I'm obsessed with Violation's podcast and why you will be too
I haven’t thought about what would happen when my brother goes in front of a parole board in 2032... until now.
If you follow me on Memoir Junkie, you know that I am huge on podcasts. I heard about Violation being promoted on WBUR, so I knew it would be good.
Dude. It’s phenomenal and made me realize that the only thing I know about parole is from this scene in “Shawshank Redemption.” In the film, Morgan Freeman is asked by a parole board if he’s rehabilitated after 40 years in prison.
Freeman says, “[Rehabilitation] is just a made-up word, a politician’s word, so that young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job. What do you really want to know? Am I sorry for what I did?”
Freeman continues, “There’s not a day that goes by I don’t feel regret. Not because I’m in here, because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then. A young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him. Tell him the way things are, but I can’t. That kid’s long gone and this old man is all that’s left. I gotta live with that. Rehabilitated? It’s just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time because I tell you the truth, I don’t give a shit.”
After a pause and nervous looks, Freeman’s papers are stamped “Approved.”
I know this is good old Hollywood magic that feels like it could happen, but according to what I’ve learned from Violation, couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Violation is a new podcast reported by Beth Schwartzapfel (she’s amazeballs) from The Marshall Project (a non-profit about criminal justice), and it’s totally opening my eyes to what really happens when someone is up for parole.
Understanding how parole works through Jacob Wideman’s story
Violation follows the story of Jacob Wideman, who has been in prison for more than 30 years. At the age of 16, he was convicted of stabbing and killing Eric Kane at summer camp in 1986.
Each episode (there will be a total of seven) is packed with information about the parole system and is incredibly emotional—it gives me so much to think about after each episode. It truly opened my eyes to the parole system through one person’s harrowing story.
The U.S. parole system is f*cked
America’s parole system is a black box. Like the prisons themselves, the parole structure differs from state to state, often making it confusing and random when it comes to who is approved or denied and why.
Episode 3, which felt like a crash course on how the parole system in the U.S. works, completely floored me—I felt absolute rage at the injustice.
The unfairness comes from a long history of the folks in power and the control that seems to go mostly unnoticed. It comes from political motivations and, surprise, the media—sensationalizing the rare instances when a prisoner is released and then immediately commits another crime.
The people behind the parole board
The folks on the parole board are appointed by a state’s governor—so pretty much anyone can be chosen, including a farmer or a former prosecutor. That’s right. Someone who grows corn for a living and knows zero about the criminal system can determine the fate of a person’s life. Or what about a former prosecutor or cop whose job it was to keep people locked up? I realized in many ways, the system is set up to fail the incarcerated, to reject any hope of being released and integrating back into society.
The biggest thing that surprised me was that there is no established set of rules or guidelines regarding what the board takes into consideration when deciding the fate of an individual. It’s all based on human judgment and therefore, really squishy.
Who is Jacob Wideman?
Jacob, who goes by Jake, is the son of famous author John Edgar Wideman, acclaimed writer and Rhodes scholar. John has never spoken publicly about his son until this podcast.
During his time in prison, Jake earned multiple degrees, ran charities, was married (twice), and has a perfect prison behavior record. He’s gone in front of the parole board five times and was denied each time until he was finally released in 2016.
However, under very unusual circumstances, he was forced to return to prison nine months later.
What does it take to forgive?
Although the victim’s family did not respond to requests from Scwartzapfel to be on the podcast, they are a big part of the story. Whenever Jake is up for parole, they are alerted.
A few old recordings from Eric’s mother at the parole hearing (I think it was from the hearings?) made it clear they did not forgive Jake. They believed he should stay in prison for the rest of his life. When Jake first went in, they wanted him to get the death sentence.
The podcast made me think a little deeper about the following:
What does it take for someone to forgive? Eric’s parents sent him to summer camp, never to see their child again. I can’t even begin to understand the way his murder has impacted his family since that day. But I also wonder why some murder victims’ families choose to forgive the perpetrator and why some don’t.
How will Jake convince the parole board that he’s truly regretful? Going back to that scene in “Shawshank,” Freeman delivered an honest and poignant message about rehabilitation. But besides being able to say just the right thing, in the right tone, and having perfect behavior in prison… what else can Jake, or any incarcerated individual do to show he/she is sorry?
I’m flooded with thoughts about my brother and what will happen when he reaches the parole board. Will he be able to convey in an honest and authentic way that he is remorseful?
Will the parole board look at him as a human whose mistakes have made him a better person? Or will they deem him incapable of change and unable to achieve that made-up word—rehabilitated?
Please listen to Violation:
