Institutionalized
I have heard the word "institutionalized" in the past and never gave it much thought. It applied to certain people in institutions and had nothing to do with Me. My experience with the term "institutionalized" was watching how actors in the film "The Shawshank Redemption" responded, after years of incarceration, when they returned to society. Now that I am in prison, I see and talk to people every day who are institutionalized to a certain degree. I see, first hand, how prison causes people to become dependent upon the institution. Think about it. Prisoners are told when to get up, when to go to bed, when to eat, what to eat, when they can call home, when they can use the email, when they can exercise, when they can go to medical, when to stand up for count, when they can shop, etc. This level of control over a significant period of time causes a prisoner to become dependant upon the prison system. To prevent this dependency, a prisoner must exercise his brain and his body and engage in a prison routine that is physically and mentally stimulating. Classes, exercise, reading, writing all assist a prisoner in fighting "institutional disease". Contact with the outside world via email, telephone and visits are also essential to fighting "institutional disease". I can assure you that I am doing everything I can to avoid the affliction. However, many other folks in Jesup are suffering from the disease. This will result in the release of maladjusted prisoners back into society who will simply reoffend when they cannot reintegrate into society in a successful fashion. "Institutional disease" could be prevented in many cases but there are not sufficient financial resources in the Federal prison system to implement programs to train and educate prisoners to avoid catching this dreaded disease. The result is simply more repeat offenders, which simply drive up prison costs.
Fighting the disease in Jesup.
Ken Flaska
