by Harold M. Frost IV
The American policing, legal, and penal systems are badly in need of revolutionary reform; the current system is an inhuman and inhumane monstrosity. The currently existing cruel injustice system must be reformed according to principles of love, compassion, and fairness, in order to provide for keeping society safe and secure without violating peoples’ human rights and civil rights.
Policing in America needs reform! Police must protect and serve, and enforce what is right, and not brutalize and oppress people, and not be guardians of a cruel and unjust status quo. Police officers should be highly trained professionals; they should all have four full-time years of training, including training in law (including Constitutional law) and in how to be loving and compassionate in the execution of their duties, as well as necessary training in other aspects of policing; and they should be paid accordingly. This should be phased in over a fifteen year period. They must not harass and oppress and disproportionately arrest people of color. All cops who are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, egotistical, violent, or cruel should be fired at once, and be given three months’ wages severance pay (for the sake of their families). “Stop and frisk” policies must immediately end, and police must not interfere with peoples’ right to demonstrate and protest.
The legal system also needs reform. Draconian laws and mandatory minimum sentencing must end, and be replaced by laws that are both fair and merciful. No person should be subjected to excessive punishment. Marijuana must be legalized, and the “war on drugs” must end. The drug problem should be dealt with by education, treatment, and providing meaningful opportunities for all people, not by policies of mass incarceration. Mass incarceration must end! America imprisons more of its people than almost all other countries- this must end! It is unacceptable that people of color are disproportionately sent to prison. A great many prisoners should be released immediately, and some of those on house arrest/probation/parole should be released from the system. Prosecutors should only prosecute cases where a person is probably guilty, and they must not withhold evidence that would be in favor of a defendant. Jurors should be permitted to vote according to their consciences, and they must have the right of jury nullification (that is, to refuse to convict if they deem a law to be unjust in general or unjust as applied in a particular case). Defendants must be provided with adequate and competent counsel in all criminal cases. Capital punishment must immediately end; it is barbaric.
The prison system as it exists now is very cruel and barbaric and must be reformed. Loving rehabilitation must replace cruel retribution. Prisoners must be loved—this will in most cases make them better people. Prisoners should not be deprived of any necessity, including adequate and competent dental and health care, and they must not be mistreated in any way. All prison guards and wardens who are cruel, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, violent, or egotistical must be fired at once and be given three months wages severance pay, for the sake of their families. Prison guards should all have four years training, including training in love; this should be phased in over a fifteen year period. Solitary confinement is extremely cruel, and must end immediately.
If the above changes are made to the American system of policing, and the legal and penal systems, our country would be a better and more humane place, and there might even be less crime. Let us all fight for the cause of love, in these and all things, for the betterment of our country and our world!
Occupy, Catholics! 
All you say is true and correct, but the current corrupt system serves the needs of the oligarchs who control our government, so they likely won’t let these changes occur. We need a third party, one not beholden to the 1%, to meet our needs. 98% of the electorate ought to be able to win proper representation, but to do so we must cut through all the lies the government and media push on us. We do not need the war on terror or ‘free trade’ or low taxes on the wealthy for our nation to prosper. But we do need a new party with leaders who will curtail the corruption of campaign finance, who will prosecute Wall Street crimes, who will reign in uncontrolled ‘defense’ spending and who will change the tax code to allow the survival of the middle class. We need someone like Elizabeth Warren who will call the bankers on their corrupt ways and make them reform. I pray that the eyes of voters are opened soon enough.