But the Court Knows Best, Right?
March 12, 2005
A while ago I blogged about the Court's awful decision, Johnson v. California. I thought that it was more important to protect prisoners from rape and murder before concerning ourselves with a ideal - racial integration - even free men and women can't seem to achieve. Prisons are brutal places, and courts should not tinker with them unless tinkering will reduce harm prisoners face from guards and other prisoners. Let's stop prison rape before worrying about higher values.
A former prison inmate agrees:
California prisons separate blacks, whites, Latinos and "others" because the truth is that mixing races and ethnic groups in cells would be extremely dangerous for inmates.
I don't say this because I'm a racist; I honestly believe that I'm one of the least prejudiced people I know. But prison is an undeniably racist place, and court rulings aren't going to stop it. Inmates who value their own safety must quickly learn to put political correctness aside and to follow certain clearly defined, if unwritten, rules for survival.
Rule No. 1: The various races and ethnic groups stick together.
Inmates face a huge amount of racial tension every day in prison. Living in such close proximity to others of different backgrounds and cultures — and the fact that these people, whatever their race or ethnicity, are likely to be from the least educated and most violent segment of society — makes minor differences that might normally be overlooked larger and more significant.
If a black inmate attacks a white inmate in prison, it is considered the responsibility of other white inmates to respond. This provides some measure of protection for those inmates who are not members of any gang but who do not wish to become prey for those who are. You and I may not like it, but that's how it is.
You can read the full editorial here.
(Thanks to Three Generations for the link).