Police Brutality & Justice Reform
Artwork of victims of police brutality, by Patrick Martinez
Police brutality made headlines following the deaths
of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two black adults who were unjustly murdered
by law enforcement this spring. While this issue has been a popular topic of
conversation in recent months along with Black Lives Matter protests,
police brutality has existed in the United States for decades. It is documented
in black & white photographs from the 1960’s and in videos shot on the
average citizen’s iPhone. And the victims of police violence are not only adults—dozens
of black children and adolescents have been murdered for reasons ranging from playing
in a stranger’s yard to “walking while black”. This is a difficult reality to face—that
the system created to help and protect is plagued by racism. Though, it is telling
of where our country’s priorities lie. “If one really wishes to know how
justice is administered in a country… one goes to the unprotected—those, precisely,
who need the law’s protection the most!—and listens to their testimony. Ask any
Mexican, any Puerto Rican, any black man, any poor person—ask the wretched how
they fare in the halls of justice, and then you will know, not whether or not
the country is just, but whether or not it has any love for justice, or any
concept of it” (Glaude Jr., 2020, pp. 178-179)
Where does the injustice start? In childhood? Believe it or not, systemic racism exists in schools across the country and targets children as young as preschoolers. Rules and regulations target black students and set them up for higher rates of suspension, expulsion, and involvement with juvenile justice programs. These policies create the school-to-prison pipeline and increase black students’ risk of being arrested later in adulthood.
Systemic racism is also seen in the mass incarceration of
black folks in the United States. They are arrested (and murdered) at a disproportionately
higher rate than white Americans, which can be due to the bias of the police
officer responding to the incident or to the laws that target people of color. For
example, the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980’s: Americans thought of crack
as a “Black drug” and chose to criminalize its use instead of meeting the
epidemic with healthcare reform (Times Editorial Board, 2020). Following their incarceration, black Americans are often taken advantage of. Many prisoners are used as cheap labor, whether it be making clothes or fighting fires. In essence, prisons function as a legal form of slavery.
James Baldwin says that “we must recognize the relationship between devaluing black people, seeing them as inherently criminal, and our willingness to cast black people aside and to lock them up in alarming numbers” (Glaude Jr., 2020, p.177). As we learned in Begin Again (Glaude Jr., 2020) and in the videos above, the United States criminal justice system has functioned in a way that penalizes black folks for simply existing. It is important that we address our racist justice system, and I think one of the ways we can do this is by decriminalizing drugs.
No, I don't mean making all drugs legal. What could decriminalization look like? Well, it would eliminate criminal penalties for drug use and possession of drugs or paraphernalia, in addition to low-level drug sales. This policy change could reduce prison population sizes and costs, reduce the stigma associated with drug use so that people feel more comfortable seeking help, and remove barriers to harm-reduction practices like safe injection sites or drug checking (Drug Policy Alliance, n.d.). I also think it is important that we address the fact that white people are profiting off of legal marijuana sales while thousands of black Americans are imprisoned for the same action. With the legalization of marijuana in many U.S. states, I believe we should look into releasing individuals from prison who were arrested on minor marijuana use or possession charges--even removing the charge from their records altogether. And in terms of macro work, it is important that lawmakers evaluate and change their current drug use policies when they find evidence of covert racism.
These are just a few ways we can address and make reparations for criminalizing blackness in America.
What other changes do you see as important?
References:
Drug Policy Alliance. (n.d.) Drug decriminalization. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-decriminalization
Glaude Jr., E. S. (2020). Begin Again. Crown. Kindle Edition.
Times Editorial Board. (2020, June 10). The 1980s crack epidemic was a fork in the road. America chose racism and prisons over public health. Retrieved September 22, 2020 from https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-06-10/crack-policing-response-instead-of-health-care
Thank you for this, Madeline. Your writing is motivating. Not only because it is brilliant, articulate, and extraordinarily deep, but your purpose is clear and heartfelt. The law enforcement community would benefit from a shift in training approach, reaction, escalation, and restraint...to start. Additionally, changes in shift length, regular debriefing, and mental health counseling availability should be a priority if we want to see a decrease in police brutality incidents. I know many law enforcement officers who describe their inaction and kindness as a predominant de-escalation method when responding to ambiguous calls where a person is in crisis. This type of approach should always be the first line of operating for police. Of course, there are times when lives are at stake, and horrible decisions must be made, such as an active shooter incident. However, most of the incidents we as a country are waking up to each day involve unarmed and non-threatening individuals who are justifiably scared. I hope and pray; we see some significant reform...as soon as possible. Have a safe and peaceful afternoon; Respectfully, Christian
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