A quick look at the American Prison Industrial system

                          

This video, recently published by the Atlanta Star explores issues surrounding the

institutional racism that exists in the USA. What initially started as a war on

drugs, has turned into a booming business known as the Prison Industrial Complex. It blurs the lines between the public and private interests of the American government and wealthy corporations.

An article (which I highly recommend) from The Atlantic describes the PIC as “a set of bureaucratic, political, and economic interests that encourage increased spending on imprisonment, regardless of the actual need. The prison-industrial complex is not a conspiracy, guiding the nation's criminal-justice policy behind closed doors”.

What is striking about the PIC is how powerful and well cemented it is in American society. In my previous post I wrote about the racist attitudes that are prevalent in ballet and how they are in some ways being overturned. But when it comes to something as deep rooted as the discrimination towards African Americans in the USA, racist attitudes don’t even begin to shed light. How is it possible to overturn an institution like this? I doubt it is even possible when African American men are five times as likely to be arrested for a drug offense and make up for about half the inmates in the United States.

The Atlanta Star video which is quite informative, explains how schools and the criminal justice system are so interconnected with the PIC. African American children are more likely to be suspended at school, which can lead them to serving sentences in prison. This is mainly done by giving actual prison sentences to criminals who commit even the smallest/minor acts. With the USAs history it does not come as a surprise that African Americans are the most targeted group. It is one of the many examples of institutional/structural racism that exist in America where the intent and

outcome are both racist. The PIC “thrives” because large corporations are benefiting from having cheap labour and having their agendas being voiced in government. The fact that it is the norm that 1 in 14 black men in America is put into prison is ridiculous, especially when it comes to drug offenses where white men are equal users and offenders, but are incarcerated at the same level.

I wonder what it would take to change the statistics presented in this video and in The Atlantic article. If people are aware of what is taking place, how much longer will it continue on?