Did you know there’s a criminal justice system run by the government that doesn't treat people equally? We aren’t as free as they say we are. The criminal justice system in America is unfair because they don’t let the prisoners speak up and they don’t listen to them. They don’t let them have a voice. Not having a voice makes it hard for people to rebuild their lives after prison because when people go to jail people assume that they did something really bad so it’s hard for them to have trust. There are a lot of different groups of people affected by the criminal justice system. Systemic racism is racism in societal structures and policies when people go off of stereotypes. Overall, the criminal justice system needs to be changed because systemic racism, bad prison conditions, and lack of education make it harder for people to rebuild their lives and make society equal.

The criminal justice system cannot be separated from systemic racism because stereotypes and unfair treatment towards black people, which caused many problems in the criminal justice system. Forrest Jones, a writer for Prison Journalism, felt tension while on the
train with a woman and after some time he pursued her, “Recently, I was traveling to San Francisco on BART and sat next to a Samoan woman. I could see that she was uncomfortable with me sitting next to her, so I tried to break the ice and generated a conversation with her. After conversing for a while, I introduced myself and explained why I engaged her. She confessed to me that she was nervous because of an uncomfortable experience she had before with a Black man on the train. This woman was still living her fears. It shows how other races can develop stereotypical attitudes towards Blacks and how bad the image of the Black man is in their minds. As far as they are concerned, we are all the same.” Jones explains how stereotypes can change the way people think about Black people even when they didn't do anything wrong. The woman got nervous because of a past experience and started to connect that experience to all Black men. This kind of thinking can lead to unfair treatment and can affect the criminal justice system because people may judge others based on race instead of who they really are. Drugs, police brutality, and racism play a big role in why black people are in jail,“The incarceration of Black people is larger than any other race. Drug usage and police brutality are key factors in degrading conditions of the Black race. And much of the racial divisions we see in America today is because of President Donald Trump's debatable words, actions, and response to the constant racism against the Black race.”  Jones explains that Black people are jailed more because of unfair police and drug laws. This connects to the criminal justice system because it's basically saying the system treats different races differently and is not equal. These stereotypes shape how people are seen and treated and they also connect to bigger issues in the criminal justice system– especially the bad prison conditions inside prisons that make it harder for people to rebuild their lives.

Bad prison conditions affect people’s mental health and future chances which can make it harder for them to rebuild their lives and succeed after prison. Shakeil Price, a writer for Prison Journalism, describes an event inside the prison where people had been locked in their cells for almost 22 hours, ““No other speaker I’ve witnessed in my 18 years in this prison is more effective at captivating a rambunctious audience. At the recent Toastmasters event, people arrived riled up after being locked in their cells for nearly 22 hours. When Artis took center stage, he greeted the audience, ‘Good evening, toastmasters!’ When the energy was not reciprocated, he repeated the greeting. This time a thunderous, ‘Good evening!’ howled back at him.”” This highlights that long lockdowns in prison can affect how people think and act because they are not given enough space or freedom during the day. Conditions like this make life in prison more stressful and can make it harder for people to grow and change in a positive way.  Price explains that Artis had a case in court and had to decide whether or not to take the plea, and he was advised by his lawyer to accept a plea deal to avoid the death penalty which resulted in a life sentence, “‘I had no advice from my lawyer except for, ‘Just accept the plea,’ he told me. So he accepted an open plea to guarantee he wouldn’t get the death penalty. In exchange for having his life spared, he received a sentence of 126 years.’” Situations like this are concerning fairness in the criminal justice system because people can feel pressured into plea deals they don't understand. It also demonstrates how these deals can create long sentences which can hold somebody from returning back to the free world.  Unfair sentencing and strict prison conditions can limit someone's future. Some people still manage to find ways to grow and change their mindset through education and self reflection in prison.

Even within the prison system access to education and personal growth opportunities can help incarcerated people change their mindset and work toward rebuilding their lives. Candie Scott, a writer for Prison Journalism, describes her before and after coming to prison, “Coming to prison was both a blessing and a curse. At the time, it was the only way I saw to get away from a toxic relationship. I was a withered flower when I came into the system in 2010. Today in 2021, I am a beautiful fully-bloomed rose.” Candie Scott compares herself to a “withered flower” and “bloomed rose” to show how she changed in prison. At first she felt broken and stuck in a bad situation. Over time, she became stronger and more confident. Her change connects to the fact that people can grow and improve their lives even after going through tough times. While writing from prison, Candie Scott explains how she has changed and what she wants to do after release, “Now, I have developed a passion for making candy. I want to start a candy company when I come home. I am asking Jehovah to guide me because I don’t really know where to go from this point. But I have a vision. It is so real I can feel it, taste it, and see it. I will learn as I go and eventually I will have my company. The sky’s the limit once I am released.” Candie Scott talks about wanting to start a candie business after she is released to show she has hope for her future, which shows she's motivated and focused on change instead of giving up. Her mindset connects to the idea that people can use their time in prison to plan for a better future. Although prison can help people change and want to be better, other people think it's effective because it provides punishment, structure, etc which leads to people thinking that prison can sometimes be seen as beneficial.

Some people believe the criminal justice system works well because it punishes people who break laws and keeps society safe from those people. In Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah the prison system is turned into a public sight where people can watch inmates fight, “‘When I got here, I had two M’s on my back. Two murders. When I leave, I’ll still have two. But I had to kill so many more people than that to get here’”(6). Even though the quote says that punishment does not always help people change because Melancholia becomes involved in even more violence after entering the system. Instead of helping people become better, bad influences from the prison environment can sometimes lead to more harmful behavior. Thurwar and Staxxx are having a conversation and they’re talking about what would happen if one of them got hurt or killed, leading them to think about their revenge and how it could spread and hurt more people, “You’d kinda wanna go find his family, or at least his dog or something, right?” (394). This highlights that violence in the system does not stop with one person– it can cause anger and vengeance that affects other people. It suggests that the system can create more harm instead of stopping it. Overall, the criminal justice system needs major change because systemic racism, harsh prison conditions, and limited opportunities prevent fairness and make it difficult for people to rebuild their futures.

In conclusion, people should care about this because the criminal justice system affects real people and shapes whether they are able to rebuild their lives after prison. It matters to society because it impacts fairness, safety, and the chance for people to change. Some people think prison only punishes crime, but the writers in the sources show that people can change their lives after going through the system. To learn more people can read from https://prisonjournalismproject.org/ or support programs that focus on education. One question that is unanswered is how society better supports change while still holding people accountable? People aren't defined by their mistakes but they are by how much they grow and make a better path for themselves.