Prisoners Have Had Enough

Prisoners have had enough. Not only do their human rights get violated, they go through so much abuse and cruelty in jail. 

In a piece by writer Nikky Finney in the book Like a Hammer: Poets on Mass Incarceration, she talks about the heartbreaking story of George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who was wrongly accused of assaulting two white girls. Even though there was no evidence, the police pressured him into confessing a crime he didn’t commit, using threats and violence. George was never given a chance to speak up or explain himself. He was quickly sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair, all before he even had a chance to defend himself in a real trial. The poem shows how, even though this happened years ago, the injustice is still a reminder of how the justice system treats Black people, especially when they’re falsely accused. George’s story is just one example of how the system has failed Black people, and Finney calls attention to how little has changed in the years since his death.

Fast forward to today, and we see more examples of police and correctional officers mistreating people of color. A more recent case is that of Messiah Nantwi, a 22-year-old at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York. He was reportedly being beaten by officers, and as he pleaded with them to stop, saying things like, “I didn’t do nothing!” and “Stop! You’re really hurting me!” Tthe officers ignored him. A lawsuit filed about this incident claims that high-ranking officials knew about the abuse and violent treatment of prisoners but did nothing to stop it. Even with the officers and officials being aware of this abuse, the mistreatment continued, and Nantwi received no justice.

This case, just like George Stinney Jr.’s, shows that people in power have been turning a blind eye to the ongoing abuse within the system. The fact that Messiah’s cries for help were ignored points to a much bigger problem that still exists today. It raises the important question: how many more cases like this have been silenced or covered up by the very people who are supposed to protect us!? Despite the years that have passed, it seems like justice is still hard to come by, especially for those who are opposed.