美国国家公共电台 NPR--A sudden homecoming for one of the people sent back to prison with no warning

A sudden homecoming for one of the people sent back to prison with no warning

Transcript¹

Big changes have arrived for the family of Eric Alvarez.

Hours after a story aired on NPR's Morning Edition last week, a federal judge found "extraordinary circumstances" that called for the release of Alvarez's fiancée from a prison in Danbury, Conn.

"In other words, Petitioner's family is currently experiencing a dire², urgent situation," ruled U.S. District Judge Sarala Nagala.

Eva Cardoza was one of 230 people released from federal prison during the pandemic only to be sent back after small infractions, like a single positive alcohol or drug test. In June 2021, Alvarez and Cardoza took a 90-minute cab ride to the Bronx so Cardoza could meet with staffers in charge of her supervision³. Alvarez waited outside in the taxi, but Cardoza, who had tested positive for marijuana, did not come out of the building that day.

"I mean, I just went down on my knees and just cried because it was a long process," Alvarez said of the moment when he learned Cardoza would return after 14 months in federal prison.

Alvarez has been struggling with heart trouble and colon⁴ cancer while taking care of his four children and his fiancée's daughter. He said the family celebrated⁵ Cardoza's homecoming with a tradition: a meal of Chinese food and photos on the porch.

Life for the children is returning to normal, with the most immediate⁶ changes for Cardoza's teenage daughter.

"Seeing her [go] from crying and being sad in the corner to seeing her alert and running and hugging on her mom, and you know, that's all I wanted," Alvarez said.

The Bureau of Prisons told NPR that 442 people released to home confinement⁷ during the pandemic have been returned to prison. More than half like Cardoza allegedly violated rules about alcohol or drug use. The BOP says a tiny fraction, 17 people out of 11,000, committed new crimes while released — mostly related to drugs.

Alvarez said he's grateful that the system worked in this case. But he said lots of other families need due process: the chance to challenge the evidence against them before being sent back to prison.

"If you're accused of something, you have every single right, you're innocent until proven guilty, to defend yourself and to comment on the things that are being said about you," he said.

Alvarez and Cardoza are now planning a wedding. He's thrilled that he'll have more time to take care of his health. But he said the prison system needs to develop clear rules for prisoners and their families.

"There's a lot of people like me at home, elderly that need their loved ones back so they can help, and they're being held over something really, really, really minor," he said. "It shouldn't be that way."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

3 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

4 colon   

n.冒号，结肠，直肠

参考例句：

• Here,too,the colon must be followed by a dash.这里也是一样，应当在冒号后加破折号。
• The colon is the locus of a large concentration of bacteria.结肠是大浓度的细菌所在地。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。