This past winter I wrote an article about Felony Murder for a student run Law Journal at Loyola Law School. (Read: I’ve Been Published! My Article On Felony Murder Is Online)
In researching the subject of Felony Murder I was introduced to the case of Judith Clark by Professor Gilda Zwerman who accompanied me to visit with Judith. Judith Clark has a website all about her crime, time served and the way she has rehabilitated her life while in prison. (Link: http://www.judithclark.org)
On Monday I had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with her in prison. It was very powerful.
First, my overall impressions of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility:
The prison experience at Bedford Hills contrasted greatly with my experience at “Twin Towers” in Los Angeles (largest jail in the USA). At Twin Towers there is a lot of intake and outtake. The inmates are constantly moving around, the entire facility is indoors and there is almost no sunlight anywhere. Bedford Hills is a sprawling campus with sunlight and grass. It gives it a totally different feel.
Also, the inmates had an different temperament from the inmates at Twin Towers. The women of Bedford Hills seemed pretty pleasant, there were a lot smiles and hugs and friendliness. At Twin Towers it was very much the opposite.
The coolest thing about Bedford Hills was their nursery / summer children’s program. They have great child care for children born while their mother’s are incarcerated. Even better is the summer program. Children stay in the neighborhood and come from 9-5 every day to spend the day with their mothers. The prison provides a nice outdoor area for them to play and hang out with their mothers and I got a great first-hand view of the benefits of a program like this. The kids were having such a great time being with their mothers.
On to Judith:
The first thing I noticed was that I could not stop smiling while talking to her. She has such a great energy and infectuous disposition that you just find yourself smiling the entire time you are with her. We talked for a long time about the crime and her Judaism and her daughter and her appeal (which she won but was later overturned for technical reasons) and her famous writing club and her pursuit of multiple degrees and her close relationship with the previous warden at Bedford Hills.
In short, we had a great time talking.
What was clear to me, was her regret for being involved with a radical group and her sincere effort to change as a person. I don’t think she is the same person she was 30 years ago. I do think that she is an incredibly strong woman with the ability to help inspire and change others. Unfortunately, she is stuck behind bars.
Her sentence was harsh. She pretty much asked for a harsh sentence during the trial. But she was young, immature and infatuated with a movement. That person is not in prison. That person has transformed into a new person who could do no harm the way she is now.
We put people in jail for a few reasons. Deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and retribution.
30 years in prison is a strong deterrent.
Judith Clark is not a dangerous criminal, there is no need to incapacitate her anymore.
Judith Clark is rehabilitated. I can attest to that.
Isn’t 30 years long enough for retribution? Retribution for driving a getaway car?
Seeing her in there breaks my heart.
But with my heart broken, I was once again inspired by Judith. Just before my visit was over she said “If I died tomorrow how would I feel about my life? I’ve had a good life. It was severely limited by the walls of this prison, but I accomplished a lot and I am proud of who I am.”
Isn’t that what we all wish we could honestly say?
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