail for 12 hours a day.
Guys that were in the jail on a parole hold pretty much all wanted to go back to prison because the jail was so much worse. They said that the county jail was hard time compared to being in prison.
I’ve been a prosecutor and defense counsel. There are always more than one reason why someone would actually prefer jail.
When I was a prosecutor, we had an “Otis Campbell” type of town drunk. He basically lived in a shack with very little in the way of modern amenities. In November, he would contrive a reason to get arrested. In March, he would be ready to come to Court, and take a plea to time served. The third November he tried this, I just left his paperwork in my desk drawer and told the Judge to release him. He was shocked that the taxpayers wouldn’t provide him with “winter quarters.” He had to wander one county over to get his vacation.
On the other hand, some of the requirements that local governments put on “probation” are so extreme (and really just a way to squeeze money out of the minor offender), that a lot of my clients are more than happy to take 15-30 days out of their lives and just be done with it.
“Three hots and a cot.”
I am reminded of the O’Henry story in which a vagrant tries to get arrested in order to spend the winter in jail with “3 hots and a cot”. Christmas is fast approaching and no matter what he does, he cannot get arrested; everyone is too full of the holiday spirit to press charges.
As he stands outside a church to consider his next move, he hears the sweet voices of the choir inside and undergoes a complete change of heart. Standing there listening, he realizes that he has wasted his entire life and resolves to clean up and get a job.
Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder. It’s the cops, who promptly arrest him for loitering.
You misspelled "recidivism" too.
... just trying to help ...
I have a brother who has been in IL prison since 1988. I am not arguing as to your jail experience, but I can testify to the fact that IL prison is no cake walk.
I was thinking about poor houses and found this in a search. It is interesting if you scroll down and read how the County started the poorhouse, what they got paid and what they ate and other stuff. very interesting
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyallega/poorhouse.html
Just being locked in somewhere is more than I can bear.
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