Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Misplaced Sympathies

I was walking down the street near Union Station in Washington DC yesterday and a flier caught my eye. It was in the front of one of those free newspaper bins and I must admit I took it just so that less people would show up at the event. Maybe I was wrong in preventing the public from getting information about this opportunity, but it was of those times I felt I should stand up and not ignore wrong. What got me so ticked?

It was an art and music show for convicts. Yes, a special show displaying the works of prisoners. First of all, I want to know why felons still serving time are getting the materials, time, and opportunity to express themselves in such a way. Aren’t they supposed to be paying their debt to society instead of getting to play with acrylics? I would like to go to a free art class myself but for some reason they don’t seem to exist for adults in my community. I have to pay for them.

And do you know how many artists there are in this country that would give their right arm for an opportunity to show their work but can’t afford the cost of art shows or can’t get accepted into the very competitive gallery scene? These hardworking, honest citizens get less attention paid to their artistic endeavors than criminals who are costing the taxpayers tons of money and emotional pain. Is this not the sign of a sick society? Who allows this crap to go on?

This doesn’t mean I don’t believe that there should not be some methodology and assistance for criminals to do their time in a healthy (but very restrictive – meaning no television, garbage reading material, and weightlifting) environment, pay back society, and then reenter it. I don’t see where art has any part in the repayment of victims, the learning of proper behavior, or the attainment of usable employment skills (which should only be taught to them while the inmate works to pay for the training as it irks me to see criminals get such opportunities for free when a poor hardworking kid can’t afford them).

Finally, convicts should have no rights to contact with the society they have offended and injured. This is the meaning of being put behind bars – you are being separated from society. These annoying do-gooders who want to be pen pals, friends, and helpers of inmates ought to spend their time helping the victims these criminals have left damaged and, for the most part, ignored by society. Maybe there are even some victims who used to be artists who can’t even lift their brushes to the canvas anymore. Why not give them the art show instead of honoring the creeps who wreaked havoc in these innocent people’s lives?

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown