Do the Crime, Do the Time

You do the crime; you do the time. Some people told me that sounds odd coming from somebody that’s been incarcerated for so long.

After 40 years, 2 months and 6 days of incarceration, I have lived, learned and witnessed that this “tough on crime” phrase only applies to some.

Definitions of crime have changed, sentencing guidelines have changed, parole opportunities differ from state to state and often times here in Kentucky it can differ from day to day. I’ve seen some commit three violent felonies and receive 10-year sentences. My sentence was Life Without the Possibility of Parole for 25 years. I say was because the Kentucky Parole Board (not a judge or jury in our justice system) re-sentenced me to death by incarceration.

The landscape of criminal justice discussions must become honest and change! We have to ask ourselves do ancient, and punitive mindsets really bring justice? Based on a lot of research I’ve read, Kentucky has an above average incarceration rate. This state ranks 10^th in mass punishment. Kentucky also keeps some locked away at a higher percentage than independent democratic countries! I came in at 21 and I’ve grown up in prison to see the rates of imprisonment grow, but I’ve also seen parole boards let out repeat offenders.

Are we a state or country that believes in rehabilitation or are these just empty words? Is it rhetoric like the title to this commentary? The phrase “do the crime…do the time” has fueled political jargon for a long time so I am asking for new justice reform phrases like second look laws, second chances, that many states claim enable, to fuel a lot of movements for restoration, movements that cause change. Behaviors, work, goals, decisions, achievements, my second chance started over 40 years ago. Many others and I have worked hard to earn that. We’ve turned our lives around, we’ve paid our debt with remorse, sincere repentance, we’ve educated ourselves and many others, we’ve mentored, we’ve served, we’ve reformed and restored. Many of us are not a risk to public safety yet we’re dying in prison and we could be making a difference. I could educate emerging adults, parents, students, and our communities about the paths that lead to scars and tragedies in life.

Yes, I committed a crime at 21, I have done the time now at age 62. It is time for a second chance. This is Karen Brown and I am sharing something real.