For centuries, African Americans have faced strife and hardship. Although some may think that the African American struggle is a thing of the past, now more than ever, racism is still prominent. It is not an old ideal that has been lost to time. It is a reality that many are living out today, in a jail cell. The criminal justice system is heavily flawed and racism laces it’s bars; because of this, many African Americans continue to struggle for their right be human.

There should be no qualification to being human; To bleed is to be human. This fact is one that is being disregarded by many jails across the nation for no justifiable reason but prejudice against their black inmates. Mathew Larson, a criminologist, addresses this by stating, “The U.S. criminal justice system remains biased, albeit implicitly, against them.” (276). If the criminal justice system utilizes the word ‘justice’ in its name, results that are just and fair should ensue. Instead, this is not the case for many. One of the only reasons why a grey ceiling and metal bars replace the blue sky and brown trees for many African Americans is due to the color of their skin; due to injustice.

This inherent racism of the justice system is seen in the fact that, “There are 2.3 million people currently incarcerated in American prisons and jails – including those not convicted of any crime. Black people comprise 40 percent of them, even though they represent just 13 percent of the U.S. population.” (Larson 275). Every human being should, in theory, have the same chance of committing or not committing a crime, no matter their skin color. With this thought in mind, there should be no good reason why a person is more likely to see an African American in a jail cell.

Since there is no good reason why this is possible, one can be led to the fact that the true cause is something illogical. Andrea Harrison, a paralegal for over 25 years, stated that the criminal justice system puts African Americans, who have had minor offences, in a cage physically and mentally. This mental cage results in a cycle, one that has gone on for decades. It does not make sense for a criminal justice system which should be built upon maintaining order and discouraging crime, to instead encourage inmates to return.

Additionally, Harrison states that when she went to help someone who committed a minor offence in Rikers Correctional Facility, the scariest feeling was the moment the heavy cell door locked behind her. If Harrison, who was only there to help someone in the facility, felt momentarily frightened by that action, then the people who experience that every day should then be even more terrified and discouraged of wanting to commit a crime.

Also, since the people she helped were people who committed minor offences, there shouldn’t be a reason they are stuck there behind a heavy cell door, flushed into a cycle of always staying there. The only reason for this is prejudice. The only cause is the fact that these men and woman have darker skin. Every single person, no matter the pigment of their skin, is made up of numerous veins which flow through the body. There should be no dehumanization of someone due to the natural color of their skin if every person inside is the same. One’s humanity should not be based on such superficial prejudice.

 In cells across the United States, African Americans are being denied the right to be human all because of all this; all due to prejudice. To base the qualification of being human due to the color of one’s skin is to disregard the wonderful creation that is life. It is to look away from the many beautiful colors which make up each person. It is to deny a person their existence. To exist is to live; one’s mere existence and life solidifies their right to be human, forever. A right, that African Americans are still fighting for.

Works Cited

Larson, Matthew. “Juneteenth: Freedom’s Promise Is Still Denied to Thousands of Blacks Unable to Make Bail.” 88 Open Essays, edited by Sarah Wangler, Tina Ulrich, pp. 273-276.

Harrison, Andrea. Personal interview. 11 June 2023.