BVI News

Innocent? Guilty? Not sure!

In the United States of America, it is estimated that, according to research, “1 out of 8 Black men in their 20s is in prison or jail, and, 1 out of 3 Black males born today is expected to go to prison”. In a report on the Caribbean Black man, Donald C. Peters, Ph.D. concludes that “Black males globally, appear to be in crisis…In the U.S there are 491,000 young black males in prison, while only 473,000 black students in college…The Caribbean is also experiencing its share of male underachievement…however, all is not lost”.

According to the Peters report, the situation in the Caribbean has a fair chance to be turned around. He says: “The Caribbean population is smaller than other black centers of the world, therefore the region is more able to modify current male behavior through education and societal value changes. The task may take a while but if the issue is brought into the forefront of discourse, in the end, positive change and compromise will prevail.”

Indeed, if one studies the statistics on incarceration in the U.S and in the Caribbean, one cannot fail to see the highly visible presence of the Black male, even in a population where he is deemed a racial minority, like in the U.S. But as Peters suggests, the situation in the Caribbean, where Blacks are in the majority, it is up to Blacks to lead the change challenges that can turn things around.

The three main areas cited as cause for concern among Caribbean Black men, “where black males are perceived to be losing ground” are: 1. Failure to recognize and uphold the nuclear family, 2. Failure to maintain monogamous relations, and 3. Failure to remain on par in the area of education and employment with females. These three areas are at the heart of a man’s, any man’s manhood. His family “nuclear” (wife and children), his education/skills/training/discipline/calling, and his economic status or how much money he makes. It is not coincidental that the reason for many men to end up in jail has to do with some aspect of these three areas.

Breaking it down, a man is at risk for spending time in jail if he doesn’t plan his family and ends up with children that he cannot or refuses to support financially. He is at risk if he does not take care of his family in a morally protective way; if he is abusive, he can spend time in jail for that. If he is fails to control his sexual behavior and interferes with under-aged females, he is at risk for serving jail time. This also speaks to the issue of fidelity and monogamy since it is likely that sex offenders do have spouses or other female partners. And surely, employment ensures an income. Unemployed males are at risk for stealing, robbing and conducting illicit trade in order to make a living. This too, is also a sure path to a dead-end jail cell. Employment is linked to one’s education and training or skills, therefore, the under-educated, and unskilled are at a higher risk of unemployment and are more likely to be the desperate criminals struggling to survive.

To the Prisoner

If you are in prison or have been (or about to face that possibility), it would be wise to sit and ponder on the reasons for your dilemma.

Some prisoners refuse to admit their role in their imprisonment. They blame the system, the lawyer, the judge and the jury. They claim that they are a victim. While in some cases where racial profiling may lead to unfair imprisonment such claims may be justifiable, one should also recognize other factors that may have landed you where you are in the first place.

7 Reasons why you may still be saying “I’m Innocent”:

1. Youth is a time of folly for some young people. You do things sometimes without even thinking whether it is wrong or right, or you may not care who thinks ill of you. You are a risk-taker and you do not consider that one day you may run out of luck.
2. You have a false sense of entitlement. You think your parents or others (the world) owe you something so you can depend on them to give you what you ask for without any accountability on your part. When things don’t go your way you turn to criminal behavior. Such a false sense of entitlement makes you careless.
3. You are easily led by others (peers, a spouse, close friend, or “older advisor” who leads you into wrong-doing. You ought to take responsibility for your own actions.
4. You do not think about what is best for you in the long term. You look for easy/quick fixes to problems that may take a while to resolve.
5. Dishonesty and lack of conscience. You think you can fool others and get what you want. You do not consider the negative consequences of your actions. You do not think of the impact of your actions on others, or who you might hurt while pursuing your immediate goals.
6. You do not apply the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
7. You do not “Man up” to your mistakes. Blaming others is a normal thing for you. You are in denial of your real problems, whether you are struggling with an addiction (drug, alcohol, money, sex, food, gambling etc.), or have certain personality traits that undermine your success in the real world, that you need to work on and overcome.

Change is possible

It is optimism that drives the process of change. One must be willing to make the effort, but first one has to internalize and rationalize why change is necessary. It is one thing to be sentenced to serve time in prison, but that sentence should not be the beginning of a career in jail. One hopes to return to a normal life in society, and for this reason, one must mentally prepare oneself and make the changes in one’s perspective on life. First, acknowledge that God has a plan for your life, and it is to serve others, and be a positive role model to others. Think of how your life experience can make you a better person.

The Word of God says: If any man be in Christ, he becomes a new creature. You hold the key to that new creature, with God’s help. You can become the head corner stone in fixing your broken relationships with your family. But first, you must rehabilitate yourself. Be willing to learn, be humble and seek the help you need. Be willing to work hard, and demonstrate the positive in you. God will provide.

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