Minorities And The
Pennsylvania Prisons


By T.S. Evaline

Blacks comprise 9.2% of the Pennsylvania population, but 57.3% of the prison population! Black guards comprise only 3% of the prison work force. Hispanics comprise 2% of the Pennsylvania population, 13% of the prison population and less than 1% of the guard force.

Numbers are bloodless; without human emotion, but it should be obvious that things are way out of balance. One out of every 28 black males are in state prison but only one out of 506 white males are in state prison. Any given black male is 18 times more likely to be in state prison than a white male. Why?

When you look at lifetimes, about one out of four black males will have spent time in prison during his lifetime!

When you look at prison staffs in Pennsylvania, the figures are just as lopsided, but in the opposite direction. White masters oppress black prisoners. Guards are 93% white! There are few minority guards except in places for show; to create the illusion of minority representation. There is one black guard for every 45 black prisoners. There is one white guard for every 1.2 white prisoners.

There are few minorities in positions of rank. One source suggests that there may be tampering with Civil Service Tests or scoring. "A telephone call can be made," the source suggests, implying that the prisons can promote the people they please over the persons with the best qualifications. But, obviously, if there is only a handful of bottom tier employees, there's a small pool from which promotions can be made.

One thing for sure, Pennsylvania prisons are in white, rural areas. They are welfare work projects for the yokels who would otherwise have to struggle like big city blacks. By building in rural areas three goals are achieved. White populations are subsidized. Rural Republicans are paid off with city tax money and white masters dominate the new generation of slaves far from help or even visits from their families in the cities.

Black guards and administrators would likely have an effect on crime by black men. Firstly, they would be something of role models and a contrast to the widely held view that a black man must turn to crime to survive and to fit into his culture. Secondly, minority staff has a much better and more personal grasp of what it means to be a minority. They would seem to be in a better position to both relate with the black prisoners and to influence them.

The situation with Hispanics is even more extreme. An Hispanic man will almost certainly go to prison. Whole classes and whole races of people shouldn't just be swept into the new slavery to benefit the rural white Republicans who profit from oppressing them. Steps should be taken to PREVENT men going to prison and there should be a lot less focus on the white mania for punishment. People should benefit one another.


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