Have you ever seen people get mistreated in prison? In the book Chain-Gang All-Stars there are prisoners who choose to be fighters for freedom instead of serving their time in prison. The prisoners have to kill to survive. The prisoners all deal with a lot of trauma throughout their lives from before and during prison that led them to this point in their life. Overall, prisoners are affected negatively by technology and government control because their lack of choice gives them less opportunities and privileges, which matters because the public never knows what’s actually going on in prison. 

In Chain-Gang Links get victimized throughout the book. When the links get transported places they aren’t allowed to talk until they are told to do so. The blue line is technology that keeps the links silenced and if they do speak still they will feel a shock that’s painful. Hendrix says, “They all got that. I look at my wrists. I look at the blue line sitting at the vein. blue line means, you speak, you get the pain” (Adjei-Brenyah 63). The phrase “ you speak, you get the pain” reveals how technology prevents the links from speaking at certain times. This relates to the links getting treated poorly because they are being forced to not speak. This matters because it shows how the show uses manipulation against the links to keep them managed. When the prisoners choose to become a link then are forced to fight for survival. Adjei-Brenyah explains, "Even without knowing that they would be forced to fight should they survive what came next, Staxxx was distraught” (Adjei-Brenyah 240). Adjei-Brenyah intends to say that the links don’t have a choice, they have to fight. This expresses how the links aren’t treated like humans, they are like puppets. In prison it’s common for women prisoners to experience sexual violence. The footnote explains, * Eightly-six percent of women in jail have experienced sexual violence. A staggering reality. Most women in jail have experienced sexual violence (Adjei-Brenyah  273). by using [logos] of “Eightly-six percent of women in jail have experienced sexual violence” Adjei-Brenyah creates a affect of this issue being common. This situation should be addressed because it isn’t appropriate for women to experience violence. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman fighting as a link everyone gets hurt. 

In the article, ‘5 Stories About Education in Prison’ by Gerard Edic explains how in prison the prisoners got their education taken away from the government which isn’t fair for people who want to learn and grow throughout their time in prison. The crime bill was the largest omnibus crime-fighting legislation in United States history. The bill caused more crime rates to go up.  Gerard says, ‘A year after the Crime Bill was passed, there was a 44% drop in enrollments among incarcerated students in prison programs, due to cuts in funding, the journal review found. State governments also reduced funding commitments to prison education programs.” Edic explains that the government took away almost all education because the money being put into education for prisoners was a lot. This is important because it shows how the government doesn’t really care about prisoners. In result prisoners should be more educated and protected in a space that’s hard to live in. 

Additionally, in Chain-Gang Links have less opportunities as the book goes on. When prisoners in the book are sent to prison they are most likely to be either stuck there for the rest of their sentence or they join a group of links and fight for their freedom. The Eraser boys say, “Welcome to the rest of your life”(Adjei-Brenyah 225) The phrase shows how the links lost hope of ever being free. Links when they join normally feel like they will never be free again. Jerry has a conversation with the links before getting out of the van to let them know that they shouldn’t speak to the reporters or protester or they would get in trouble. Jerry says, ‘Cause of the protests and what- not. Let’s get in quick,” he said, and Thurwar stopped thinking about the man’s death. It was too easy. “I’m gonna go ahead and blue y’all okay?” (Adjei-Brenyah 258). The phrase “I’m gonna go ahead and blue y’all okay? " demonstrates how Jerry controls when they are and aren’t allowed to speak which gives them less advantage to control having a voice. The links feel like they are slaves for being forced to fight. Hendrix says, “We did wrong so now we slaves”  (Adjei-Brenyah 65). Adjei-Brenyah shows how the prisoners feel like they are treated less than others. This matters because prisoners should be treated equally. 

Lastly, in the article ‘I’m Only Getting a Second Chance if Laws Change’ by Larry N. Stromberg, Christopher Monihan, Angel Chavez and Tina Lunney all talk about how prisoners don’t have as many rights as anyone else. Chavez says,"I know people behind bars who think that issues impacting our in-custody time, such as harsh sentencing laws, demand the most political urgency. But without the vote, our ability to influence politics amounts to merely a wish. As long as disenfranchisement is our reality, our voices will remain muted and our hands shall stay cuffed.” Chavez stresses how not having the opportunity to vote as a prisoner affects how prisoners live and not having a voice in prison results in no change in the future for many. Having less opportunities gives people less of a chance to live. 

However, in Chain- Gang the links learn to build connections with each other with trauma they can relate to or have. The links become closer throughout the book and consider one another as family because they only have each other to rely on. The links choose their families to stick with because everyone is out to kill anyone. Thurwar says, “The first test was to see how I took the Erasers. Out here it is those who kill you, those who might kill you, and the family you choose. Elighty, Razor, and Bells have become a family” (Adjei-Brenyah 227). Adjei-Brenyah shows how  links find who they trust to know when and where they are safe. In the end Staxxx and Thurwar made a promise to each other for whoever wins lives for them. Thurwar says, “So I’m a messenger for you? What if I don’t want that?" You’re my message and I’m yours,” Staxxx said. “whoever wins, it will be the same” (Adjei-Brenyah 395). The phrase “You’re my message and I’m yours” reveals how they have built trust and love in one another to live for each other.     Second, in the article ‘Restorative Justice Circles Help Many Address Violence, Trauma’ by Christopher Blackwell illustrates how In prison there is a community called restorative justice that helps prisoners connect with others to heal and grow. Blackwell explains, “But this new community showed me there was a different way, a path where all could heal. They promised me that we’d be diving into some deep areas within ourselves, opening doors I didn’t even know were within me, that I had subconsciously closed off tightly so I could pretend my traumas didn’t exist.”By using [refuge] of “this new community showed me there was a different way, a path where all could heal”, Blackwell creates an effect of growth and becoming better for yourself. This connects to Chain-Gang because the links connect with trauma they have dealt with in the past to form a community to help one another talk about their problem or just listen to one another. 

Lastly, In Chain-Gang, prisoners are controlled by the government and by technology. Links are taken control of by technology to keep them tamed. Hendrix says, “Blue lines on all of us mean there is no say. It’s always blue lines” (Adjei-Brenyah 64). Adjei-Brenyah explains how Jerry controls their ability to speak through a shock if you do speak you get hurt. When links travel to different camp sites they are forced to walk from place to place by a magnetic force that pulls them. Adjei-Brenyah explains them marching, “We March in a valley of grit and grass between mountains that tear up into the sky so high the weather at the peak is something different entirely than that at our feet”(Adjei-Brenyah 220).  Adjei-Brenyah shows how the magnetic force is technology that forces the links to keep moving even if they are tired or unwell. Thurwar and Staxxx group are forced to stay in the van and travel to different places for fights. Adjei-Brenyah explains, “ The way they were forced to sit in the van made the pain in her knee scream more quickly than any of the marching they’d done through the week” (Adjei-Brenyah 271). The phrase “the pain in her knee scream more quickly than any of the marching” reveals how the links feel so much pain from being forced to move until they are told not to. Overall, we shouldn’t use technology in a negative way against others. 

Everyone should care about my argument because everyone should be treated equally. This affects people’s lives by affecting their loved ones. People might think that prisoners shouldn’t have as many rights because they did bad things in the past but I think some people learn and grow and should have a chance to improve. If people want to learn more about this issue they should read articles by ‘The Prison Journalism Project’ which also helped me understand more or if you live in Boston Mass you could reach out to Sashi James who works for an   organization called Free her which helps women prisoners get back on their feet. The government should give more opportunities for prisoners to have growth in themselves and their lives.  I believe everyone in general should have a second chance because this is everyone’s first time living and learning their purpose.