USA's Favorite Past-time: Incarcerating People of Color

In 2008, about one out of every 198 people in the U.S. was incarcerated in a federal or state prison. Communities of color continue to be grossly over-represented in jails and prisons, as the multitude of systemic and social reasons for this disparity have not been adequately addressed. Although the DOJ report found that the number of African-Americans in prison fell by 18,400 since 2000, the number of incarcerated Hispanics has increased, and black men are still 6.5 times more likely, and Hispanic men 2.5 times more likely, to be in prison than white men.
"While the decrease in the number of incarcerated African Americans is notable, it is only a small reduction in the disproportionate imprisonment rates that impact communities of color," added Velázquez. "These shameful racial disparities undermine the credibility of our system of justice in the United States and should be a matter of urgent concern for policymakers and legislators." For a more in-depth analysis of crime trends, and information on effective public safety practices, please visit our website at www.justicepolicy.org.
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Well no need to get alarmed. We should have become sensitized by now to a cultural standard that is everything but foreign. As a matter of fact, I was talking to a young man the other day who was preparing to go to jail (even when he had yet to be tried). He had mentally prepared himself for the inevitable. It was a remarkable exchange as he revealed to me that it was best that he went to jail in the face of homelessness, joblessness, and a failed family support system.

The most alarming thing about that exchange was the reiteration that many young black men felt the same way. Their resolve to serve time at least gave them a bed to sleep on and some food to eat. And, if they were lucky, they may earn a couple of dollars while serving.

The second most alarming thing is knowing that the system has made much progress in instituting guideposts for this way of thinking. All of the mystique and fear of going to the Big House have dissipated into the abyss of hopelessness. When one recognizes that the system offers no, or little options in their mental, physical and monetary powerlessness, they are compelled to program themselves to accept this systematic holocaust and, in their submission, they try to make good light of it all. It may sound strange, but how does one compensate for nothingness?

Too bad that black leaders don't have any answers either. Most of their answers come in the form of what they've been taught by the systematic culture of an enslavement, the culture to conforming. No one need worry that they will go the way of the late Dr. King, who was not only consistent in pointing out the waywardness of an unjust system, but he often was at odds with his own people whereas they thought he was not towing the line and compromising enough. Just think if he would have bent like so many black leaders do today, he might had been a multi-billionaire like Bill Cosby. Or, he might be in a spotlight of every rolling tv camera like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. Probably the only thing that he had in common with the latter is the word Reverend before his name--that's when the real reverends weren't whoring their spirituality and activisim for fame or materialism.

Black men going to prison is not that simple of a conversation. It's a tough subject and it will take a lot of time to undo what has been in the making for a long time. The good news is that their are those who are doing the heavy lifting and the truth will way out. Where there is hope, there is victory. Please stay tune for an update.