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The system works?


Shellon
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The nasty SOB that kidnapped and killed the 9 year old little girl in Florida........

"Couey, who had been arrested 24 times in the past 30 years, "a piece of trash" and said he wants to see him "get the death penalty"

credit www.cnn.com

24 times in 30 years.

A convicted Sexual Offender

He was free to kill a little girl.

I refuse to stay in school and study social work anymore.

I'm so ....ed I can't even express myself.

icon_mad.gif

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Galen, as usual you have an interesting way to put things......

But I totally understand what you are saying.

It's not about self respect, never was.

Sometimes we make career decisions that prove later to be wrong.

So, I'll 'fix' it somehow.

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It happens because somehow our government/courts/society seem to find it more offensive to sell dope to your long time buddy than to rape a 9 year old.

It happens because somehow all common sense has gone out the window and we continue to unleash dangerous people on our communities long after we have discovered how dangerous they are.

Stories like this one and the one of Samantha Detzler are the reason I will finish fencing off my yard this spring and put locked gates on it.

Once again there are posters up in our neighborhood about another missing girl. I haven not seen anything about her in the papers so I don't know if she is a runaway or what. What I do know is there are far too many criminals living within walking distance of my home.

You may think your neighborhood is safe, but I bet many of you also have neighbors who would horrify you if a background check was done on them.

Jails become overcrowded so what do we do? We let the criminals out early. People have pity on criminals, so what do we do? We give them more and more opportunities to harm others.

No Shell, the system doesn't work. Even if someone is convicted - it isn't long before they are set free to once again commit atrocities upon innocent people.

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THIS is what is wrong with our system - these are a few of the many many sentences printed in our local newspaper - see anything wrong with the sentences?

Alvin Lonnell Williams, 25, 2300 block of Reo Road, Lansing, domestic aggravated assault and battery, second offense, six months in jail, 128 days credit, 60 months probation, full-time school/vocational training/employment, PATS program, substance abuse treatment, relapse prevention therapy, 240 hours community service, four months sobriety tether, any additional counseling recommended by doctor or agent, $600 supervision fee, $60 state cost, $60 to Victims Fund.

[This man was arrested for a 2nd offense (and there were probably other offenses which were never reported) he will spend approximately 2 months in jail then be set free to do it again.]

• Willie Jwand Smith, 19, of Lansing, domestic assault and battery, resisting and obstructing a police officer with injury, 21 days in jail, 13 days credit, suspended upon completion of 24 months probation, GED/high school/adult education/alternative program, 30 hours/week employment, electric alcohol tether, comply with DNA testing, letter of apology to officer within 10 days, T.H.E. anger management classes, no contact with victim, $960 supervision fee, $30 fines, $30 costs, $60 state cost, $60 to Victims Fund.

[This man not only committed domestic assault but he hurt a police officer and he won't even do any jailtime if he doesn't get caught again. Even if he does get caught he's only looking at about a week in jail]

"• Paul Christopher Marker, 33, 500 block of South Main Street, Leslie, illegal possession with intent to deliver/manufacture between 50 and 449 grams of a controlled substance, 12 months in jail, $60 state cost, $60 to Victims Fund."

[This guy got busted selling dope - a year in jail - far more than the violent offenders]

• Steve Allen Vanwert, 42, 800 block of West Isabella Road, Midland, retail fraud, first degree, 12 months in jail, 36 months probation, CATS program, House of Commons, 30 hours/week employment, substance abuse treatment, no alcohol/drugs, $720 supervision fee, $250 court costs, $250 attorney fee, $100 fines, $60 state cost, $60 to Victims Fund.

[Retail fraud? what is that? Whatever it is, you'll do more time for this than beating the dang out of your spouse and a police officer]

The lesson here is it is o.k. to hurt people, but don't you dare committ retail fraud

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I would think that a little common sense could be exercised in our criminal justice system.You kill you die, you rape you die, you kidnap and guess what? You die! Oh and add a swift system that would expedite and guarantee the constitutional right of a speedy trial. Even a five year maximum from arrest to death chamber would be a huge improvement. The courts should consider that if a person has the mental ability to find a victim, carry out the kidnaping, rape, murder and hiding the evidence they are of course insane, to insane to be allowed to live!

And as far as the system tolerating violence, well let’s thank those that are convinced a little education will stop such things from happening again. Anger management classes, that’s the answer!

One father I know found a bottle of vodka under his 16 yr old daughters bed. When she started screaming at him and trying to forcibly get the bottle back, he broke it against the wall. She called the police, he got a years probation and ordered to take anger management courses. It cost him a few thousand dollars and gave his daughter a license to do as she pleased. Now he is raising her 3 children, each having a different father, and she is 21 and finally coming to the understanding her father loved her and was trying to stop years of heart ache.

Another man had married a woman with a 17 yr old son. One night this man walked in to see his wife holding a small bag of pot and the step son in his mothers face screaming for her to give it back. The man got between them and told the boy he was to never talk to his mother that way again and to never bring drugs into their home. As the boy turned and walked away the man reached out and placed his hand on the boys shoulder and said I am not done with you. The boy called the police, the man got a years probation and had to take anger management. Once again it cost this man thousands. Oh and the drugs were taken and no charges filed! Hope the kid likes Haggard songs now, because he did turn 21 in prison serving life without parole. ( OK, 3-5 years)

I personally had a 15 yr old that would scream in arguments at me. Twice the police came to my door and arrest me! Both times the kid admitted, after cooling off; he was the one screaming and I never laid a hand on him and charges were dropped. Fortunately I got decent cops that would listen, but the kid never was told to take anger management. Oh and now the kid says, I wish I would have listened!

We have anger schools, yet violence crimes escalate; we have drunk schools and no shortage of drunks; we have theft schools and no shortages of thieves. Why? Because good old punishment goes farther and I would bet someone tried to already teach the perps these things are wrong!

When will this society wake-up and realize that anyone that gets their jollies from stealing the innocence of a little child is not fit to live? Not just not fit to live in society, but to live period! MJ, if convicted should be put to death, because his crimes were against societies most vulnerable and we shouldn’t tolerate him taking another breath.

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The reason I'm so livid and have got to do something else with this education is because of the reality that the perps have rights.

As a helping professional, whether it be a social worker, parole officer, probation, or the boss that signs the papers, I have to assure the bad people their rights and make sure their implemented.

I can't do that.

I thought I could help the babies, the victims, the wronged.

The part of Jessica's story that get me is her murderer was arrested 24 times in 30 years.

I'm stunned!

Abi's post about specific people is, sadly, but a tiny drop in a huge ocean of offenders. It's such a mess and I see no possible way that someone like me can make any differance anymore.

I've felt, for about 2 years, that I had chosen the wrong field of study, but held out hope that things might change, that I could see a way to want to be there. This case got me.

The offender has rights, the victim hasn't. That's being proven left, right and sideways.

Another reason I have stayed in this study of social work for almost 8 years now is one of my instructors. He is a psychologist that works in a local prison, counseling sex offenders.

His approach to the prisoners is this: Approach them and counsel them as if they will be living right next door. Which of course they may be someday, or next door to me or you.

I got that and was able to wrap my brain and studies around that. .

Until this man in Florida.

As a social worker/ human service provider I can work in a capacity to help kids, adults, offenders, victims. I can do advocacy, lobbying, work in the schools. I can work in the penal system, locally or not.

Recently I've been interested in working in health care settings, where I'd be able to help patients and their families and see abuse occasionally but not every damn day.

It takes a differant cut of person to work with the offenders and lie to the victim. I'm not cut from that cloth. Burn out in this field is about 2-3 years. I'm not even employed yet and already I'm fried.

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I hear ya Shell. I can understand and agree with innocent until proven guilty. But once guilty there should be no rights.

And I agree with Wingnut regarding anger management courses - what a crock. My ex went throught anger management, now he knows exactly how far he can go before getting arressted.

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Please don't give up entirely the social work or all of your schooling. You've put so much work into it. Give it a couple of weeks.

There are other avenues you could go with social work. One of them would be working in the human services area of a big business doing hiring and working with the employees. The social work realm is very big. Or working with a private organization finding funding for the organization you truly believe in that would help our society. See? There are many different ways you could go.

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I'm thinking I can talk Tcat into starting a cab company with me.

A nurse and a social worker running a cab company! icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

Actually, it's perfect.

I'll finish my commitment to the college I'm enrolled in, then I'm out.

I have experience taking care of the elderly. They tell the truth and appreciate the care.

I have experience working in a Bakery, Bartending, Child Care, Office Managing, Health Care.

Any of those are better than this. No degree is worth knowing that I'll spend my days lying to clients, helping a pedophile get better services, watching as another child gets abused or killed because the system sent them back, or didn't.

Nope, thanks anyway.

Edited by Shellon Fockler-North
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Shell - of course I understand your frustration - - that's the kind of thing that forced me to stopo teaching and hang up my chalk!

How about being a social worker who advocates for the elderly? or one who works in hospitals?

After my accident, if I didn't have a tiger for a social worker, I would have been sent home from 7 days in hospital...still unable to feed myself, tend to my own bathroom needs, walk from the bed to the bathroom even. No rehab facility was willing to take me and nobody knew what to do with an ailing woman with 2 broken arms.

She twisted and twisted until she got Kessler to take me. If they hadn't I would have either been sent home to rot or plunked in a nursing home where I promise you - -I would still be there today if I hadn't died before hand.

Please find a way to use your abilities someway.

At least...give us a few places to start rattling some cages about this....who can we call or write to about this?

There has to be some way to make a lot of noise about it!

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Krys, another GSer and I were just talking about that this morning; writing to congress people, senatorial someones, etc.

I've started couple of letters that I will be sending out tomorrow.

And the judgicial system in the county this SOB will be tried in, if at all. Something needs to be in his penal record that says he is never ever to be considered for early parole.

And, yes, the health care social work system you mentioned is where I think I will direct my interest and skills.

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From an article written by AP today:

quote:
Couey has an extensive criminal record that includes 24 arrests for burglary, carrying a concealed weapon and indecent exposure. In 1991, he was arrested in Kissimmee on a charge of fondling a child under age 16. Records don’t show how the case was resolved.

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quote:
And, yes, the health care social work system you mentioned is where I think I will direct my interest and skills.

Shell -- advocating for the elderly and those with disablities sounds more like what you could get involved with, and still be *true* to yourself.

More often than not, a lot of social workers *blow off* their responsibilities, and don't seem to really care about their clients -- but then again there are many who stick up for the folks they are hired to deal with -- and you could be one of the latter group.

Folks like Loren (he's doing well, by the way) smile.gif:)--> have staff like me to stick up for him, but we can only do so much. We don't have the power that the social worker has to see that things are actually implemented. We can only suggest, and hope it gets done on a legal level.

And the develope-mentally disabled (as well as the elderly) will reap a better life when they have someone like you advocating for them, and won't be one of those *%^# folks that will be returning to the street to commit crimes. Since a lot are either home bound, or limited in ability, good advocates for them is always a plus.

And also on the *plus* side -- they will gratefully accept your services, without ulterior motives, unlike the criminal element you are speaking of that go back to repeating crimes.

David

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there is always the political side of social work...or law....

I dream of being a vigilante myself...

but if you have chose to go into to a field to "make things better" you will. You just cant change the human race...but you can change or help just one person at a time.

I cant fix every child with a learning disability, but I can help one at a time.

I honestly dont understand why these guys are the way they are....I male posters will hate me for this....but why do men allow sex to be such a huge elavated thing to the point it bleeds over into their anger and criminal mind. On another thread abuse was discussed and the stats are horrible. I have studied a lot of anthropology and sex first of all is cultural...NOT BIOLOGICAL....many societies other than western "first world" don't have the same emphasis.

in some cases its worse...in parts of Africa women have to proove they are fertile (by having a baby-by anyone) in order to be considered marriageable, now try to manage aids with that cultural mentality...

I think it is still a f'ed up man's world and that is why men legislators do nothing and little girls are sacrificed to the God of male dominance...MAKES ME SICK

Lianne Pierce

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Shellon- Echoing dmiller- You might consider looking into if you degree can be used in healthcare. I think that patient advocates have social work degrees. I think they are used in hospitals, nursing homes, and community healthcare programs - particularly for in home for the elderly.

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quote:
• ... retail fraud, first degree, 12 months in jail, 36 months probation, CATS program, House of Commons, 30 hours/week employment, substance abuse treatment, no alcohol/drugs, $720 supervision fee, $250 court costs, $250 attorney fee, $100 fines, $60 state cost, $60 to Victims Fund.

Very very interrresting..

I find the odds of finding the mention of this fellow on this forum rather astronomical.

This guy ran across my path. Lived two doors away from me.

Seemed to be a "nice guy"- just couldn't stay away from dope. Couldn't function in society without something to "take off the edge". Couldn't hold a job. He was in prison over HALF of his life- all from piddly little crap- nothing violent- at least that I know of.

I think they TAUGHT him how to "work" the system. All he knows how to do- only skill he's got. Now he's over forty.. sad. Probably going to die in prison. Even seems intelligent- just no motivation to have to do anything.

I think if he did not go back to prison, he would have stepped up his efforts a notch and gone with violence. At least my opinion..

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mad.gif Don't get me even started on this subject. My siblings and I were abused every way possible, with a few more ways made up. We pay for it every day of our lives.

The persons responsible will continue on with life as normal until they die a natural death. How in the H*ll is that fair?!?!? As far as I am concerned you hurt a child, you die. And not after years and years of appeals.

This recent animal that killed the little girl in Florida will be breathing for a lot more years than that poor little child.

And the only good thing I can find in this is that the little girl won't have to think of the terrible things done to her day after day after day.

Sorry for venting, tcat

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