"Live from Death Row"

The book “Live from Death Row” by Mumia Abu- Jamal stunned and perplexed me all at the same time. I think it is not that I was not aware that discrimination and abuse happens in prisons, I never really thought of it. I was both shocked and not shocked when reading of the brutalities of peace officers and prisons guards that Mumia describes. I was shocked because the specific ways in which prisoners are physically and mentally abused never crossed my mind, such as the gruesome and inhumane beatings, medicine abuse, and the racist realities of prison life. I was not shocked at the same time because when I think of prison life, I generally think of some of the things that Mumia writes of, but not in detail, and reading what actually happens put me in reality check. It is just not right. I do not know a lot about prisoners and prisoner rights, but as Mumia portrays life on death row, they have no rights. Not only do they not have rights, they are degraded to animal like living conditions and subject to inhumane treatment from the employees of the government, mainly the guards working at the prisons. What struck me most about this book, and which is one of the main themes is the inequality here in the United Sates of race. Black people in the United States have no voice, none. And once they are sent to prison or on death row, the likelihood of being heard is zero. The instances, which Mumia spoke of in terms of racial discrimination, are just a few but their intensity is overwhelming. Even his court case and his perpetual battle for a fair trial is a demonstration of the severe racial problems in our society.

What I do not understand is why this is going on. This is also the question that Mumia asks. The problem starts not in the prisons, but in society. If society were somewhat fair, the problems of race would be less of a problem in the prisons. By the way African Americans get treated in this country one would think that we have not yet progressed since the times of slavery. Because organizations such as the Black Panther Party even exist to protect the lives of African Americans in the Unites States should ring bells for all Americans. But still people chose to hate and to use their power against a group of people that is being portrayed as violent, by sending them off to prisons and painting a picture of Black and White. I do not think that most people are purposefully trying to be racist; it is the government that paints a picture of America that affects its citizens. For example, I had a conversation with a friend of mine about the overwhelming amount of African Americans in prisons, but African Americans make up only 11 percent of the population in the U.S. We argued, what my friend did not understand is the racism that America poses on this minority group. All he saw was that African Americans make up most of the prison population; hence they must commit more crimes and are more violent. What I see is a power struggle. I asked my friend, are they committing more of the crimes, or are they being stigmatized and incarcerated more for the same crimes? But the idea that African Americans are violent and frightening is the cold feeling that I get from society, from the media, even from some of my peers.

This book, and many like it demonstrate to me the deficiencies in our current government to protect and to honor all citizens, Black or White. Distributive, procedural, and retributive justices play no role in the African American’s life. Distributive justice is lacking as in the case of the African American grandmother who’s home was bulldozed without a warning. Procedural justice is lacking in courtrooms throughout the country, where inexperienced and underpaid lawyers and an unfair un due processed jury define the fate of African Americans. And finally, retributive justice is lacking when a mob of peace officers at a “corrections” facility brutally beat a handcuffed prisoner with batons. I hope more people read Mumia Abu- Jamal’s book and help prevent the injustice and discrimination not only in the current prisons, but also in every day life of all Americans