As Michelle Alexander puts it “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” Throughout every new generation in America there are new tactics being developed to achieve the same goals shared by predecessors of the past such as the folks that were alive during the Jim Crow Laws. In today’s day and age the modern version of this is the criminal justice system, where if your name is in the papers within the system you basically have your rights stripped just as the black folks did during their lives through Jim Crow into what’s considered a “second-class citizenship.” A system that creates more harm than fixes what has been done is a system that I would consider a failure just as the prison system has been. All it does is surround you with people who committed all types of felonious acts where you are then labeled by your crime and consequently face the treatment of other whether it be good or bad. All this creates is a hub of criminal information where an inmate now has a larger grasp on how to commit and get away with crimes so when they get released and are legally denied the ability to obtain employment, housing, and public benefits they resort back to the life that once allowed for them to obtain their basic needs which is a crime filled life. I believe the only way to reform this situation is to give incarcerated people a purpose in life when they’re locked up so when they get out they can pursue a path that will do justice within their communities through re-integrating them into society. For example, if the majority of Americans believe the appropriate way to treat another human that is currently addicted to crack is to lock that person up, then when they get released on parole / probation they’re going to want to find every opportunity possible to get another fix and ultimately repeat the same mistakes that landed them in an institution in the first place as they weren’t ready to quit or give up their past lives. This is why the criminal justice system needs reformation, without instilling purpose in criminals and giving them the tools to integrate back into society they are just going to continue making the same choices they did before and continue to follow the path to “second-class citizenship” just like the experience of those during the time of the Jim Crow Laws.
2 thoughts on “Introduction to The Jim Crow”
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I find your analysis very insightful. Indeed, our criminal system needs reform, because like the author mentioned, we are the only first world country with a ridiculous amount of incarcerations, and within those numbers, the majority of our inmates are of a racial minority. For inmates that can be rehabilitated, we as a society should not have given up on them. However I think there is a line to be drawn. For example. a serial killer proven guilty should not be re-released back into society. But chances are, if someone is on parole, there is hope for them of leading a normal life, but those are the ones being treated the most unfairly, falling under the umbrella term of “criminals” that also include murderers, rapists, terrorists, etc.
I agree with your message. When someone is released from prison, they have to start from scratch. They do not have an occupation and it is very difficult to sustain yourself. Thus, the recidivism rates are very high. Consequently, I believe that if there were education programs such as trade school or college level courses then the inmates will have a chance to acquire a degree or skilled trait. Therefore, when they are released they can be reintegrated into society with a successful occupation.