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The Correctional System
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The Correctional System - Akil Hashim
world music jazz spoken word soundtrack soundtracks political advocate progressive jazz economics akil hashim
Artist picture
A blend of funk, jazz, Latin with a wide variety of influences from Indian to flamenco, and from reggae to classical, with swinging into rock overtones.
The Akil Hashim Symbiosis project. (Being formed now)
Song Info
Genre
World • World Fusion
Charts
Peak #34
Peak in subgenre #8
Author
Akil Hashim
Rights
2004
Uploaded
February 27, 2006
Track Files
MP3
MP3 7.0 MB • 256 kbps • 3:50
Story behind the song
I had remembering listening to a speech by Jesse Jackson years ago about the correctional system and how it relates to the current system today.
Lyrics
This is for all the brothers and sisters incarcerated in America. Many years ago I was listening to Jesse Jackson talk about the correctional system. There were trends then. The size of the correctional system today is approximately 2 million inmates, including a few extra detained individuals after September 11. I just say, let’s see, whom they have corrected. I measure that in the recidivism rate, those who go back to jail after you’ve been there once. More and more I see economically disadvantaged individuals going in and out of the system like a ping pong ball. I call it the revolving door effect. Sometimes it’s only a matter of hours and they’re back in. And then politicians come to you and say they need more jails (money, taxes) to be human to our prisoners. Follow the money Did anyone look for root cause? Be cheaper just to send them to Harvard. Here are a few facts you may find interesting, State’s spending on prisons have grown far faster than on universities. The united states is spending an average of $7,000.00 per year to educate a youth and over $35,000.00 to lock up a youth. Operating prisons this year (2001) will cost about $46 billion dollars. 65% of all prisoners are high school dropouts. 70% are functionally illiterate. And 63% recidivate. We are becoming a nation of first class jails and second class schools. African Americans represent a 15% of regular drug users, compared to 67% for whites and 13% for Hispanics. Yet African Americans make up 35% of those arrested for drug possession, 55% of drug convictions and 74% of those sent to prison for drug possession. Why? I ask you why? Why? The Federal Bureau of Prisons say’s overcrowding is expected to reach 34% system-wide by the end of fiscal year 2001.
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Ascenzion - Al Massey
Oct 19, 2011
Well said....