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It is no coincidence that those who were enslaved over 150 years ago (African Americans) are also those who are most likely to be incarcerated today. One person who can help us understand this relationship is Dr. Byron Price, Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas Southern University. Byron studies the Prison Industrial Complex for a living and helps us to understand why our community must take a stand and be outraged over what is happening in our prisons.
When prisons are full of black men, that means that fathers are being taken away from their children and potential husbands are being taken away from black women. In fact, economists have drawn a clear and consistent link between mass incarceration and the proportion of black women who never walk down the isle. Making matters worse is the fact that these individuals are marginalized from society for life after doing time, even if they committed their crimes at an early age: they can't vote in most states, they have a difficult time getting access to an education, and they can't find jobs. So, by thinking that we are tough on crime, we are actually making crime worse by increasing the risk of recidivism.
So, if you want to know why I've remained involved with the prison inmate strike in Georgia and created an organization to help create opportunities for formerly incarcerated Americans, you now know why. The truth is that although many of us may never serve time in prison, the prison industrial complex affects almost all of us in some significant way. Our boys are being led down a trail of death and misery and we must find ways as a community to shut this thing down by any means necessary.
The interview with Byron is below -- enjoy!
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
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By: BlkGurl on 2/01/2011 11:09PM
I was watching "Beyond Scared Straight," and this very topic came to mind. There's an overwhelming majority of blacks in both the male and female prisons. As such, it really did remind me of slavery. Blacks locked up en masse. It's sad, and no one really addresses its roots, so thanks for this article.
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By: Helen Thomas on 2/02/2011 10:05AM
The majority of black men are not in jail. That's the statistical myth that is been circulating in the so-called black community for years. You probably haven't lived long enough to know how this worked for the past 45 years. Don't believe the hype littl BlkGurl. If they go to jail, and they commited the crime, they deserve to do the time. No sympathy here, considering I remember a real community of working folks with moral values.
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By: grace mercy on 2/02/2011 10:20AM
it's a nightmre,it just guts out a loving mother's insides!when a loving mother and a caring mother of a young man that has a mental disability,practically all of his life up to now,never been incarserated in his young disturb mixed up ,but very respectable to everyone ,cat dog,i mean he's not perfect he's just a young man that want to fit in but in the wrong company through an acquaintis one night he left saying he be right back ma,he said"but when i got up the next morning he wasn't there the same morning of april 28 2009 he and his twin brother had a appointment to go to the mental hospital to have a mental evaluation done to see has they state of mind had or had not elavated with them coming into young man hood,i notice one of the twins had started acting strange unlike his character so me as a caring mother,i started questioning him about where abouts,the company he'd start keeping he would shy me away like i got this with a smurk,but i know something wasn't right with him ,stangest thing the change in him wasn't related to drugs ,he's never been on drugs of the street ,just the doctor's drugs that igave him to help with his problems,to help him cope with the peer pressure,our young men and the young women are under tht peer pressure of the world we mothers is struggling to hold on to our children as long as we can!so the morral of this story is yes, his twin is diagnose with sizofrantic paranora and both had upgrade mental problems from a very young childhood from mental retardation to sizofrantic paranora my son that is now in prison serving a 13& ahalf years being with the wrong people and the wrong place can cause a lot of heartbreak and more mental distress for all the families of the incarsaration of they love ones!his twin brother went into a hardship in the mind that i'm dealing with won't go around people rather they family or not,the twins are 20 now,but when all of the heartache and heartbreak started when brandon left brian, his better half overall,me, my heart is literaling is hemmaging,bleeding to death!but god came right along a picked me and turned me around and placed my feet on solid ground,god did it for me again ,god will never let you down!whiteville tenn might have my son now but not for long ,my god,my god,i don't receive that sentence in jesus name,i rebuke satan in the name of jesus,halleluhah!!!!!!!!!!!the coviction was a racism sentencing,i hope and pray god will let us share being together again when my son can wake up to my breakfast cooking my dinners and fussing clean that room up come on we gone be late for church,yeh you going[smile]!age ain't nothing but a number ,i don't treat my chidren by that number because that's all it is! it's about they're needs and some of they want.i'm a single mother never been married,don't want to be,i'm set in my own ways!my mind these days is set on helping young people and young children that help senior citizens .i'm a 56 going on 26 yrs young very powerful mental wise strong in strengh and a greattttttttt big loving kindness heart don't trust people not quick to accept them but will help them with a long handle spoon,i would love to trust but i really can't,and i try to still love people no matter what creed or color,but that racism that is still in the world today that's in our community our next door neighbor our own flesh and blood sometimes,different ways a person can be hurt that will change your life not only your mind forever,so just be aware of your surrounding your well being is up to you !that sleeping with the enemy can mean a lot because it also means you also breaking bread with them,we need eyes in the back of our heads,that's the old saying but what we really need is "in god we trust" really trust in god,god really is the only we can trust and love forever and a day!!!!!!!!!i wish a could have got hold to him before the correction systems ,i'm the one they need to correct the problem with him first i would had read him his rights they probaly would have had me in hand cuffs tearing his butt upme and the would have tore his butt up for real he was 18 when the incarseration happen but he was getting disapleint,he just want it to fit with the wrong incrowd he just wasn't strong enough mentally to say no and was ordered and directed to the crime he was charged with, especially aggravated robbery she says she had came out at 3:00 in the morning to feed some abandon stray dogs in other words,at an anbandon house that time of morning,my son said she had nothing in her hands no dog bowls water or nothing,maybe she had a cup of water and needed some ice to make it right,if you know what i mean she should be charged half of that time ,she put hersself out there like that,those children should had had they butts in the house,what is a young girl12,14 and 15,16 year old young man and my son at the time 18 was doing out that time of morning cause he was already in the house he slipped back out it was a school night in the house at 9:00 12:30 on weekends and my son followed my rules until someones got into his head,not talking about drugs he wasn't on drugs he was tested ,they found no drugs,so that's not it,girls,girls,girls,just out being young one wrong thought came from his charge partner that my son had never met,met that night from a associate,bad decision,from a young man already had 3 or 4 carjacking under his belt the 16yr.old young man they say he totes screwdrivers around in his pocket all the time,but any my son so call friend left him there and said he will be back and never came back my son thought he so called friend was gonna come back.my son didn't know this little dude had been doing all this stuff any it was done his charge partner even know how to drive,so they all got in the car a sped off,charge partner took the car stuck her with the screw driver give up the keys ,the victim said in court that my son did not come toward her at all until he was ordered to.all the girls was whooping ,and kicking her but she couldn't identify but one of the girls,the 12 yr.old the other girls went free,to do something else,wrong!the young man 16yr.old altogether this was his 5th robbery charge,but he got away that night and was caught and arrested a month later robbing bp gas station.the question i'm still asking to this day why couldn't my son given a chance just once that's all it would have took for my to learn his lesson and would never do anything else to be put in jail that,s not who he is!my got good teaching at home love caring from the schools our neighbor she would be a good influence over other people i just don't understand i use to blame myself and live miserably,i even got sudisidal because i thought i let my baby down but the truth was i didn't let him down and never ever will ,i've always want the best for my children,try all i can to make it happen for the rest of they until i leave this earth and god take me home,but not doing wrong to make that or breaking the law ,no sir!i don't believe in that!if the system could only give back my son ,he gets the mental help he needs he would be agood prospering young man,a help for the younger men than him self and stop the maddness of not to put in prison our young men needs guidiance,true love and strengh,they need to know they can be trusted back in societyand taught good thingson how to show love and concern for one another and truly the real meaning ofone hand washes the other,heartfelt love for one another, trusting,in other words,brotherhood and sisterhood,don't forget about us motherhoods,i'm not the only mother that is going through this or has went through it my sisters i just say keep the faith in god and yourself keep your heads up,stay strong,loving your god loving yourself and loving children and just keep spreading the love all around the world,don't forgot about our god in heaven ,god loves all of us and god is watching over us,keep believng in god to see you through,thank you jesus,amen&amen!!!!!!!p.s.i'll pray for you ,you pray for me!!
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By: KGDC on 2/02/2011 11:51AM
Let's speak truth. This will be less of an issue if brothas decided to not break the law. I grew up in the 'hood, po, not poor... PO, and never was arrested, used drugs or ran into the law (outside of the frequent cases of harassment] my entire life. I used what's commonly referred to as 'common sense' and stayed away from trouble. Got a BA and MBA and am living a peaceful life with my wife and children.
When I speak to youth, I never let them EXCUSE their behavior because it's rough in the world. Even when you're 12, you can make solid choices and either decide to follow them or not. Unless you grew up in the back alley with the clowns of crime, I'm pretty sure you know right from wrong as well.
So brothas... the more you excuse your behavior, the less anyone has sympathy or tolerance for it.
I know we're being attacked... that's the whole point... DON'T BE A TARGET.
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By: Reise on 2/03/2011 8:57AM
Love this!!!!! We all know right from wrong, taught it as babies. One of my motto's growing up was if I had to think about it twice then obviously that was not the right choice, because if it is right it should be automatic. Simply Common Sense and that is where they are lacking.
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By: Himalaya on 2/02/2011 8:30AM
Attempting to establish an analagous relationship between slavery and incarceration is laughable and lame. Here are a few comparisons to ponder...
Slave: Innocent of wrongdoing
Felon: Guilty of committing a crime
Slave: Abducted
Felon: Arrested
Slave: Physically and emotionally abused
while being denied all forms of
basic human rights
Felon: Access to numerous valuable privelages
free-of-charge (including college
educations and health care) that the
law-abiding citizens they violated have
to pay for. Those aforementioned victims
are required to fund not only their OWN
schooling and medical costs but those of
criminals as well.
Slave: They are placed in their horrific
circumstance to work.
Felon: They are incarcerated to prevent them
from injuring the public further
Slave: His labor results in enormous profit
for the "master."
Felon: His jail time results in enormous
expense for the taxpayer.
Should I continue? For once, drop the pathetic
persecution complex. To compare the living
conditions of 21st Century career criminals
with 19th Century slaves is an appalling insult
to the memory of the victims who suffered the
most unimaginable injustice in American history.
Slave:
Felon: Given free education
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By: Shanae Miller on 2/03/2011 12:44AM
This is a MAJOR ISSUE! I find myself so angry with people that turn a blind eye to this. I have several family members all men that are incarcerated and prison has become a trap. Yes they are their for committing crimes but the system isnt set up to give them the tools to get out and stay out. What and where is a man a black man at that who has done 20+ years with a bus ticket a few dollars going to do? Go back to what they know. Its awful and we need to stand up, the gov. is not going to do it!
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By: edouble on 2/02/2011 8:48AM
Hello: Although I agee with you for the most part that inhumane treatment is wrong ...But lets look at it without the rose colored glasses....Lets look at what the inmates are doing to each other inside the walls.....This in itself tells me that they belong inside....Rape.sodomy,murder,mischief etc...
These men were taken off the streets for a reason....They are evil .... You blame lack of opportunity and access to jobs,education, as a reason for robbing,shooting,doing drugs,making babies,,, I was raised along side some of the most vile and wicked people ever....I choose not to go down their path.....The truth is that most of these people are just plain wicked...There is no program or amount of edcation or anything that can change these demonic minds,,,,,, Just look around...for the last 30 to 40 years...crime and in particular black on black has trippled...NOTHING is getting better...so with the increase in crime comes the increase in incarceration....you know the equation for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction...If you go over the facts year by year for the last 40 years you can't deny that we as a people have choose the low path....God has given this planet up to satan...and we see the results all around us..They answer to our delimma is not found in programs,,,Go to one of these prisons and talk to the inmates,,,it won't be long before you realize that the problem is not a father or mother being around but a spiritual problem...as it says in Thess...'GOD HAS SENT THEM A STRONG DELUSION'.or in Romans..'GOD HAS GIVEN THEM A REPROBATE MIND',therefore they can't help themselves,,,read on in ROMANS 1,,,,and see if what it says there isn't happening right before your eyes....
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By: kev on 2/02/2011 10:07AM
you need to stop it you sound like a white ass kiss look at the big pic.look at what has been done to us or have you forgot about the jobs for to get or housing that we can't get.a white person that came out of jail will get the same job that the black man is going and the black man that have not been in jail will not get the job or jobs.so you tell me what up with that
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By: deyone on 2/02/2011 10:12AM
what god are you talking about there many gods.
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