The Television Academy hosted a panel earlier this week with John Legend and his organization #FreeAmerica to raise awareness for, and discuss the problem and perception of the 65 million Americans who are currently, or have been previously incarcerated, often at great cost to American taxpayers for relatively minor offenses.

Moderated by writer and political commentator Baratunde Thurston, John Legend was joined on stage by producers Courtney Kemp Agboh (Power), Scott Budnick (Hangover), and Howard Gordon (Homeland), Former Executive Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Ana Yanez-Correa, and Former Prosecutor Adam Foss.

As someone whose relationship with the criminal justice system has been limited to the police procedural lock'em up at the end of the episode side of thinking, it was especially eye opening for me to hear first hand accounts of average Americans who grew up with hopes and dreams of the future, but for a youthful indiscretion or onerous fees, received punitive jail time that in most cases, potentially created a much more dangerous individual than the one initially charged. 

Unfortunately, many conservative lawmakers attempt to play up their tough on crime policies on the fear of dangerous mass murderers and serial killers while many liberal activists place too much emphasis on police corruption and the harassment of innocent individuals that we forget that the vast majority of the people are actually just regular people who had they been blessed with access to competent lawyers or even ability to make bail, probably would have been levied a fine and released.

Legend spoke about his own mother, who fell into depression and drug addiction following the loss of his grandmother, which was then aggrivated by punitive drug laws that not only tore her life apart, but tore Legend and the rest of his family apart as well.

By no means did the panelists suggest that the inmates in question were innocent, however for those already struggling and picked up on a minor offenses such as a bench warrant for unpaid parking tickets, even making bail might be onerous, and the resulting in jail time and lost work adding up to a never ending cycle that becomes impossible to dig out of. Furthermore, upon release, yoked with a the scarlet letter of a felony conviction, many struggle to find steady work and continues to apply downward pressure on the economy through their need for public assistance. 

For fiscal and law and order conservatives, it should be a no brainer that for the majority of the inmates, prisons don't work. Prisons are expensive, costing the United States some $70 Billion a year for what has been shown to be a poor investment, while putting at-risk kids in summer job programs and spending more money on education has proven to be much more effective at reducing recidivism rates. 

One of the parallels that resonated with me was that this seemed like a similar situation regarding veteran portrayals in the media that veterans organizations have been advocating through Got Your 6 and at the VetFronts event last year. 

Studies conducted by veterans organizations had determined that the realistic portrayal of veterans in film and television provided the most favorable impression on viewers towards them. The over the top super-human feats of strength and daring were written off as fantasy, while PTSD addled vets invoked pity and the perception that they're all broken and damaged individuals. 

Shows featuring former military vets such as the former army medics on NBC's The Night Shift and Ed O'Neil's character "Jay" on Modern Family in everyday situations resonated much more with viewers than the over the top representations of Mark Wahlberg in ‘Lone Survivor' and Bradley Cooper in ‘American Sniper’. 

This thinking mirrors #freeamerica's campaign about how not all inmates are dangerous serial killers or falsely accused innocent individuals, but that many inmates are probably more like you and me than we realize, and although legitimately guilty of various crimes, are also burdened through additional circumstances that promote recidivism rather than reform. Indeed, there is even some crossover in the veterans who upon return, had difficulty adjusting to civilian life and ended up behind bars.

We have a great opportunity through the media to help accurately portray that not every case should warrant jail time, but perhaps an opportunity to learn and grow might make the difference between sending a 14 year old delinquent to crime college and creating someone who has no choice but a life of crime, or nurturing their talents and giving them the choice to use them for good. 

Scott Budnick spoke at length about his work with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) which provides mentorship, housing, and jobs to formerly incarcerated individuals, and has proven to be incredibly effective at reducing recidivism, currently less than five percent, compared to California's recidivism rate of more than 54 percent.

The options are limitless, and considering the overwhelming anti-immigrant rhetoric that has filled the airwaves this election season, perhaps it's time we all take a moment and reassess which message we would rather reinforce from our soap boxes and start judging new hires on an individual basis and focusing on applicable skillsets rather than where they're from or past indiscretions unrelated to the job they're being asked to do.

Please go to #freeamerica for more information about John Legend's efforts to change the national conversation about our country’s misguided policies and transform America’s criminal justice system.