Homesick for prison, 74 year old man gets his wish...

Man said to be homesick for prison gets 3½ years

CHICAGO (AP) — An ex-con who spent most of his adult life behind bars on Thursday got what he said he wanted for robbing a suburban Chicago bank. The 74-year-old gets to go back to the place he called home — prison.

I have seen this type of behavior the day of release...many times, a man due for release would commit an assault or other heinous act in order to avoid being homeless...No one at home...

No family or friends of Unbehaun attended Thursday's hearing in Chicago.

Has this what we have finally resorted to? Our own family and friends abandoning us?

"His first words were, 'I just want to go home," that same attorney, Richard McLeese, told the court Thursday.

For a few minutes, McLeese had thought Unbehaun was saying he hoped to get bond. Then he realized Unbehaun was asking to go to prison. It was as if, McLeese said, a patient had asked his doctor to help him have a stroke.

Reminds me of Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption.



We become so familiar, the horrors, present all around, are still like a warm blanket?

As the hearing ended, Unbehaun requested that he be sent to FCI Greenville prison in southern Illinois, walking Judge Coleman through the various benefits of the facility, including good work programs.

Coleman agreed to recommend that prison. She then shook her head.

"It's sad," she said, "to have a defendant who knows the facilities and knows which ones to go to."

its called Post Incarceration Syndrome and Relapse:

www.tgorski.com...&_relapse.htm

The Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is a set of symptoms that are present in many currently incarcerated and recently released prisoners that are caused by being subjected to prolonged incarceration in environments of punishment with few opportunities for education, job training, or rehabilitation. The symptoms are most severe in prisoners subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and severe institutional abuse.

So, as broached in the news story, what does this say about the state of affairs in "free society?" What does it take for a human to consider "freedom from physical incarceration," a value? It is obvious the man is cognizant of his actions...

"My crime is bad, there ain't no doubt," he said calmly. "I just wanna be like everybody else."

We, as a society, cannot seem to muster enough time and energy to present this man with an alternative choice to prison? Are we dolts? Did anyone ask him the questions? "Hey mister, do you have anything worthwhile to live for on the outside?" "Hey mister, what would it take for you to not commit the crime you are contemplating?"

I mean, what actual form would the conversation take? It is obvious we should be having some form of conversation concerning these types of occurrences...

It seems as if he identifies best with the institutionalized way of life so as long as he is comfortable. I'm sure there are a whole lot like him, who get out and lead harsh lives on the outside. Society isn't kind to ex cons.

Charles Manson is the poster child for what a bad childhood plus institutionalizations can do to a person at the worst end. On another scale an 18 year old gets 10 years for doing something stupid and is marked for life. The brain doesn't fully develop until 23/25 years of age so who came up with the number 18 anyway. I guess its the best the justice system can do since nothing has changed.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

Thanks for the post PLAYER...

I believe this situation may be different...Your source provides this context, for what might otherwise be labeled, "institutionalized."

…being subjected to prolonged incarceration in environments of punishment with few opportunities for education, job training, or rehabilitation. The symptoms are most severe in prisoners subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and severe institutional abuse. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

In this case, the man was able to request, and receive, imprisonment at a facility offering,

…various benefits…including good work programs."

It seems, like Brooks, this particular man only feels important while in prison...

a reply to: totallackey

74 yrs old? Spent most of his life in prison? Has a hard time functioning on the "outside"? I'm pretty sure if this guy spent a large amount of time in prison, he has been afforded enough opportunities to avail himself of a degree or trade that would "allow" him to re-enter society as a "productive" (TAX-PAYING!) individual. I would suppose we spend more money on "re-habilitating" repeat offenders than we do on our honored vets that are leaving the service! Also, he robbed a bank. You do the time if you do the crime (unless you've been elected to public office, then all you have to do is find a pen and a phone and make up a law that makes you "not" guilty again.) This guy is were he belongs. AT least he's honest about that. And he punched his OWN ticket! Case closed.

originally posted by: Dianec
It seems as if he identifies best with the institutionalized way of life so as long as he is comfortable. I'm sure there are a whole lot like him, who get out and lead harsh lives on the outside. Society isn't kind to ex cons.

Charles Manson is the poster child for what a bad childhood plus institutionalizations can do to a person at the worst end. On another scale an 18 year old gets 10 years for doing something stupid and is marked for life. The brain doesn't fully develop until 23/25 years of age so who came up with the number 18 anyway. I guess its the best the justice system can do since nothing has changed.

Thank you for the reply Dianec.

I agree with your view concerning society and its general unwillingness to make available employment, housing, and other such opportunities to ex-offenders.

During exit interviews I encourage offenders assigned to my caseload to open about the issues, especially during job interviews.

I knew a free soul once, forget his name…?

He enjoyed roaming the world and sleeping under the stars. Occasionally this drew police attention and sometimes a trespassing ticket. Once in a while a night in jail. His response to the jail time was,

"I enjoy sleeping outdoors with the sky as my roof. I don't pay rent, utilities or workaday grind. The cops tell me thats illegal and if I don't leave (the bridge, the tracks, or the bushes) then they will arrest me and take me down town".

He holds his wrists out crossed and says, "What, are you going to take that away from me, drag me to a cell, give me a shower three hots and a cot? Cuff me up, lets go."

Sometimes that worked, sometimes he got laughed off.

originally posted by: tencap77
a reply to: totallackey

74 yrs old? Spent most of his life in prison? Has a hard time functioning on the "outside"? I'm pretty sure if this guy spent a large amount of time in prison, he has been afforded enough opportunities to avail himself of a degree or trade that would "allow" him to re-enter society as a "productive" (TAX-PAYING!) individual. I would suppose we spend more money on "re-habilitating" repeat offenders than we do on our honored vets that are leaving the service! Also, he robbed a bank. You do the time if you do the crime (unless you've been elected to public office, then all you have to do is find a pen and a phone and make up a law that makes you "not" guilty again.) This guy is were he belongs. AT least he's honest about that. And he punched his OWN ticket! Case closed.

Thank you tencap.

So, I take it from your post the question, "Why do some peopel have a hard time functioning in a "free society?" is moot and should never be expolored...

Hmmm...interesting...

It would be a good experiment to start a sort of institutional outside program which is similar to prison, but with tons of liberties, maybe coed, and a person can leave when they choose. just some simple rules, such as if you live there, you must work in some of their businesses...so a bit like a corporate prison you can leave if you want...but generally speaking has the same basic structure as a prison in regards to lights out at certain times, little cell homes, meals at certain times, exercise routines, official timed breaks, etc etc etc.

Might be a win/win for people who are institutionalized, or simply have nowhere to go.

I believe Pre-Incarceration Syndrome and Relapse is something every American should begin to look at in light of our current world...

just sayin'

This man is not any different than any of us. We all call the place we are most familiar and comfortable with home. To me, home is the country. To a soldier, home is the battlefield. To the city slicker, home is the city. And on and on and on. Seems this man's happiest memories were in the cage, maybe that is what we really need to be working on. It is a sick society, that can produce such a situation, where people can feel most at home inside a prison, than free. Something to think about.

a reply to: SaturnFX
That is basically what a homeless shelter does or at least the ones in my area.

a reply to: totallackey

Seems to me that he has gamed the system!

That is a pretty wild outcome!

Good for him!

Now that he gamed the system shows up some serious systemic errors in the entire socially structured system!

We can do better methinks!

That is IF we want to be validly able to call ourselves even semi civilized!

a reply to: TKDRL

You're right - we all have our comfort zones. I've seen many people get stuck in situations that are not ideal for them but they stay, because it is familiar. Fear of change.

I hear of people in prison spending 23 hours a day in an 8x5 cell but its hard to imagine anyone not going nuts with that. I am wondering if that is mainly death row and lifers. I know some who are eligible for parole are reported to live like that so it isn't clear who gets what.

a reply to: Dianec

I have been in jail for what felt like forever awaiting trial. I cannot imagine how bad life must have been like to think of that as home. Makes me feel sorry as hell for anyone that would think that.

a reply to: TKDRL

May I ask you a question? (This probably needs to be addressed offline)

Did you feel that you incarceration was for our rehabilitation or an act of punishment for your crime?

a reply to: jrflipjr

I committed no crime, and thankfully was acquitted. It felt like more of a punishment than anything else, when I did as little as speak my mind I paid dearly. My experience with jail alone, I would literally rather die than be arrested again. I have my problems, many of those problems were a result of my being treated like an animal. That will never again happen to me. Prison, I cannot imagine how that can be anything but worse than jail.

a reply to: TKDRL

Interesting.

I recently had a friend go through the TX police academy, and one of the questions they asked him was whether or not he/she viewed jail as rehabilitation or punishment (the correct answer is rehabilitation).

However, given the nature of our nation, and the fear of anything against the rule of law being wrong, I wonder how we are approaching criminals...


Alternate theory - no need to respond:

Given the nature of what's happening in Nevada, what can we do as citizens, to ensure our rights as citizens are not lost, and more importantly, common sense has a place in our lives?

a reply to: jrflipjr

I wish I could answer. I feel as if common sense is no longer common, and that as a peon, my opinion matters not. I guess that is the biggest problem, the common folks feel as if they have no power at all in the grand scheme of things.