“Our court system is meant to put people in prison, not help them”
Excerpt from Teddie, a defendant in the Palo Alto Courthouse in summer 2023
Teddie: Like, it's the same people over and over and over and over again. And if you look at it, it's all stems from, an addiction... And, I don't feel that the court system looks at that.
Interviewer: Mm.
Teddie: You know. Our court system is meant to put people into prison, not to help them.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Teddie: You know? That's what it's designed for.
Interviewer: Mm-hm.
Teddie: You know? Um, and-and a lot of us just need help.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Teddie: You know. And we're-we're not getting it. And yeah, they have Manley’s court, but that's one courtroom to he--And it's hard to get in. I have, I have mental illness, but they don't look at my mental illness as-as a part of, you know? Like, they don't look at my drug addiction, or-or what stems from, you know, my crimes. They-they just look at my crimes. They don't look--they don't see how hard I tried to like, to stay sober and to maintain a family. Like, they don't see that. They didn't see like--how I'm not on probation or-or parole. I haven't been in trouble in years. And yet, something happens, and-and--I'm, I'm, and, I'm being looked at as a criminal.
