Are prison systems a catalyst for poor race relations? (Details)
I hear that much of the driving factor in Latino vs African American racism, has it’s origin in West Coast (USA) prisons. There, they hate each other, and when they are released, they teach their peers to hate the other race.
Then there’s a much older, better known white supremacy thing. Black inmates being mistreated by white jailers etc…
In many prisons, inmates are separated by race. No doubt that the segregation is done to prevent violence, but it is still segregation.
With such a large amount of citizens spending time in US prisons, what type of effect do these circumstances have on the population’s race relations?
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I think poor race relations predate any prison/criminal outcomes.
There are gangs set-up along Latino vs African American groupings long before they get to the prison, some maybe doing time for assault or murder of rival gang members.
Of course the prisons augment and perpetuate racial divisions. And here it is necessary to distinguish between the stated popularly believed functions of prisons and what has come to be their actual purpose.
They aren’t the catalyst, they are the result.
The current heroin/opioid epidemic was not a health concern as long as it stayed in minority communities and treated as a criminal issue. But now it is a widespread white problem in midwestern states, so now it is a health crisis.
As long as the criminal justice system is focused on jailing minorities, prisons will reflect that through racial confrontations.
Call me judgemental, but irrational assholery is not surprising for a thug that got himself jailed.
After all, prisons are where “worst of the worst” goes. (usually)
@Sneki95 . In America, people can be imprisoned over lots of things that are morally inconsistent. One might spend more time for a drug charge, than for murder here. We (USA) have(by far) the most people either in prison, or having spent time in prison for a “1st world” nation, supposedly in a democracy…
Most relevant, the prison systems are for profit here.
When an ethnic group comprising 14% of the total poulation constitutes 75% of prisoners and ex-cons, the perception of that ethnicity as criminal is reinforced and almost certain to rise. Not only are those crimes to which that ethnicity is more vulnerable prosecuted with greater fervor, but the penalties dished out are more severe and onerous. So the concentration of imprisoned ethnicities rises again, justifying further crackdowns. The realsization that there was money to be made attracted corporate “investors” to rush into the “prison for profit” industry vesting Wall st lobbying muscle toward “tough on crime” dictates to fill empty cells. Thus furthering the incarceration of even more “ethnic” criminals, and ushering in the era of the prison industrial complex.
^Slow clap, leading to standing ovation….Something MUSY be done. We’re heading in a direction I never thought possible, anymore…
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