“The white cracker who wrote the national anthem knew what he
was doing. He set the word 'free' to a note so high nobody can reach it. That was deliberate.”
In a movie named “Angels in America”, originally written by Tony Kushner, a character says a quote in one of his scenes. The quote indicates two major topics: Racism and Power. America has had the chance to deal with both throughout history. Both citizens and prisoners in America have constantly had to improve on their belief of what Freedom and Racism actually means to an individual. Given this fact, America has to wonder more about a prisoner’s perspective, due to their inability to actually have what most would believe to be considered freedom. The overall question is whether or not the criminal justice system is as just as we perceive it to be?
Americans have set their prison system above others in certain aspects. Setting it so differently that researchers such as Alexis De Tocqueville came to discover what has made it different from it’s counterparts. A major aspect of the criminal system is the fact that America believes a person is innocent until proven guilty. In other countries it is the phrase flipped backwards. Every country's democracy is what changes the perspective of a certain case. In the case of America, the democratic idea of prisons is that when a person has enough power to walk away innocent; even though they are guilty, they are considered free. However, the statement changes when a person doesn’t have power. They are then considered to be guilty in some cases. The American system set on a pedestal constantly. However, the government chooses to portray the thought of correction in the justice system, but doesn’t follow through with the laws people wrote years ago. The American society is set to follow the “book”, but refuses to actually make changes to help.
In America, when a person is arrested, a strategic process is supposed happen. The police should detain the person, as this process occurs, the officer MUST state the Miranda Rights to the suspect. They are as followed...
The person is then put into the vehicle and transported to the police station. They will then be searched thoroughly for safety purposes. If the person has been “cited”, they will then receive a paper with a court date they must attend. However, if the person is “booked”, they are prepped for “jail” time. Although, in some case they are allowed bail. The process of the “First Court Appearance” begins. Three hearings will happen, the Arraignment, the Bail Hearing, and the Appointment of Counsel. The usual steps after are plea bargaining, trial, and then sentencing. The process is far more complicated than a simple step by step, however the overall thing can be summed to a few sentences. Americans make the process so complex just to make their laws fit their benefits.
A person commits a crime. The crime will either be major or minor. Major being along the lines of murder, or minor being they didn’t go to school 5 days a week. Plenty of America’s prisons are flooded with people. In a video named “Solitary Nation”, the announcer goes to speak about the fact that, “There are 2.3 million people locked up in the United States, around half for non-violent crimes.” Prison has become the new “place to be”, even for things so small. A girl named Christel Tribble in a video named “Prison State” tells her story. Her overall statement was, “I shouldn’t be in here. I’m in here, basically, for skipping school.” America has begun to treat their people as animals. They do something wrong or not common, and the best way to respond is to throw them in a cage.
America even fails to realize the complexity of the human mind. If you confine a rat in a place that it doesn’t feel suitable, it will do everything it can to escape. The same can be said for any other living creature. Gordon Perry, another prisoner in one of the videos has been subjected to solitary confinement. A type of imprisonment where a prisoner has no contact with other people, apart from guards. He says that solitary confinement, “Makes you mean, makes you violent, and it [expletive] a lot of people’s heads up.” Humans are a type of species that needs to work together to survive mentally, physically, and emotionally. When a person is cut off, their only desire is to get back to what they once had in life. It begins to mess with their heads, making them unsuitable to come back into society.
Once a person is set free they are not given much. They won’t in most cases have a support team, money, housing, or even a bed to lay. A prisoner named Ronald Joncas gives the expression of what he believes to be the life after prison, going so far to say,“Monsters! This is what they create in here, monsters. And then they drop you into society and tell you go ahead be a good boy. Can’t conduct yourself like a human being when they treat you like an animal.” Once again America goes along to make a person truly feel like an animal. All alone in a big cage with nothing but your thoughts, wants, and urges. It is no wonder that so many of the people set free end back in prison. The society makes them believe that crime is all they know, and because of that, that is exactly all they will know.
The United States of America has proven itself to be one of the biggest, different, and most complex system. It has put itself on a pedestal. A pedestal of shame. America constantly preaches about how they are always changing and rising, but falls short to actually go through with plans to help its people. The word “free” from the National Anthem is in fact set so high, that no person will ever reach it.
Americans have set their prison system above others in certain aspects. Setting it so differently that researchers such as Alexis De Tocqueville came to discover what has made it different from it’s counterparts. A major aspect of the criminal system is the fact that America believes a person is innocent until proven guilty. In other countries it is the phrase flipped backwards. Every country's democracy is what changes the perspective of a certain case. In the case of America, the democratic idea of prisons is that when a person has enough power to walk away innocent; even though they are guilty, they are considered free. However, the statement changes when a person doesn’t have power. They are then considered to be guilty in some cases. The American system set on a pedestal constantly. However, the government chooses to portray the thought of correction in the justice system, but doesn’t follow through with the laws people wrote years ago. The American society is set to follow the “book”, but refuses to actually make changes to help.
In America, when a person is arrested, a strategic process is supposed happen. The police should detain the person, as this process occurs, the officer MUST state the Miranda Rights to the suspect. They are as followed...
- You have the right to remain silent and to refuse to answer questions.
- Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law.
- You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future.
- If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish.
- If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney.
The person is then put into the vehicle and transported to the police station. They will then be searched thoroughly for safety purposes. If the person has been “cited”, they will then receive a paper with a court date they must attend. However, if the person is “booked”, they are prepped for “jail” time. Although, in some case they are allowed bail. The process of the “First Court Appearance” begins. Three hearings will happen, the Arraignment, the Bail Hearing, and the Appointment of Counsel. The usual steps after are plea bargaining, trial, and then sentencing. The process is far more complicated than a simple step by step, however the overall thing can be summed to a few sentences. Americans make the process so complex just to make their laws fit their benefits.
A person commits a crime. The crime will either be major or minor. Major being along the lines of murder, or minor being they didn’t go to school 5 days a week. Plenty of America’s prisons are flooded with people. In a video named “Solitary Nation”, the announcer goes to speak about the fact that, “There are 2.3 million people locked up in the United States, around half for non-violent crimes.” Prison has become the new “place to be”, even for things so small. A girl named Christel Tribble in a video named “Prison State” tells her story. Her overall statement was, “I shouldn’t be in here. I’m in here, basically, for skipping school.” America has begun to treat their people as animals. They do something wrong or not common, and the best way to respond is to throw them in a cage.
America even fails to realize the complexity of the human mind. If you confine a rat in a place that it doesn’t feel suitable, it will do everything it can to escape. The same can be said for any other living creature. Gordon Perry, another prisoner in one of the videos has been subjected to solitary confinement. A type of imprisonment where a prisoner has no contact with other people, apart from guards. He says that solitary confinement, “Makes you mean, makes you violent, and it [expletive] a lot of people’s heads up.” Humans are a type of species that needs to work together to survive mentally, physically, and emotionally. When a person is cut off, their only desire is to get back to what they once had in life. It begins to mess with their heads, making them unsuitable to come back into society.
Once a person is set free they are not given much. They won’t in most cases have a support team, money, housing, or even a bed to lay. A prisoner named Ronald Joncas gives the expression of what he believes to be the life after prison, going so far to say,“Monsters! This is what they create in here, monsters. And then they drop you into society and tell you go ahead be a good boy. Can’t conduct yourself like a human being when they treat you like an animal.” Once again America goes along to make a person truly feel like an animal. All alone in a big cage with nothing but your thoughts, wants, and urges. It is no wonder that so many of the people set free end back in prison. The society makes them believe that crime is all they know, and because of that, that is exactly all they will know.
The United States of America has proven itself to be one of the biggest, different, and most complex system. It has put itself on a pedestal. A pedestal of shame. America constantly preaches about how they are always changing and rising, but falls short to actually go through with plans to help its people. The word “free” from the National Anthem is in fact set so high, that no person will ever reach it.
The Life of a Criminal
Author: Donesha Lee
Student at Science Leadership Academy
Student at Science Leadership Academy