The Interrupters Documentary
The documentary “The Interrupters” explores the reality of crime and violence within the African American community. It makes it clear that this community has lost countless lives to senseless violence and criminal activity. In this documentary, the “interrupters” refer to a group of young African American men who have served time in prison and have committed their lives following their release to ending the scourge of cyclic violence that has plagued the black community (James, 2011). These interrupters leverage their own experiences and struggles with crime to offer guidance to young men and women who are at risk of being drawn into crime and a life of violence. Essentially, the documentary underscores the important role that former criminals can play in leading the young away from the path of violence and crime.
According to the documentary, the history of the Interrupters can be traced to 2004. During this time, such organizations as the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention were working tirelessly to rid the city of Chicago of the problem of violence that had claimed so many lives and ushered an age of terror and fear (James, 2011). Leaders of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention would go on to establish the Interrupters program as part of their efforts to protect the youth of Chicago against the untold harm and hardship that violence and crime causes. All founding members of the interrupters program has had some painful experience with crime. For example, while some of these individuals have been convicted for violent crimes, others are the children of former criminals (James, 2011). Essentially, this initiative represents the vision of a few bold individuals who felt that they have a personal obligation to combat runaway crime in Chicago.
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To achieve their objectives, the interrupters employ numerous tactics. First, they speak with at-risk youth and other groups about their struggle with crime. For example, one of the founding members of the organization describes how he was drawn into crime as a young man. He offers vivid details regarding how crime stripped him of his youth. The different members rely on their personal experiences to highlight the dangers that crime poses to the young men and women of Chicago who are most vulnerable and are often recruited by criminal gangs (James, 2011). The interrupters illustrate that personal stories are a powerful tool for promoting compliance with the law and collaboration between communities and law enforcement agencies.
Another approach that the interrupters employ in their quest to rid Chicago of crime is by serving as mentors. Essentially, the interrupters identify particular individuals who are grappling with such hardships as poverty and guides them toward the path of recovery and away from violent crime. They particularly target youth in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago and provide guidance with the hope that the young individuals will reject crime and instead join the organization in its mission of eradicating violence and criminal activity in Chicago (James, 2011). Essentially, the interrupters set out to create hope and to inspire a new generation of young individuals who will become agents of peace and security in the city.
The interrupters clearly understand that in order to eliminate crime in Chicago, they must go beyond merely engaging individuals. As the documentary makes clear, the interrupters also push such stakeholders as legislators to take action. For example, the documentary portrays the interrupters working closely with communities in holding demonstrations (James, 2011). The purpose of the demonstrations is to raise awareness and generate action. While the documentary does not reveal whether these strategies are effective, one can expect that thanks to the Interrupters, Chicago is inching closer toward becoming a safe city.
The New Jim Crow
In her book, Michelle Alexander reflects on the hardships that African Americans continue to endure. In particular, she sheds light on how the American criminal justice system undermines the efforts by the members of the black community to find liberation. In fact, Alexander (2012) argues that even after their release from correctional institutions, African Americans are never completely free. This statement rings regrettably true. There are many problems that African American ex-convicts face when they rejoin their communities. For example, in some states in the US, ex-convicts are not permitted to vote (Klumpp et al., 2019). As a result of the laws that disenfranchise them and renders them unable to participate in the electoral process, ex-felons are unable to express their support for candidates who could help them to overcome the stranglehold that the correctional system maintains over their lives. For example, it is impossible for these individuals to vote for candidates who promise to lift the restrictive voting laws or tackle the issues that drive African Americans into criminal activity. Therefore, as Alexander (2012) contends, African American ex-felons cannot expect to experience true or complete freedom.
Alexander (2012) does not exaggerate when she argues that the restrictions imposed on ex-felons forces them to return to the life of crime. It is indeed true that the ex-felons, especially African Americans, face many hardships that increase their risk of re-offending. For example, these individuals struggle to find employment as many employers are anxious and reluctant to hire people with criminal records (Jones, 2021). Unemployed, these individuals resort to criminal activity. Essentially, the American criminal justice and the correctional systems have established a cycle of offending that traps many African American ex-felons. The experiences of these individuals are a manifestation of the legacy of the Jim Crow era which created conditions that continue to make it difficult for African Americans to thrive. If the US is truly committed to guaranteeing social justice, it should take steps toward reforming the criminal justice system.
To clearly understand the truth and validity of the assertions that Alexander (2012) presents in her book, one simply needs to consider the failure by the American criminal justice system to ensure that before they are integrated back into their communities, ex-felons are provided with the skills that they need to make meaningful contributions and shun crime. For example, some ex-felons have reported being issued with just bus fare. The experiences of these individuals help to shed light on how the US has neglected the prison population and is not doing enough to support those who have served their time. Since they account for a disproportionate portion of the prison population, African Americans continue to bear the brunt of under-investment in the welfare of ex-felons. The US should heed the recommendations that Alexander (2012) offers and act swiftly to improve the correctional system through criminal justice and law enforcement reforms.
The stigma associated with conviction is another issue that highlights the hardships that ex-felons endure. According to Moore et al. (2016), stigma and discrimination directed at ex-felons is alarmingly prevalent among communities in the US. Moore et al. (2016) observe that as part of their efforts to cope with the stigma that they face, the ex-felons turn to substance abuse and criminality. For example, consider the case of a young ex-felon who has been rejected by their family and community. It would not be surprising if this individual rejoins their gang that promises to accept him. This example clearly demonstrates that being convicted leaves a permanent stain that ex-felons are unable to erase.
Exploring Root Causes of Incarceration of African Americans
It is true that the African American community accounts for a disproportionately high share of the American prison population. For example, while the entire community makes up just 12% of the nation’s population, African Americans comprise as much as 33% of the inmate population (Gramlich, 2020). This situation can be blamed on the racist criminal justice and law enforcement policies that the US has implemented over the years. For example, the war on drugs is among the policies that have been blamed for the mass incarceration of African Americans. While it was presented as an intervention designed to rid American communities of the substance use problem, the war on drugs particularly targeted communities of color (Boyd, 2001). For example, despite using such drugs as marijuana at similar rates as whites, African Americans are significantly more likely to be arrested and convicted. Therefore, the high number of African American inmates today is the result of unnecessary and clearly racist criminal justice policies and programs.
Another issue that can be blamed for the over-representation of the black community in America’s correctional institutions is the excessive policing of African American neighborhoods. For example, various experts have determined that these communities usually have a heavy police presence (Desmond-Harris, 2015). Essentially, police officers are more likely to be deployed to black neighborhoods even when there is no evidence that criminal activity is being undertaken in these areas. The American policing process is clearly biased against African Americans. It is therefore not surprising that the members of this community face a higher threat of incarceration.
To further understand the racism that continues to plague the American criminal justice and policing systems, one needs to consider the data. Statistics show that the rate of crime committed by African Americans is not necessarily high than the crimes that whites perpetrate. In fact, most offenders responsible for violent crime are white. For example, according to the Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2020), of the 10 million arrests for violent and other offenses reported in 2019, in more than 7 million of these cases, the offenders were from the white community. This data clearly illustrates that the American criminal justice system targets African Americans for persecution.
Racial profiling is yet another issue that helps to explain the racist undertones of the American criminal justice system. Experts and scholars agree that African Americans are among the major victims of racial profiling by law enforcement officials (Wilson et al., 2015). In fact, there have even been instances where police officers have shot dead unarmed black men that they believed posed a danger to their safety. For example, recently, Derek Chauvin, the police officer involved in the death of George Floyd was convicted of murder and is now awaiting sentencing. The case of Floyd illustrates how the American criminal justice system portrays African Americans as threats. It is little wonder that the black community has a large number of its members in different correctional facilities across the country.
Whereas it is true that racism within the criminal justice system is the primary cause of the over-representation of African Americans in correctional institutions, there is a need to acknowledge that this problem has some other causes. For example, as Sampson et al. (2005) observed, such factors as poverty play an important role in pushing African Americans toward criminal activity. Faced with hopelessness and deprivation, some members of this community are forced to turn to crime. However, it should be understood that racism remains the key driver of the unfair incarceration of African Americans.
Advice on Shunning Crime
Dear Rodney and Dude,
It is with deep sorrow that I write this letter. I hope that the letter challenges you to reflect on the paths that you have chosen and inspires you to make changes to your lives. I join your families in raising concerns about your choices and in pleading with you to institute appropriate remedies. If you stay on the course that you have taken, I guarantee that your lives will be short and empty. Through this letter, I seek to shed light on three practical solutions that you can adopt as you seek to become productive, promising and law-abiding members of your communities.
I understand that you have encountered hardships that have pushed you to crime. I also recognize that the criminal justice system has failed and persecuted you. However, I beseech you to realize that blame-shifting will not yield any positive outcomes. My first piece of advice is that you should seek to reconnect with your families and your communities. As a result of your criminal activity, your relationship with your families have become strained. I truly pray that you will acknowledge that your families and communities are among the most important resources that you can leverage in your quest to abandon crime. In addition to providing support, your families are prepared to deliver guidance and accept you back. I therefore ask that you spare no time in reaching out to your families and mending your relationships. I promise that as you heed this advice, you will have taken the first steps toward reclaiming your lives and turning away from crime. I am confident that your families and communities are prepared and excited to welcome you back. Therefore, please make the right decision and try to rebuild the ties with your communities.
Another proposal that I would like to present to you is that you should seek opportunities to acquire skills and expand your knowledge base. As a result of the time that you have already spend behind bars, you have been unable to undergo proper learning. However, I am convinced that given your young age, you still possess the energy and drive to seek learning. I understand that within your communities, there are numerous organizations that are providing ex-felons with platforms to return to school. There are also some agencies that are working toward equipping individuals who have been released from correctional institutions with job skills. I urge you to take advantage of the resources and the opportunities that these organizations offer.
Lastly, I call upon you to seriously consider joining the different groups and organizations that are working to campaign against violence and crime. For example, in Chicago, the Interrupters is among the networks that are playing an important role in directing the youth away from crime and toward programs that allow them to unlock their full potential. I believe that as you become involved in the activities of such organizations, you will realize the tremendous strength and talent that you possess. More importantly, you will be able to impact the lives of other young men who face the risk of being drawn into the life of crime. I strongly feel that you have a remarkable opportunity to change the course of your own lives as well as those of other at-risk youth. Therefore, I challenge you to reflect on your choices and make the deliberate and conscious decision to turn away from crime. As your experiences must have already taught you, crime does not deliver any lasting benefits, and eventually, it shall steal your youth.
References
Alexander, M. (2012). The new Jim Crow. The New Press.
Boyd, G. (2001). The war on drugs is the new Jim Crow. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/other/drug-war-new-jim-crow
Desmond-Harris, J. (2015). Are black communities overpoliced or underpoliced? Both. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2015/4/14/8411733/black-community-policing-crime
Gramlich, J. (2020). Black imprisonment rate in the U.S. has fallen by a third since 2006. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/06/share-of-black-white-hispanic-americans-in-prison-2018-vs-2006/
James, S. (Director). (2011). The Interrupters. [Motion Picture]. United States: The Cinema Guild.
Jones, C. (2021). 'You just want to ... have a chance': Ex-offenders struggle to find jobs amid COVID-19 . USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/02/03/unemployment-ex-offenders-among-many-struggling-find-work/6656724002/
Klumpp, T., Mialon, H. M., & Williams, M. A. (2019). The voting rights of ex-felons and election outcomes in the United States. International Review of Law and Economics, 59, 40-56.
Moore, K. E., Stuewig, J. B., & Tangney, J. P. (2016). The effect of stigma on criminal offenders’ functioning: A longitudinal mediational model. Deviant Behavior, 37 (2), 196-218.
Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2020). Law enforcement & juvenile crime. https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/ucr.asp?table_in=2
Sampson, R. J., Morenoff, J. D., & Raudenbush, S. (2005). Social anatomy of racial and ethnic disparities in violence. American Journal of Public Health, 95 (2), 224-32.
Wilson, C. P., Wilson, S. A., & Thou, M. (2015). Perceptions of African American police officers on racial profiling in small agencies. Journal of Black Studies, 46 (5), 482-505.
