Open House Gathering For Ned Roscoe And His Family

Left: Ned Roscoe


On Saturday afternoon, an open house for the friends and family of Ned Roscoe was hosted by some of Ned's close friends in Napa, CA.

As previously-noted, Ned Roscoe, one of the most-effective of the 135 candidates who ran in the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, was sentenced to federal prison for bank fraud.

Ned greeted his guests at the door, and as might be expected, was quite busy talking to everyone. Nevertheless, I had a few minutes with him. Ned asked me questions about air pollution control, quizzing me about the role of reformulated gasoline in driving gas prices up, and methods of controlling particulate pollution from truck Diesel engines and from sources inside warehouses.

Talk turned to prison, and Ned had a provocative insight about the near-future. The prison-industrial complex will be to the 21st-Century what the military-industrial complex was to the 20th Century: the modern economy's solution to the problem of maintaining full employment. Republicans will support the maintenance-of-order aspect, and Democratic unions will welcome the jobs it will create. Indeed, in California, we are already at this sorry pass.

The only question is, just how much of the population will have to serve time? If we head to a dystopian future, who knows, maybe half the population will have to serve time? Maybe everyone will have to serve: like universal conscription?

I gave my Democratic liberal take of the question. "If it didn't hurt so many people, I might support it," I said. Libertarian Ned rolled his eyes and replied, "Believe me, it's better to have everyone on the outside."

Last weekend, Ned sent out a Questions-and-Answers E-Mail to his supporters regarding his upcoming sentence. I extract portions below:

Q: Can we come visit you?
A: Yes, after I put your name on the 15 person visitor list and after the Bureau of Prisons approves your application. I’ve read that visits can be humiliating for the visitor. That said, letters are probably better than visits but even those have strange rules. For example, you can’t use a stamp to mail to me. People put drugs onto stamps. Instead, you must use metered mail or a postage-imprinted envelope. Fortunately, I can use stamps to send to you.

Q. Will you have access to the internet?
A: No. For five to ten cents a minute, I can type messages on a computer that will be delivered through the Trulincs or Corrlinks system to your e-mail. So, if I’m reviewing mathematics, no Khan Academy.

Q: Do you feel guilty?
A: No.

Q: So how do you feel?
A: Well, remorse is appropriate only for actions that really happened. Contrition is the same. I have little fear, and not much anger. It’s kind of like my feeling about the weather: I don’t take it personally.

Q: How can that be?
A: Prayer is effective. I don’t think what actually happened was a crime. I was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to make false statements to a bank, for bank fraud, and for making false statements to a bank. From August, 2003 to November 2003, I signed thirteen weekly reports, prepared by Certified Public Accountants, while I was running for Governor as part of a complex commercial relationship between three large companies. Embezzlement did not occur. In 2005, I spoke to the FBI about the reports and provided them with fifty-three pounds of documents. Eventually, there were more than 30,000 documents in the case. In January, 2011, I was tried in front of a jury for four weeks. I did not testify. I was defended by one of America’s best criminal defense attorneys in the world’s finest criminal justice system. Like 97% of the people charged in federal courts, I was convicted. Now I’ll join one of the world’s largest prison populations.

Q: What will you do?
A: I don’t know. What will you do in four years, three months? Let’s compare notes. My initial plan is to study engineering so that when I get out, I can speak with our Chinese overlords.

Q: How can you be so nonchalant?
A: Prayer is effective. I tried sobbing uncontrollably but I just couldn’t muster the emotional baggage. Plus, although I wouldn’t recommend my path to anyone, I should tell you that there’s something about being sentenced to federal prison that brings out the best in one’s friends and neighbors. Just today a neighbor I barely know stopped me on the road to give me his address. “When I was in the service,” he said, “letters from home were the only things that kept me going.” What I tell people now is “please don’t be jealous of my adventures.” Writing for my family, we’ve certainly enjoyed every day as I’ve counted it down. When time is precious, one sees a lot of love in a daily routine. One gains appreciation for work done well, for duties done, for place and time.

Q: So, is this justice?
A: It’s up to you. Justice Steven Breyer recently wrote a book in which he explained that the role of American courts is to decide, not to decide correctly. Based on my experience, I wouldn’t expect a court proceeding to be a reliable guide to what really happened. As long as prosecutors can dissemble, as long as the resources are so mismatched, you should expect more to be convicted than acquitted. But, don’t underestimate the benefit of a system in which decisions are made and people abide by them.

Q: But what do you really think?
A: Jesus said that feeding the hungry, giving clothes to the naked, and visiting prisoners were some of the best things we could do in life. It’s not the big house, the long car, the pretty wife, the nice kids, the good job, or the geopolitical success which should indicate that we are among the elect, even though all of those are good and can be blessings. It’s our demonstration of love, for one another, for our enemies, and for those who need it most. Can going to prison be a blessing? Um, duh. It already is.

The hosts have a gorgeous garden!

Napa chickens.

What do Napa chickens eat? Grapes, of course.