Racism in Prison

Black vs. white divisions are used as a tool of control

“Prisons are inescapably racist. Prisons use racism to govern and suppress their captives. Racism remains a strategic tool to ensure that prisoners distrust or attack each other rather than the institution itself.” Dan Berger

As protesters fill the streets for the 18th day, I echo Michelle Alexander, who wrote in The New York Times that she is inspired by seeing “what it looks like when people of all races, ethnicities, genders and backgrounds rise up together in solidarity for justice.” But what I fear the street demonstrations gloss over is multitude of systems that perpetuate racism in this country beyond policing — one of which is incarceration. At a time when legislation is being considered to defund the police and reallocate that money to social programs (better schooling, housing, jobs, etc.), we must ensure that decarceration is an integral element of this movement.

In a few weeks I expect to be shipped from the D.C. jail to my former Bureau of Prisons “home,” a U.S. penitentiary in…