The human stories behind mass incarceration | Eve Abrams

翻译人员: Wei Houjun 校对人员: Peipei Xiang

I have never been arrested,

我从没被捕过，

never spent a night in jail,

从没在监狱待过一个晚上，

never had a loved one thrown into the back of a squad car

从没看过我爱的人被丢进警车后座，

or behind bars,

或坐牢，

or be at the mercy of a scary, confusing system

或者任由一个可怕、混乱的体制摆布。

that at best sees them with indifference,

这个体制最好情况下对他们冷漠以对，

and at worst as monstrous.

最坏情况下则像怪物一样看待他们。

The United States of America locks up more people than any other nation

美国监禁的人

比这个地球上任何国家都多，

on the planet,

and Louisiana is our biggest incarcerator.

路易斯安那州则是我们最大的监禁者。

Most of you are probably like me --

你们大多数人很可能像我一样——

lucky.

是幸运的。

The closest we get to crime and punishment is likely what we see on TV.

我们最多大概就是 在电视上看到罪犯与惩罚。

在制作 《被释》节目时，

While making "Unprisoned,"

I met a woman who used to be like us --

我遇到个过去也和我们一样的女人——

Sheila Phipps.

席拉 · 菲普斯。

(Recording) Sheila Phipps: Before my son went to jail,

（录音）席拉 · 菲普斯： 在我儿子进监狱以前，

I used to see people be on television,

我常常在电视上看到人们争吵，

fighting, saying, "Oh, this person didn't do it and this person is innocent."

说，“哦，这个人没有干这事， 这人是无辜的。”

And you know, you snub them or you dismiss them,

而你通常是嗤之以鼻或置若罔闻：

and like, "Yeah, whatever."

“呃，管它呢”。

Don't get me wrong,

别误会我，

there's a lot of people who deserve to be in prison.

有很多人应该被关监狱，

There's a lot of criminals out here.

外面有很多犯罪。

But there are a lot of innocent people that's in jail.

但是，监狱里也有很多无辜的人。

EA: Sheila's son, McKinley, is one of those innocent people.

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 席拉的儿子， 麦金莱，就是其中一个无辜的人。

He served 17 years of a 30-year sentence on a manslaughter charge.

他以过失杀人，被判了30年，服刑了17年。

He had no previous convictions,

他没有前科，

there was no forensic evidence in the case.

这个案件没有法医证据。

He was convicted solely on the basis of eyewitness testimony,

他的定罪仅仅是基于目击证词，

and decades of research have shown

而几十年的研究已经表明

that eyewitness testimony isn't as reliable

目击证词没有

我们想象的那么可靠。

as we once believed it to be.

Scientists say that memory isn't precise.

科学家说记忆是不精准的。

它不像回放一段视频，

It's less like playing back a video,

and more like putting together a puzzle.

而更像是拼一幅拼图。

Since 1989, when DNA testing was first used to free innocent people,

自从 1989年，当 DNA 检测 第一次被用于释放无辜的人起，

over 70 percent of overturned convictions were based on eyewitness testimony.

超过 70% 被推翻的定罪 都是基于目击证词。

Last year,

去年，

the district attorney whose office prosecuted McKinley's case

起诉麦金莱案子的地区检察官

was convicted of unrelated corruption charges.

因不相关的腐败控告被定罪。

When this district attorney of 30 years stepped down,

当这名30年的地区检察官下台后，

the eyewitnesses from McKinley's case came forward

麦金莱案的目击人们站了出来，

and said that they had been pressured into testifying by the district attorneys,

说他们是在受到地区检察官的 强迫下进行作证的，

pressure which included the threat of jail time.

强迫方式包括蹲监狱的威胁。

Despite this, McKinley is still in prison.

尽管这样，麦金莱仍然在监狱中。

(Recording) SP: Before this happened,

（录音）席拉 · 菲普斯： 发生这件事之前，我从没想到这点。

I never would've thought it.

And well, I guess it's hard for me to imagine

我就是很难想象这样的事情会发生，

that these things is going on, you know,

until this happened to my son.

直到它发生在我儿子身上。

It really opened my eyes.

这事真的让我开了眼界。

It really, really opened my eyes.

它真的，真的开了我的眼界。

I ain't gonna lie to you.

说实话。

EA: Estimates of how many innocent people are locked up

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 据估计， 被关押起来的无辜人数

range between one and four percent,

范围是 1% 到 4% 之间，

which maybe doesn't sound like a lot,

听起来或许不算很多，

except that it amounts to around 87,000 people:

但这相当于大约 87,000 人：

mothers, fathers, sons locked up,

母亲、父亲、儿子被关起来，

often for decades,

通常是几十年，

for crimes they did not commit.

为他们没犯过的罪刑。

And that's not even counting the roughly half a million people

并且这还不包括大约五十万

who have been convicted of nothing --

没有被定罪的人——

those presumed innocent,

那些很可能是无辜的

but who are too poor to bail out of jail

但是因为太穷而无力保释的人，

and therefore sit behind bars for weeks upon months,

他们因此被关在看守所数周到数月，

waiting for their case to come to trial --

只为了等待他们的案子开庭--

or much more likely,

或者更应该说，

waiting to take a plea just to get out.

等待控罪答辩以求早日脱身。

All of those people have family on the outside.

所有那些人在外面都有家庭。

(Recording) Kortney Williams: My brother missed my high school graduation

（录音）科尔特尼 · 威廉姆斯： 我哥哥错过了我的高中毕业典礼，

因为在头一天晚上，

because the night before,

he went to jail.

他进监狱了。

我哥哥错过了我的生日晚宴

My brother missed my birthday dinner

because that day, actually, he went to jail.

因为就在那一天，他进监狱了。

My brother missed his own birthday dinner

我哥哥错过了他自己的生日晚宴

because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

因为他在错误的时间出现在了错误的地方。

(Recording) EA: So all these times when he ended up going to jail,

（录音）伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 他每一次进监狱，

were charges pressed or did he just get taken to jail?

是有控告还是直接被投进监狱的？

KW: The charges would be pressed

科尔特尼 · 威廉姆斯：有控告

and it would have a bond posted,

并且会公布保释金，

then the charges will get dropped ...

然后控告会取消……

because there was no evidence.

因为没有证据。

EA: I met Kortney Williams when I went to her college classroom

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 我遇见科尔特尼 · 威廉是在

我去她大学教室讲《被释》时。

to talk about "Unprisoned."

She ended up interviewing her aunt, Troylynn Robertson,

她后来在一期节目采访了她的阿姨， 特洛琳 · 罗伯逊。

for an episode.

(Recording) KW: With everything that you went through

（录音）科尔特尼 · 威廉姆斯： 在你和你的孩子经历过所有的这些事情后，

with your children,

what is any advice that you would give me

你有任何建议给我吗，如果我有孩子的话？

if I had any kids?

(Recording) Troylynn Roberston: I would tell you when you have them,

（录音）特洛琳 · 罗伯逊： 我会告诉你，当你有孩子的时候

你知道首先会出现在你脑海里的是爱

you know the first thing that will initially come to mind is love

and protection,

和保护，

but I would tell you,

但是我还要告诉你，

even much with the protection to raise them

在养育他们时比保护更重要的

with knowledge of the judicial system --

是给他们传输司法系统的知识 --

you know, we always tell our kids about the boogeyman,

我们总是告诉我们的孩子要小心恶魔、

the bad people, who to watch out for,

小心坏人，要小心哪些人，

but we don't teach them how to watch out for the judicial system.

但是我们没有教他们怎样去小心司法系统。

EA: Because of the way our criminal legal system

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 因为我们的刑事法律系统

disproportionately targets people of color,

倾向针对有色人群，

it's not uncommon for young people like Kortney to know about it.

这点像科尔特尼这样的年轻人是知道的。

When I started going into high schools to talk to students about "Unprisoned,"

当我向高中生们讲《被释》时，

I found that roughly one-third of the young people I spoke with

我发现大概有三分之一的年轻听众

had a loved one behind bars.

有一个他们所爱的人被关在狱中。

(Recording) Girl: The hardest part is like finding out where he's at,

（录音）女孩： 最难的是比如找到他在哪儿，

or like, when his court date is.

或者，他的庭审时间是什么时候。

Girl: Yeah, he went to jail on my first birthday.

女孩： 嗯，他在我一岁生日时进了监狱。

Girl: My dad works as a guard.

女孩：我爸爸是一名警卫。

He saw my uncle in jail.

他看见我的叔叔在狱中。

He's in there for life.

他是终身监禁。

EA: According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation,

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 根据安妮 · 凯希基金会的研究 ，

the number of young people with a father incarcerated rose 500 percent

其父亲被监禁的年轻人的数量

从1980年到2000年上升了500%。

between 1980 and 2000.

Over five million of today's children will see a parent incarcerated

今天有超过500万的孩子 在他们的童年某个时期

at some point in their childhoods.

会看到父亲或母亲遵监狱。

But this number disproportionately affects African American children.

但是这个数字更偏向于影响非裔美国儿童。

By the time they reach the age of 14,

到他们14岁时，

one in four black children will see their dad go off to prison.

有四分之一的黑人儿童 会看到他们的父亲去坐牢。

That's compared to a rate of one in 30 for white children.

相比之下，白人儿童这个比例是三十分之一。

One key factor determining the future success of both inmates and their children

决定囚犯和他们的孩子 未来是否成功的关键因素之一

is whether they can maintain ties during the parent's incarceration,

是父母被监禁期间是否与孩子维持联系，

but prisoners' phone calls home can cost 20 to 30 times more

但是囚犯打回家的电话费 比常规电话贵20到30倍，

than regular phone calls,

so many families keep in touch through letters.

因此很多家庭通过信件来保持联系。

（录音：信件打开）

(Recording: Letter being unfolded)

Anissa Christmas: Dear big brother,

艾妮莎 · 克里斯托马斯： 亲爱的哥哥，

I'm making that big 16 this year, LOL.

今年我就要过16岁了，哈哈。

Guess I'm not a baby anymore.

我想我不再是儿童了。

You still taking me to prom?

你还会带我去舞会吗？

I really miss you.

我真的很想你，

You're the only guy that kept it real with me.

你是唯一真诚待我的男孩。

I wish you were here so I can vent to you.

我多希望你就在这里， 这样我就可以向你宣泄了。

So much has happened since the last time I seen you.

自从我上次见你之后发生了很多事情。

(Voice breaking up) I have some good news.

我有些好消息，

I won first place in the science fair.

我在科学竞赛上得了第一名。

I'm a geek.

我是一名书呆子，

We're going to regionals, can't you believe it?

我们将进入地区赛，你相信吗？

High school is going by super fast.

高中过得超快。

In less than two years,

还有不到两年的时间，

I hope you'll be able to see me walk across the stage.

我希望你会看到我走上毕业舞台。

I thought to write to you because I know it's boring in there.

我写信给你是因为我知道 你在里面很无聊，

I want to put a smile on your face.

我想使你的脸上展露笑容。

Anissa wrote these letters to her brother

艾妮莎写这些信给她哥哥的时候

when she was a sophomore in high school.

她在上高二。

She keeps the letters he writes to her tucked into the frame

她将他给她写的信藏在

of her bedroom mirror,

她卧室的镜子的边框里，

and reads them over and over again.

一遍一遍地读。

I'd like to think that there's a good reason

我想相信有好的原因可以解释

why Anissa's brother is locked up.

为什么艾妮莎的哥哥被关起来，

We all want the wheels of justice to properly turn,

我们都想要正义的车轮正确地运转。

but we're coming to understand

但是我们渐渐明白

that the lofty ideals we learned in school look really different

我们在学校里学的那些崇高理想

in our nation's prisons and jails and courtrooms.

与我们国家的监狱和法庭的 实际情况很不一样。

(Recording) Danny Engelberg: You walk into that courtroom and you're just --

（录音）丹尼 · 恩格尔博格： 你走进法庭，然后你——

我已经干这个很久了， 但是它仍然会让你喘不过气来。

I've been doing this for a quite a while, and it still catches your breath.

You're like, "There are so many people of color here,"

你会想，“那儿有太多的有色人群了”，

and yet I know that the city is not made up of 90 percent African Americans,

而我知道这个城市并不是 由90%的非裔人口构成的，

so why is it that 90 percent of the people who are in orange

那么为什么90%的穿橙色囚衣的人

are African American?

是非裔美国人呢？

(Recording) EA: Public defender Danny Engelberg isn't the only one noticing

（录音）伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 公共辩护律师 丹尼 · 恩格尔博格并不是唯一一个发现

how many black people are in municipal court --

有多少黑人在地方法庭里

或在任何法庭里的人。

or in any court.

这点让人很难不注意。

It's hard to miss.

在法庭都是谁在等着见法官？

Who's sitting in court waiting to see the judge?

他们看起来是什么样的？

What do they look like?

（录音）男人： 大多数是非裔美国人，比如我。

(Recording) Man: Mostly African-Americans, like me.

男人：大多数—我能说，85%是黑人。

Man: It's mostly, I could say, 85 percent black.

That's all you see in the orange, in the box back there, who locked up.

你看到的就是他们穿着橙色囚衣， 被关在那些狭小的空间里。

Man: Who's waiting? Mostly black.

男人：谁在等？大多数是黑人。

I mean, there was a couple of white people in there.

有少数几个白人。

Woman: I think it was about 85 percent African-American

女人： 我想坐在那儿的85%

that was sitting there.

是非裔美国人。

EA: How does a young black person growing up in America today

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 今天在美国长大的黑人青年

come to understand justice?

如何理解正义呢？

Another "Unprisoned" story was about a troupe of dancers

另一个《被释》的故事是关于一群舞者

who choreographed a piece called "Hoods Up,"

他们编排了一个叫“戴上兜帽”的舞蹈，

which they performed in front of city council.

他们在市政委员会前表演。

Dawonta White was in the seventh grade for that performance.

参与表演的达望塔 · 怀特那时正在上七年级。

(Recording) Dawonta White: We was wearing black with hoodies because Trayvon Martin,

（录音）达望塔 · 怀特： 我们当时 穿的是黑色卫衣因为崔文 · 马丁

when he was wearing his hoodie, he was killed.

被杀时正穿着他的卫衣。

So we looked upon that,

考虑到这点，

and we said we're going to wear hoodies like Trayvon Martin.

我们决定要像崔文 · 马丁那样穿着卫衣。

(Recording) EA: Who came up with that idea?

（录音）伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 谁想到那个主意的？

DW: The group. We all agreed on it.

达望塔 · 怀特： 整个小组，我们都同意这个主意。

I was a little nervous, but I had stick through it though,

我当时有些紧张，但是我必须坚持，

but I felt like it was a good thing so they could notice what we do.

但是我感觉这是件好事， 这样他们会注意到我们所做的。

(Recording) EA: Shraivell Brown was another choreographer and dancer

（录音）伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 希瑞威尔 · 布朗是“戴上兜帽”中

in "Hoods Up."

另一名编舞与舞者。

He says the police criticize people who look like him.

他说警察会批评看起来像他这样的人。

He feels judged based on things other black people may have done.

他感觉他们是基于 其他黑人的所作所为对他加以评判。

How would you want the police to look at you,

你想警察如何看待你呢? 你想他们怎样想呢？

and what would you want them to think?

希瑞威尔 · 布朗: 我想让他们觉得我不是威胁。

SB: That I'm not no threat.

EA: Why would they think you're threatening?

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 为什么他们会觉得你是威胁的？

What did you say, you're 14?

你刚才是不是说你14岁？

SB: Yes, I'm 14, but because he said a lot of black males

希瑞威尔 · 布朗: 是的， 我是14岁，但是因为他说很多黑人男性

是恶棍或帮派分子等等，

are thugs or gangsters and all that,

but I don't want them thinking that about me.

但是我不想他们这样看我。

EA: For folks who look like me,

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯: 对于像我这样的人，

the easiest and most comfortable thing to do is to not pay attention --

最简单最容易的事就是不去关注，

to assume our criminal legal system is working.

去假设我们的刑事法律系统是有效的。

But if it's not our responsibility to question those assumptions,

但如果质问那些假设不是我们的责任，

whose responsibility is it?

那么是谁的责任呢?

There's a synagogue here that's taken on learning about mass incarceration,

这儿有个犹太教堂 开始更多地了解大规模监禁问题，

and many congregants have concluded

很多教徒已经得出结论

that because mass incarceration throws so many lives into chaos,

因为大规模监禁扰乱了太多人的生命，

it actually creates more crime --

这实际上制造了更多犯罪，

makes people less safe.

使人们更不安全。

Congregant Teri Hunter says

教徒泰瑞 · 亨特说，

the first step towards action has to be understanding.

采取任何行动前的第一步必须是理解。

She says it's crucial for all of us to understand our connection to this issue

她说理解这个问题和我们所有人之间的联系 至关重要

even if it's not immediately obvious.

就算不是显而易见的联系。

(Recording) Teri Hunter: It's on our shoulders

（录音）泰瑞 · 亨特： 我们肩负着这样的责任，

to make sure that we're not just closing that door

我们要确保我们不会只是关上门

and saying, "Well, it's not us."

然后说，“好吧， 那不是我们”。

And I think as Jews, you know, we've lived that history:

作为犹太人，你知道， 我们经历过那样的历史：

"It's not us."

“那不是我们”。

And so if a society closes their back on one section,

如果一个社会对其中的一群人漠不关心，

we've seen what happens.

我们知道会发生什么。

And so it is our responsibility as Jews

那么这就是我们的责任，作为犹太人

and as members of this community

以及作为这个社区的成员的责任

to educate our community --

去教育我们的社区 ——

at least our congregation --

至少我们的会众 —

to the extent that we're able.

尽我们的所能。

EA: I've been using the pronouns "us" and "we"

伊芙 · 阿布拉姆斯： 我使用代名词 “我们”，

because this is our criminal legal system

因为这是我们的刑事法律系统

and our children.

这关乎我们的孩子。

We elect the district attorneys,

我们选出了地区检察官、法官以及议员们，

the judges and the legislators who operate these systems

来为我们人民运行这个系统。

for we the people.

As a society,

作为一个社会，

we are more willing to risk locking up innocent people

我们更愿意冒将无辜的人关起来的风险，

than we are to let guilty people go free.

而不愿意冒让有罪的人逍遥法外的风险。

We elect politicians who fear being labeled "soft on crime,"

我们选举的政治家们害怕 被贴上“对犯罪手软”的标签，

encouraging them to pass harsh legislation

于是他们通过严厉的立法

and allocate enormous resources toward locking people up.

并且动用大量的资源来将人们关起来。

When a crime is committed,

当犯罪发生时，

our hunger for swift retribution has fed a police culture

我们对快速惩治的渴望导致了一个

倾向快速找到罪犯的警察文化，

bent on finding culprits fast,

often without adequate resources to conduct thorough investigations

他们通常缺少足够的资源去进行彻底调查

or strict scrutiny of those investigations.

或者对那些调查进行严格审查。

We don't put checks on prosecutors.

我们没有制约检察官。

Across the country, over the last couple of decades,

在全国各地，过去几十年，

as property and violent crimes have both fell,

随着财产和暴力犯罪双双下降，

the number of prosecutors employed and cases they have filed has risen.

受佣的检察官和他们 建立的案件数量都上升了。

Prosecutors decide whether or not to take legal action

检察官们决定是否

对警察抓捕的人采取法律行动

against the people police arrest

and they decide what charges to file,

以及他们决定以哪种控告进行立案，

directly impacting how much time a defendant potentially faces behind bars.

这直接影响被告可能 会在监狱呆多长时间。

One check we do have on prosecutors is defense.

我们对检察官的其中一项制约就是辩护。

Imagine Lady Liberty:

想象一下自由女神像：

the blindfolded woman holding the scale

这个被朦着眼睛的女人手持天平，

meant to symbolize the balance in our judicial system.

那个表示我们的司法系统平衡的符号。

Unfortunately, that scale is tipped.

不幸的是，那个天平倾斜了。

The majority of defendants in our country

我国大部分的被告

are represented by government-appointed attorneys.

都是由政府指派的律师代表的。

These public defenders receive around 30 percent less funding

那些公共辩护律师的经费 比地区检查官低30%，

than district attorneys do,

and they often have caseloads far outnumbering

并且他们手上的案件数量

通常远超美国律师协会建议的数量。

what the American Bar Association recommends.

As Sheila Phipps said,

正如席拉 · 菲普斯所说，

there are people who belong in prison,

有人应当遵监狱，

but it's hard to tell the guilty from the innocent

但是当每个人的结果都如此相似时，

when everyone's outcomes are so similar.

很难区分谁是应得，谁是无辜。

We all want justice.

我们都想要正义。

But with the process weighed so heavily against defendants,

但是当流程如此不利于被告时，

justice is hard to come by.

正义是很难的。

Our criminal legal system operates for we the people.

我们的刑事法律系统 是为我们，为人民服务的，

If we don't like what's going on,

如果我们不喜欢正在发生的事情，

it is up to us to change it.

我们就应该来改变它。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）