A few days ago, I watched 13th, a documentary on Netflix that addresses the mass incarceration of black people in this country. I’ve always been very interested in the prison industrial complex and how it is systemically corrupt in relation to black people. The prison system in America is very interesting, just taking a look at the statistics can show that there is something wrong with the system. Black men up roughly make up 6% of the American population but attribute to 33% of the prison population. Also, America has the largest number of prisoners in the world. This number reflects more than just the issue with the prison system, it represents what’s wrong with the nation. A lot of the crimes are drug related and are done by individuals who are in the system.

Honestly, we are all products of different systems, but many times it seems like black people get the short end of the stick many times when it comes to the system. The questions are what is the best way to address black people and mass incarceration, and what are the the ways that we can stop the mass incarcerating black men? It hard to change a system that has preceded us like the prison system has preceded us, and I think that many factors that contribute the prison system are cemented into the infrastructure of this country.

I’m not sure what my take on the prison structure is, but I think that it is important something changes. And I don’t think that change will happen overnight. It is often that when someone we know gets arrested we scream out, “free them” and don’t think think twice about the crime. It’s a problem.