Quotes & Comments

Most often, things I have learned have been from trial and error, I knew no way to protect myself than to arm myself.
—Rapper T.I. speaking about the circumstances that led up to his arrest.

When will we get a chance to reexamine our incarceration system in a transformational manner? Of course there are people in our world who locking up is the only option. But what about those who should have more options?

There are two end goals that I can think of to incarcerate people: rehabilitation with the intent to introduce them back into society or putting people out of sight so they can be out of our minds.
If jail and prison are intended to rehabilitate people, then why does it seem like things are set up so that the only option for those who come out are to be leeches of society or to go right back? It’s difficult for those incarcerated to get honest work, and most low-level petty crimes start from people trying to make ends meet or make ends extend. Even those who do crime with the intent to have more than others will rarely be satisfied by meager pay that’s guaranteed to follow inmates out of prison. This phenomenon usually lands people right back into jail or prison. If rehabilitation were an effective result of incarceration, then the general public wouldn’t need to look far to find ex-inmates giving back to their community.

If jail and prison are intended to keep people out of sight and out of mind, what happens when they are not up to par and the rest of us are out of pocket. I’ve read too many stories lately of prison misconduct to justify our taxes continuing to pay for places that go unregulated. And I know too many who are affected by the everyday reality of family and friends in jail. With so many incarcerated, some system somewhere is failing, and everyone pays. Those who are forced to visit loved one’s periodically in front of a guard pay the most, no matter who is at fault.

T.I. is one very visible case of someone whose life has been changed by the law, if not right away. He’s been arrested 32 times, but his celebrity status along with his recently comfortable life made him step back and look at how he could improve his image.

When he leaves jail, he has a lot to come home to. It’s arguably even good for his career, keeping him in the spotlight and giving him material for his albums. So, he’s put himself in the position to positively impact fans and communities. But even star-power can’t take people out of the situations that they find themselves in everyday, the situations that put people in prison and relegate them to be citizens that barely get by or benefactors of our collective funding.

With T.I.’s MTV show and the coverage he’s getting in the media, the law’s effect on him is getting a lot of attention. At the same time, the law’s effect needs to be examined on the rest, those who can’t come away from prison with million dollar record deals and a guaranteed future in the high life. Too many who learn from trial and error are disproportionally faced with trial.

—Nosayaba Osai,
Copy Editor

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=5294

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Mar 30 2009. Filed under Opinion, Quotes & Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com