From the coauthor of “Rehabilitation in Prison”
Sean D. French – On behalf of The NATIONAL LIFER’S ASSOCIATION
The current “criminalized institutions” warehousing black & brown men shackled to long and indeterminate mandatory sentences as “chattel for profit,” continue to destroy black & brown families and their respective communities. This can be likened to a slow form of genocide veiled in a mirage of MORAL DURESS!
By using laws created by the status quo as a “lawful” Means to justify their nefarious Ends, the cycle of Mass Incarceration continues to be perpetuated. Governor Whitmer must understand that if she fails to put an end to this, she must see herself as being complicit, a willing puppet in perpetuating systemic racism, mass incarceration, subjugation, disenfranchisement, and so on!
Prison reform & restorative justice is the only viable solution for what continues to take place in this state and within the MDOC!
Retribution is a unilateral approach that serves the needs of the status quo and those who profit from penal institutions! Retribution and mandatory sentencing is destructive, insensitive, and more often than not, deplorable!
The effects of the current regime of the MDOC & Mass Incarceration especially pertaining to black & brown men, are more deleterious to them than to their white counterparts, simply because of how white America perceives these men upon their return to society,…this must be rectified!
The State, the MDOC, and the status quo, must now be held accountable for their role and the damage in which they have brought upon this caste of people. They need to “understand” that for most black & brown men, punishment, psychological abuses, rejection, shackles, and various forms of slavery, is an innate part of their psychosis. As a race, these innate psychological issues have yet to find resolution because they are still taking place.
Engrams: Psychological Instincts/fears that are genetically passed on from mother to child, often influence the psychology of black and brown children; inadvertently molding and shaping the ideal of self, their perspective of life, and what their environment is showing them.
This, too, must be incorporated into the etiology of crime.
Engrams may display themselves as personality disorders in the black & brown race. These disorders gain momentum through experiences with life, and are exacerbated through the environment that the child is reared in. This, notwithstanding the function of the amygdala, hippocampus, cellular memory, & the neocortex wherein, complex memories are kept for long term storage.
Common disorders found to be present in black & brown youth reared in urban and oftentimes impoverished families and communities are as follows:
1) Solitary Aggressive Conduct disorder – Are selfish, non-communal, don’t relate well to others, and lack an appropriate sense of guilt. Common responses: “it is what it is!” & “I’m doing me!”
2) Group Conduct Disorder – Are loyal to their peers (such as a gang), often at the expense of outsiders. Many black & brown children will show signs of both Solitary & Group Conduct Disorder.
3) Oppositional Defiant Disorder – Display negative, angry, defiant behavior without violating the rights of others, they understand right from wrong but are victims of environment and oppression. This disorder is typically found in black and brown drug dealers.
The list goes on and on and is a study that must be incorporated into the etiology of crime.
It is well past time for the governor to start looking to pedagogic methods illustrated through Critical Criminology as a means of breaking through the myths: a suggestion offered by Paulo Freire; myths that vindicate the criminal justice system.
Join the NLA Rally in Lansing at the Capitol in October! For more info, call 1-810-309-5260