Urban Intellectuals, I come to you today with an issue that affects our community more than you really know.  Yes we have gone beyond the days of being hung from trees and given death sentences for looking at white women. We have also let the world know that you cannot persecute/punish us without fair and just trial. We have come a long way since those days of racial injustice and turmoil. However the problem now is affecting us on more of a sub dermal level.

The problem that I speak of is the criminal justice system and the life sentences that they give to young minority men and women for minor to no fault crimes. It seems like I am some over militant zealot who feels “the man” is out to get us, but here me out. One thing that we must consider is the loose description of what a felony is. The second is the actual effects of what charging someone with a felony entails, and then assess why this type of judgment in most cases is a miscarriage of justice, becoming a life sentence.

Per the dictionary via the law library of Harvard Law, Felony- “a crime sufficiently serious to be punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison, as distinguished from a misdemeanor which is only punishable by confinement to county or local jail and/or a fine. 2) a crime carrying a minimum term of one year or more in state prison, since a year or less can be served in county jail. However, a sentence upon conviction for a felony may sometimes be less than one year at the discretion of the judge and within limits set by statute. Felonies are sometimes referred to as “high crimes” as described in the U. S. Constitution.” This is the legal definition for this type of crime across the nation. People are charged with felonies every day, from murder, to high level conspiracy to commit major crimes.

The idea of something like this happening is nothing new to American culture. However the definition varies from the general definition. A crime that is considered a felony can now range anywhere from murder, stealing over $1,000 to stealing a pack of gum from a national chain store, to selling a military grade helmet on Craig’s list. The law is open for interpretation yes, however I feel as if at this point it has been convoluted and saturated in a system that is driven by racism and hatred. Minority men are consistently charged with these so called “felonies”. The rate of minorities who have been arrested with these minor felonies is alarming. I understand they don’t carry jail time nor do they punish the offender that severely on the surface, but in the end it is a life sentence.

Once a person has any felony record whatsoever, the likely hood of that person landing a job has decreased by 87%. The reason being is that nearly every single major corporation has a rule that every employee MUST pass a criminal background check in order for them to be eligible for employment. Most will over look a few misdemeanors and parking tickets. However the felony is a virtual death sentence in the cooperate world. It is a blemish, or rather a horrific maiming on one’s character and worth in the eyes of employers. People become second class citizens when this occurs. Not only are jobs scarce, but so is housing, and voting rights. A person with a felony will be excluded from obtaining a home loan or being able to close on a home simply for being a felon. It’s a discrimination that is all too often glossed over, and happens frequently. How does anyone expect a felon to “turn their lives around” when they are under this type of scrutiny? The debt to society has been paid right? Wrong. It is only the beginning.

Voting then becomes a struggle. Due to your felony conviction you do not have the right to vote for city council much less the president of the US. There are restrictions for leaving the country… With a felony conviction can keep you from obtaining a passport is now impossible so that you cannot go elsewhere to create a better life for yourself. Now hmm… Let’s reexamine this. 1. You are not allowed to work any job other than that of the lower pay scale. 2. You may not own a home or live in certain communities. 3. You may not leave the country. 4. You do not have the right to vote. 5. These conditions shall exist for the remainder of your natural life. So from here I am sitting that’s oppression, slavery, and segregation all rolled into 1 ugly system. Now, I am not saying that some people don’t deserve this way of life for doing wrong. However the punishment does not fit the crime in many ways.

One kid in the military who fought in Iraq was wounded after a mortar hit his tank and his leg was blown off. He returned home and was receiving care from the VA. On a whim he decided to sell a pair of night vision goggles on Craig’s list. Selling government military grade property is an automatic felony. Because of this now 19 year old kid was not only dishonorably discharged from the military, but was forced to relinquish his military benefits. He now is a wounded veteran that cannot find a job. He also cannot collect SSI because his injury does not exist on the books with the US government because of his discharge. He must now spend the rest of his life living with the unholy mark of FELON for the remainder of his days. Is this how we treat those who fought for our freedoms? Is this how we treat anyone who we call citizen? Apparently in America we do. This desperately needs to be reformed. No minor crime is worth the sentence of being 2^nd class for the remainder of your life. People will blame them and say they should have not done wrong in the first place. Yet the same people fear accountability for the words they say and things they do, hiding behind the “faceless” internet.

The situation is this. They keep this system in place to keep us all at arm’s length. If the turn us into the 2^nd class then they will not have to face us in their daily lives. That’s why this happens, and it is also why it must change. I will go on forever about this UI so I will stop to give you a chance to respond. What say you about these passive aggressive life sentences that are given out? It’s your turn Urban Intellectuals… Go.