EP: 12 - The Injustice of Kerry Lathan

According to Michelle Alexander, author of the New Jim Crow, more black men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began. The recent Kerry Lanthan incarceration demonstrates how our criminal justice system is applied in ways that is oppressive to black men without regard for whether it is making us safer or rehabilitating people. The most logical explanation may be that the ideal of a fair administration of justice by the criminal justice system is undermined by the scars from America never fully dealing with the issues of race and negative stereotypes around black men/women. Many know Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed but most don't know there were two others who were shot as well. Kerry Lathan was one of these people and he was arrested for violating his parole terms. His violation - simply meeting with Nipsey to look for opportunities to work (because of Nipsey’s historic gang affiliation). Nipsey had long ago left gang life and was in fact actively working with community leaders to reduce gang violence. Yet, he was still seen as nothing more than a former felon by our system. Hence, Lanthan was arrested after being shot while trying to find employment. Kerry Lathan’s arrest is an example of everything that is wrong with our criminal justice system because it illustrates the system not just failing to offer real opportunities for reintegration, but actively preventing one from seeking such an opportunity out for themselves. There are thousands of Kerry Lathan’s being sent to jail because of our system is not sufficiently focused on rehabilitation and the provision of opportunity, and essentially promotes recidivism by default.