California Prisons to Step Out of the 1950s
The United States has come a long way since December 1, 1955 when Rosa Parks was arrested for civil disobedience when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. The playing field is now level for all citizens, regardless of the color of their skin - or at least it should be.
To most people, racial segregation is a shameful part of United States history. However, a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor discussed modern day racial segregation in prisons in California. On July 1, 2008, California prisons will begin racial integration and no longer be able to house inmates based on the color of their skin or nationality.
It was reported that many guards and inmates fear that racial integration in the prison systems in California will spur waves of violence and gang-related activity. However, most prison systems in the United States are not racially biased and manage to keep things under control. Officials in favor of the racial integration say that any surge in prison violence will be short-lived and that the long term benefits far outweigh any perceived drawbacks.
Three states, including Oklahoma, still racially segregate prisoners. The changes in the California prison system stem from a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision. After July 1, the prisons in California will stop the practice of housing new arrivals according to a system that separates blacks, whites, Hispanics and "others."
California prison officials say that the segregated housing is only for the first 60 days that an inmate is in custody, and after that the prisons are largely integrated already. Dining halls, prison yards and permanent cell assignments are not racially segregated. They claim that the inmates self-segregate along racial and ethnic lines and are not forced to remain separate.
Prison officials say that they will integrate prisoners but new arrivals will still be screened to determine any gang affiliations, any history of racial violence and willingness to integrate. They will not house members of rival gangs together and any prisoner can refuse to integrate and accept the punishment for the refusal.
Texas prison systems were racially integrated in the 1990s. A study was conducted to determine the impact that the change had on prison violence. The study used 10 years of inmate-on-inmate assault data and determined that violence was reduced as a result of the integration.
Racial segregation, it would seem, creates racial tensions. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized this and now it is time for the prisons that are still caught in a 1950s time warp to catch up.
