“Segregation” is the separation of things into groups. Segregation was once a big problem in society. Africans and African-Americans were segregated, barred from going certain places. They weren’t allowed to drink from certain fountains, use certain bathrooms, all because of the color of their skin.
Now, let’s fast-forward to 2015. America now has a more diverse culture and races, and theoretically people are more tolerant and understanding. Yet African-Americans are still being segregated, just in more subtle ways.
When browsing the library or bookstore, you will come across a section labeled “African-American”. Why are books by African-Americans put in their own section? What if I were to write a New York Times bestseller fiction; my book would be read and loved by millions of people. Because I am black, would my book go in the “regular” fiction section of the local bookstore?
The answer is probably not. Because I am African-American, the book would be classified as “African-American” fiction. Isn’t that a form of segregation, setting me aside in my own group, even in the bookstore? What makes my book different from any other book? Why are we considered “black” authors? How about just calling us “authors”? White authors aren’t considered “white authors”—they’re just “authors”.
I have never read a Stephen King book that I would consider “Caucasian” fiction. In almost everything we do, we are put into a class: “urban artist”, “black actor”, “black athlete”, “black history month”. These classifications are worthless when it comes to any other race but African Americans. It’s a peachy-clean way to separate one race of people from others. For me, segregation is apparent in habits like this.
- This post is published as part of the Prison Op/Ed Project, an occasional series authored by CCRI sociology students who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute. Read more here:
- ‘Prison Op/Ed Project’ teaches civic engagement, writing – Meghan Kallman
- Does racial injustice still exist? Look at our schools – Aaron Carpenter
- Rhode Island charges felons absurdly high court costs – Christopher Nemitz
- Public school students and inmates need more vocational training – Darnell Hie
- Prison policies put probation and vocational training at odds – Norman Johnson
- Corporate-modeled prison industrial complex doesn’t serve society – Adrian Rojas
- Incarceration is the new slavery – James Poston
- Justice isn’t blind with data-based sentencing – David Brown
- Ending welfare entitlements opened the door to disability fraud – Dan Davidson
- Post prison services would stem system’s revolving door – Michael Wheelock
- You’re vote doesn’t matter as much as your money – David Brown
- How schools emulate prisons, and prepare students for them – Richard Pimiental
- Cars that are good for society – David DeGrasse
- PTA involvement instead of prison mentality in schools – Mustapha Bojang
- Prison is about re-socialization, not corrections – Christopher Marsich
- ACI administrator praises Prison Op/Ed Project – Ralph Orleck
A few weeks ago I was watching the news when the story of a fourteen-year-old boy in Irving, Texas, was arrested and interrogated for bringing a homemade clock to school. His name is Ahmed Mohamed.
As I sat watching this story I couldn’t help but think, what if he was white? What if he had a ‘good Christian’ name? What if his pa was a ‘good old boy’ that everyone knew? I thought he wouldn’t have been arrested—he would have possibly gotten a pat on the back and been told what a smart boy he was for building a working clock all on his own. Then I said to myself: that’s just the times we live in now.
It’s easy to look back at things like 9/11 and everywhere there has been monstrous acts of hate committed, and tell ourselves that’s why we react this way to a 14-year old’s science project. The truth is that these acts were committed by extremists with agendas. Not every Muslim is an extremist. What I don’t understand is why we don’t view every Christian with a cautious eye? Always wondering when they are going to blow up their next abortion clinic? The answer is, of course, because not every Christian is an extremist. But for some reason we are not able to see it that way with Muslims.
When Republican presidential primary candidate Ben Carson was asked if he would vote for a Muslim president he said no, because Islam isn’t just a religion, it’s a political-social ideology with strict rules for people, and does not support the separation of church and state. I find that hilarious. In the current presidential campaign there are plenty of religious extremists, all of them Christians, including Ben Carson. The candidates themselves should be forced to place the Constitution before their religions and see how they fare in the campaign without pandering to their constituents about gay marriage and abortion.
In this time of extreme acts I am simply making a point: it’s easy to define one group in its entirety as our enemies, but the reality is that there is evil, ignorance, and stupidity everywhere. I refuse to let those in power dictate to me that their enemies should also be mine.
- This post is published as part of the Prison Op/Ed Project, an occasional series authored by CCRI sociology students who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute. Read more here:
- ‘Prison Op/Ed Project’ teaches civic engagement, writing – Meghan Kallman
- Does racial injustice still exist? Look at our schools – Aaron Carpenter
- Rhode Island charges felons absurdly high court costs – Christopher Nemitz
- Public school students and inmates need more vocational training – Darnell Hie
- Prison policies put probation and vocational training at odds – Norman Johnson
- Corporate-modeled prison industrial complex doesn’t serve society – Adrian Rojas
- Incarceration is the new slavery – James Poston
- Justice isn’t blind with data-based sentencing – David Brown
- Ending welfare entitlements opened the door to disability fraud – Dan Davidson
- Post prison services would stem system’s revolving door – Michael Wheelock
- You’re vote doesn’t matter as much as your money – David Brown
- How schools emulate prisons, and prepare students for them – Richard Pimiental
- Cars that are good for society – David DeGrasse
- PTA involvement instead of prison mentality in schools – Mustapha Bojang
- Prison is about re-socialization, not corrections – Christopher Marsich
- ACI administrator praises Prison Op/Ed Project – Ralph Orleck
- Alcohol, incarceration and what it means to matter – Laura Baumgardner
- Was Myron Magnet a genius or just a Republican? – Danny Mercure
- Ike was right: Military industrial complex corrupted economy – Christopher Marsich
- Second Chance Act deserves second chance at full funding –
We all have in our lifetime needed at least one second chance. The barriers that inmates face in the reentry process, for some, can be a life or death situation.
Every year state and federal prisons release more than 650,000 people back into society, a population equal to the size of Boston. Rather than providing the means for a successful transition, many states hurl prisoners out into the community with little or no support. Two thirds of released prisoners will re-offend and land back in prison with a price tag of over $30,000 per year.
During his state of the union address in 2004, then-president George W. Bush said “America is the land of the second chance, and then the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” Bush went on to sign the Second Chance Act, providing funding for prisoner reentry programs. But congress has since reduced and cut portions of a program that could save states millions in the cost of corrections.
Stable employment is critical for a successful transition into the community, but reentering individuals often encounter significant barriers in finding employment and housing upon release from prison. These barriers include low levels of education, limited vocational (or marketable) skills and limited work experience. Reentry programs have demonstrated the overwhelming need for employment and housing opportunities for prisoners released from prison and the need to facilitate the creation of jobs.
It’s understandable to be skeptical when it comes to having an ex-offender in your work environment. But did you know that if a business owner hires an ex offender, they could receive a tax credit, ranging from $2,400 to $9,900, depending on the employee? Not only that, there’s Fidelity bonding insurance that covers ex-offenders in the amount of $5,000, provided by the government and at no cost to the employer. It’s a win-win for both parties, but these incentives to hire an ex-offender are usually unknown, resulting in missed opportunities.
The Second Chance Act was passed to reduce recidivism, better society, and give those who deserve it a second chance at life. Truth is, resources are limited, though the RI Department of Corrections does its best to use what is available to make re-entry into society available. If Rhode Island were to utilize the Second Chance Act properly, or to create new legislation to help with these issues, there would be a difference in recidivism, homelessness, and crime.
- This post is published as part of the Prison Op/Ed Project, an occasional series authored by CCRI sociology students who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute. Read more here:
- ‘Prison Op/Ed Project’ teaches civic engagement, writing – Meghan Kallman
- Does racial injustice still exist? Look at our schools – Aaron Carpenter
- Rhode Island charges felons absurdly high court costs – Christopher Nemitz
- Public school students and inmates need more vocational training – Darnell Hie
- Prison policies put probation and vocational training at odds – Norman Johnson
- Corporate-modeled prison industrial complex doesn’t serve society – Adrian Rojas
- Incarceration is the new slavery – James Poston
- Justice isn’t blind with data-based sentencing – David Brown
- Ending welfare entitlements opened the door to disability fraud – Dan Davidson
- Post prison services would stem system’s revolving door – Michael Wheelock
- You’re vote doesn’t matter as much as your money – David Brown
- How schools emulate prisons, and prepare students for them – Richard Pimiental
- Cars that are good for society – David DeGrasse
- PTA involvement instead of prison mentality in schools – Mustapha Bojang
- Prison is about re-socialization, not corrections – Christopher Marsich
- ACI administrator praises Prison Op/Ed Project – Ralph Orleck
- Alcohol, incarceration and what it means to matter – Laura Baumgardner
- Was Myron Magnet a genius or just a Republican? – Danny Mercure
- Ike was right: Military industrial complex corrupted economy – Christopher Marsich