We are all criminals

Last week, I had the opportunity to hear the author of The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander, speak. During my time at PCG, I had heard of Alexander and her work during our many ongoing conversations about criminal justice, but to hear her speak was certainly inspiring. The statistics, of course, are shocking. In no uncertain terms, African Americans, specifically African American men, are incarcerated at rates that far outpace whites in the United States. In fact, there are more African American adults in prison today than enslaved in the 1850s, a number not correlating to the actual increase in crime rates. She spoke on the effects the War on Drugs has had on poor communities of color, the engrained discrimination that African Americans encounter daily for "looking like" they might posses drugs, whatever that means.

However, the most poignant points that Alexander made were about the ways in which we might overcome such shame and stigma. She pointed out that, in our current cultural climate, we refuse to allow people deemed "guilty" to have their stories heard. They are silenced twice, once by the system that imprisons them and then again upon their release by society who refuses them housing, employment, and voting rights. We tell them they are less than human, not worthy of care or relief. This is what we can change regardless of legislation.

Michelle Alexander was talking about those labeled prisoners, but her words extend to all the "guilty" innocents - those in poverty, those without proper documentation, those who lack health care options. This is why ignoring the very poor is not a gaffe - it is an intentional, dangerous mindset. How can we all heal when we do not offer a hand to those who we have ourselves have harmed? In her lecture, Alexander said "We are all criminals." She mentioned off hand that she noticed church people have no problem claiming the mantle of "sinner," admitting their violation of God's law. However, they are much more uneasy when told they have all violated the law of the state. We are all guilty. We are all redeemed.