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The Rev. Joseph Henderson (left) of the Bragg Hill Family Life Center describes how a former jail cell was converted into a computer lab to Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., at the center yesterday.
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb talks to community leaders about problems with the nation's criminal justice system. |
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb wants the U.S. to revamp its criminal justice system, and he thinks the Bragg Hill Family Life Center could be a model for how the country should change the way it deals with criminals.
The Virginia Democrat toured the center yesterday and praised its focus on helping an entire family and entire community, as well as helping incarcerated people transition back into regular life.
"This is a great role model for how we can be addressing these issues nationwide," Webb said.
Webb has introduced legislation to create a commission that will conduct a months-long review of the nation's criminal justice system and offer recommendations for reform.
He says the system is broken: The number of non-violent and drug offenders jailed has skyrocketed. African-Americans are incarcerated at a higher rate than other races. And America has 5 percent of the world's population but 25 percent of the world's incarcerated people.
"Either we're the most evil people on earth or we're doing something wrong," Webb said.
He believes truly violent criminals should go to jail, and that more needs to be done to crack down on gang crimes, for instance.
But the current system isn't doing that, Webb said.
"We put so many more people in jail, and our neighborhoods in many cases are not safer," he said. "Something's not working right in terms of our justice system at large. It is in the self-interest of every American that we solve this problem."
Webb toured the center and held a round-table discussion with people from agencies and groups that deal with issues related to criminal justice.
From them, he heard that they all need more money, but that government funds seem focused more on punishment than prevention or rehabilitation.
"I can get $600,000 from the state for a new jail, but I can't get $40 for healthy families," said Fredericksburg Mayor Tom Tomzak, who is a health department doctor.
Others said there are bureaucratic obstacles for ex-offenders trying to get their lives back together--it's hard for them to get driver's licenses, transportation, jobs and housing.
Those are things the center tries to help with. Eighty-five percent of those who attend weekly basketball and talk nights are ex-offenders. The center offers help with life skills and relationship management. It works with a housing coalition to help those who are released from prison, and holds job fairs that include employers willing to hire people with a record.
The center is doing what the government could and should be doing, Webb said.
"We've got to look at re-entry," he said.
His bill to create a commission has a lot of support, he said--19 Senate co-sponsors, including prominent Republicans and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will eventually hear the bill.
Webb also said President Obama supports the bill.
Chelyen Davis: 540/368-5028
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
