YES! I finally made it! I finally got to see Michelle Alexander, author of
The New Jim Crow, speak about her research and experience in person. One of my History Professors and I took a nice 1 hour drive from Elon to Wake Forest, a ride in which my head was nodding in and out because of how sleepy I was. Her lecture was in the Wait Chapel and we ended up in the balcony because the "main auditorium floor was full," though while in the balcony I discovered that there were some vacant seats, but I was simply glad to be there.
She spoke for about 2 hours on her personal experience with her incarceration research. She is a very passionate speaker and well-versed in her knowledge. What I love about her is that she's truly honest to telling our present day situation how it is, with no shame, no hesitation and no cut cards.
She spoke about her experience as a Civil Rights lawyer, where she and her team were heavily seeking out a black man to represent on a case of discrimination on the basis of race, who did not have any criminal background--but she was to discover that that was nearly impossible. One day a man came into her office asking for representation. He was well spoken, but when he admitted to her that he had a criminal record, she immediately said, "I'm sorry but I can't represent you."
Because Alexander knew if they tried to represent someone
with a felony record trying to argue racial discrimination, it wouldn’t work.
The man began defending himself, raising his voice and explaining that a police officer planted some drugs on him, beat him up and for fear of receiving a heavy sentence he took the plea (which means he said he was guilty because he didn't want to do the time), when he really wasn't guilty. Alexander repeated, "I'm sorry but I can't represent you. Angry and disgusted the man ripped up his papers, walked out of her office and said to her, "You're no better than the police! I can't even get a job, public housing or food stamps because of my criminal record. Good luck finding a man who the police haven't already gotten to!"
Now, Alexander realizes that her biggest mistake was that she WAS no better than the police, because the moment that man said he had a criminal record, she did not want to hear anything else he had to say. A while later (I believe a year or more later), she heard a case on the news about a policeman planting drugs on minority men, beating them up and taking them in and discovered that it was the same policeman that the man in her office had mentioned to her.
Lots of cops are encouraged to do this, for example like New York Police Force's infamous Stop and Frisk Policy. Police are often encouraged to make arrests, because the higher their numbers, the more of a financial incentive they have. Often times a policeman, for example, after an arrest can sell the person's car and keep the profit from it. And who better to target than poor, urban black and latino men?
She argued that the current prison system operates like a modern day caste system--one that is based on race rather than crime prevention and control.
Alexander said he biggest mistake was believing that she could make a difference in Criminal Justice, without considering or lingering on the racial factor.
She dispelled the myth that imprisonment prevents crime, but in fact has increased it. This is also the argument of Todd Clear who wrote "Imprisoning Communities: How Imprisoning Communities Makes Disadvantaged Communities Worse."
Alexander also gave alarming statics--
"More black men today on parole then were slaves in 1850. As
of 2004 more men were excluded from voting than in 1870. Felon Disenfranchisement Laws accomplish more than Polling
Tax Laws once did."
Minority men with a criminal record, makes them 2nd class citizens for the rest of their lives. She mentioned that because this infrastructure has grown so big and investors, private prison owners, etc. are in so deep there's no way to make the problem immediately grow away.
Though this state of affairs, is pretty depressing Alexander offered food for thought for individuals against the Mass Industrial Complex, that we must work as abolitionists os this mass imprisonment movement. To look out for families of those in prison and extend ourselves and resources to people who are transitioning from prison back into society. We must also fight for felon disenfranchisement laws to be changed. The trillions of dollars that have gone into the prison industry should be invested in education among other things.
It was an extremely deep at at times depressing lecture, but we must all start with ourselves first! For me, I will continue my work with ScholarCHIPS, giving the children of incarcerated people's a second chance and allowing them to pursue a college degree. www.scholarchipsfund.com
