Many of us are all too familiar with the appalling statistics that indicate nearly a million African American and Latino men currently reside in state and federal prisons.  For those of us desperately trying to prevent our children from being sucked into the school to prison pipeline, knowing so many of our men are incarcerated is disheartening.  However, it is important that we are aware of how the demise of so many men is benefiting corporate America.  In 2006, our incarcerated brothers helped to generate $1.3 billion in revenue for Corrections Corporation of America, the largest owner and operator of privatized correctional facilities in the country. Furthermore, Unicor, a trademark name for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, reached over $700 million in sales.

By Cathy Daniels Lee

" The 2006 annual report for Corrections Corporation of America stated, “We expect that growth in the projected inmate population and limited development of new prison beds by the public sector will be favorable to the private corrections industry.”

The fact that our men are going to prison at startling rates is “favorable” to corporate America.  Furthermore, while many prisoners make less than a dollar per hour, chief executives at the 500 largest companies in America make an average of $15.2 million dollars a year, over $7,000 per hour.  I also find it interesting that African American and Latino communities usually have very high unemployment rates, but once we become prison inmates suddenly there is enough work available to earn corporate America billions of dollars annually.

Some view prison labor as a form of “rehabilitation”.  I see the current prison labor system as modern day slavery and the school to prison pipeline as a 21^st Century Middle Passage.  Any marketing major fresh out of college knows the best way to establish loyal adult customers is to start them using a product or service while they are still children.  In the same manner, the best way to maintain an ample supply of prison laborers is to draw our children into the juvenile justice system while they are still middle and high school students. 

So what are the solutions?  How can we create more school to college and school to entrepreneurship pipelines for our children?  First, African American and Latino parents must become more active at our children’s schools on a variety of levels.  It’s no longer enough to just attend parent/teacher conferences and extra curricular activities.  It is critical that we attend school board meetings.  We must ensure our voices are heard before policies are implemented that impact our children.  More of us must also become active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) members.  Many PTAs raise and control considerable amounts of money each year.  It is important that we help to raise the money, and be present when decisions are made on how to spend the funds.  We must also pressure our County Commissioners to allocate more money toward educating our children.

In addition, we need to push school administrators, at the state level, to develop a curriculum that engages African American males.  Frequently, our boys have the highest suspension and dropout rates.  Black males are simply not engaged by the curriculum being taught in most public schools, and this needs to change.  Our children need more hands-on learning opportunities.  They need to be exposed to more technology and entrepreneurial skills.

We must also take steps to ensure African American and Latino history is infused into the curriculum taught at public schools.  Black history does not begin with slavery, and it should not be taught that way.  The history of our Latino brothers and sisters should also be taught and celebrated in our schools.  

Furthermore, we must demand that School Resource Officers (SROs) receive training on how to build positive relationships with students before they are allowed into a school.  Currently, that is not happening.  The “lock ‘em up” attitude that many SROs bring into the school system is detrimental to our boys and girls.

Next, we must rally behind and vote for political candidates interested in providing affordable healthcare to all children.  Frequently, our children lag behind in school because they have an undiagnosed illness or learning disability.  Far too often, the condition goes undiagnosed because the child’s family does not have access to affordable healthcare. 

Finally, we as parents must do a better job of helping our children develop a personal relationship with God.  We must ensure they understand God loves them and wants to be in every area of their lives.  We must teach our sons and daughters that committing your life to God involves far more than just attending church on Sunday or praying from time to time.  Children must be taught that their commitment to God shows in how they act when they are told to empty the garbage or clean their room.  It shows in how they treat students and teachers they don’t particularly care for.  We must begin to create stronger spiritual foundations for our children at home.

We must also teach our children the importance of having good character and integrity.  Jackie Robinson became the first African-American major league baseball player not because he was the best player, but because he had strong character.   Today, we regularly witness the fall of our most promising athletes based on a lack of character and integrity. 

I encourage all parents of color to get involved at your child’s school at some level.  More importantly, teach your child that God loves them, and He has an amazing plan for their future.

Cathy Daniels-Lee is a volunteer adult leader in the Youth Ministry at Genesis Baptist Church.  Currently, she teaches the new members’ class for youth and publishes the youth newsletter.  Cathy also has a website to help inform and engage parents of color.  Visit her website at parentsofcolornewsletter.com

2007 © Cathy Daniels Lee, All Rights Reserved

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