Random Thought for Thursday 5/14/15

Monday, May 18th, is the next opportunity for inmate Justin Granier to learn whether there is hope that his sentence of life without parole might be somehow overturned, as an appeals process moves forward with a hearing on that date.

Justin's story is one of a few profiled in the documentary "Serving Life', once on OWN and currently available on Netflix DVD, which touchingly portrayed younger prisoners providing hospice care to those passing away deep within the penal system.

The documentary highlights how Louisiana is the world's prison capital:  ("The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly five times Iran's, 13 times China's and 20 times Germany's.*") AND it calls into question the overall fairness of sentencing.

Second chances seem hard to come by in an arena with deeply systemic problems ... but the hope remains alive for those who dare to believe that justice can have a transcendent meaning and that rehabilitation and release should triumph over the almighty dollar.  Our thoughts are with Justin and those who love and support him at this critical time.

LOUISIANA'S EMBARRASSING TITLE (AND SOURCE OF ABOVE *QUOTE):
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_is_the_worlds_prison.html

THE DOCUMENTARY THAT STARTED IT ALL:
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/19/141505983/serving-life-prisoners-find-humanity-in-face-of-death

NEWS ON THE APPEAL PROCESS:
http://theadvocate.com/news/weeklies/12189480-123/appeal-in-ascension-parish-murder

BONUS LINK (RUN BY THOSE WHO LOVE AND SUPPORT HIM):
http://www.justingranier.com/