For decades, the Irish who lived in the vicinity of modern-day Frackville state prison in the coal regions of East Central Pennsylvania, were victims of racism and discrimination. Respectable people hated the Irish. They were called dirty, lazy and drunk. They were hated because they were Catholics who poured out broods of brats jacking up school taxes. In other words, "good Americans" looked down on the Irish. The Irish even had dangerous gangs like the Molly Maguires who wore dresses and murdered people. How times change! Now the victims are the oppressors. The Frackville prison is largely staffed by Irish descendants. "Me" this and "Me" that make up the majority of the guards force. You'd think they would be sensitive to racism, but many are worse than the bigots who oppressed their great grandfathers. And the Irish aren't the only oppressive prison guards. Other ethnic groups are equally oppressive. Frankly the lesbian guards, the blacks and the Latinos are the least bad. Similarly, a few guards at Frackville as well as at other Pennsylvania prisons, are decent persons who do a respectable job without prejudices. The problem is that they are vastly outnumbered by thugs and bullies. The other day one of the "Micks" (meaning Irish), a notorious bully, was raving at a scrawny black prisoner. The "Mick," a guard sergeant inflated with self-importance, was threatening and blustering. He bragged that he would lie on a "write-up" or misconduct report in order to get the young black man punished. The scene was straight from the plantation, overseer demeaning the darky. The "massa" was an Irish thug. Such incidents against Afro-American prisoners are rather rare at Frackville. The Frackville prison staff is pretty much afraid of the blacks so they're cautious with them. In fact, as a group, the guards are cowards, afraid of almost everything. And not just the "Micks." Almost all the guards are afraid. A prisoner can't have a plastic clothes hanger for his jacket. That's way too scary! (Ask McPeerer.) The Frackville prison staff hates blacks. They discriminate against the blacks in many ways. But the staff seldom confronts the blacks with open slurs. They're afraid. It's different with the growing population of Hispanic prisoners. The staff, Mick and otherwise, look down on the Hispanics. The guards openly scorn Hispanics. The guards aren't as scared of them as of the blacks. As a result, epithets are common. Guards who struggle just to speak English, belittle prisoners who chatter in both Spanish and English. Frackville prison guards commonly accuse Hispanics as being "illegals" or of being "apple-pickers." They preach a hatred of "wetbacks" pretending that they take Americans' jobs and raise school taxes. Apparently the guards wish they were aliens being cheated cutting lettuce in a scorching field. Recently, the Frackville prison administration devised a way to get back to discriminating against Negroes. The administration's ploy would use the way the blacks dress. Black culture has some pretty silly standards of style, oversized shirts hanging like dresses, pants hanging off half-bare butts, stuff like that. But, face it, "American" culture is no less silly with its "acceptable" habits of dress. High heels and brassieres are absurd. No less ridiculous are neckties and athletic supporters. Styles of clothing and grooming are cultural. By discriminating against the style, the prison administration discriminates against the culture - the black culture. So, in order to attack the blacks without seeming to attack them (remember, the staff are gutless wonders), they attack the style of their dress. Pants can't hang precariously from buttocks, threatening to drop off. Shirts can't hang loosely like native African smocks. Underpants must never show. Wear your clothes like the whiteman, brother! That's the only decent way! Don't you inferior savages know that? Certainly, everyone has prejudices. Professionals are expected to sublimate those prejudices. Too many of the Frackville prison guards can't manage to do that. They pick on prisoners based on their race, their offense or even their physical limitations. The worst part is that the problem starts at the top of the prison administration; jerks at the top propagate jerks in the ranks. Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "Truth is strange, stranger than fiction." Lord Byron, 1819 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Glimpse of Prison Life Menu. Return to the Frackville Prison Menu. Return to the Main Menu. Go to our site's Search Engine. Send us Your Comments, Questions or Input.