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Charles Jordan Course: English 102 Assignment: Make-up/ Finals/ Extra Credits IS THERE SYSTEMIC RACISM AT CALIFORNIA PAROLE BOARDS? (Why Do People of Color and African American Black Males Do More Timem Than Whites?) Charles Jordan (A.K.A. Ansar s/c Wasafi) is an African-American Black Male (AABM) Prisoner of Conscious, whe has served 47 years on a 7-Life sentence for which he has been eligible for parole since 1979. He has appeared before the Parole Board (PB) over 17-times only to be be denied most recently (03/14/19) for reasons that defy all legal, moral, logical, or intelligent reasoning; therefore the questions have been raised; “are People of Color (POC) being disporportionately denied parole for longer periods of time than whites? And if so, is it directly related to systemic racism?" Not only is the answer to these questions a resounding "YES" but the PB is actively concealing these facts from the public entities responsible for investigating such questions, consequently AABM are by design dying in prison in spite of evidence to support their suitability to be successfully reintergrated into the mainstream of society - the reasons for this is as follows: RACIAL PROFILING: Historically the PB has always denied parole to AABM/POC in disporportionate numbers compared to non-minority groups. This is being done irrespective of facts regarding the offense, age, reform, and strides towards correctional rehabilitation. Prior to the 60s the PB was composed of ultra-reactionary commissioners who were required to have training in criminology to sit on the PB. It should come as no surprise that most (if no all) criminologists prior to the 60s held core beliefs taught by "positivist criminologists" who postulated "criminals are atavists from birth, hence throw-backs to an earlier stage of human evolution." Criminologists such as Cesare Lombroso and Ferrero held a theory that "Criminals were less hightly evolved than law-abiding citizens and that they could be recognized by distinctive physical traits that he considered commen among savages and apes and the coloured races." Though Charles Goring challenged these theories with sound scientific refutation, they are still being taught in the field of criminology today [Crime, Justice, and Society, by Ronald J. Berger, Marvin D. Free Jr., and Patricia Searles, pages 89-91]. The fact these priminitive theories were never deleted from college texts serves the latent function of influencing the minds and aeoketens of California Commissioners today, i.e. based on the aforementioned approved college texts "the coloured races have distinctive physical traits common among savages and apes," (Page 89-91) why would - commissioners who has studied such core beliefs not be biased against AABMs appearing before them? POLITICAL PROFILING: During the 60s, 70s, and 80s the PB begin to regard POC in general, and AABMs in particular as "Political Prisoners" to the degree they had believed to be indoctrinated by the Black Power Movement of the 60s and subsequently by the Prison Reform Movement of the early 70s as inspired by George and Jonathan Jackson. Indeed one would be hard pressed to find a single AABM incarcerated during that period who wasn't somehow sympathetic to the Prison Reform Movement of that time which was a very powerful and effective force in effecting radical and positive changes in the CDC system. Generally the PB Commissioners viewed these prisoners as proponents of Marxist and Black Nationalist which automatically made them an adversary to the status quo and a threat to society, hence they should never be considered suitable for parole." This practice became known as the "Duke" and "Davis" doctrine which some referred to as the "no parole policy" and "genocide by prison" by those in the African American Community (The Burning Spear Newspaper 1979 page #3) PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: During the Davis, Duke, and Swartzenegger Administration the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) grew to become a major economic resources using POC as modern day slave- workers. In 1989 Mr. Jordan worked two years in the textile (PIA) factory making winter jackets at 55¢ per hour producing over 1800 jackets per day which sold in the free world for over $48 per jacket. Clearly it wasn't in the best economic interests of the ruling Class prisoncrates to ever let anyone go they didn't have to. At the of the second millennium the prison population started experiencing a major change in the mentality of prisoners sent to prison resulting in a dramatic: decline in the social, political, and spiritual consciousness that helped to fuel the reform movement; however, there was still a very gratuitous disdain for those undesirable reformed prisoners who dared to survive and grow in spite of extra-ordinary adversities. These prisoners profound strides towards rehabilitation under impossible circumstances caused them to be viewed as some form of mutagenic creation by an extreme oppression machine therefore they pose an unpredictable threat to society, hence Jordan and many others are still in the midst of an extended period of extreme incarceration decades beyond their eligible release date of 02/08/80. As of this date Jordan has served 47 years on a 7-Life sentence for a crime he was forced to take full responsibility for in spite of the fact both the Govenor and Legislators say he can no longer be found guility of under SB-1437. SB-1437 was passed retroactively, and it was the 7th law passed since the 80s that says Jordan and others in his category should either be released or have their convictions overturned, e.g. 1) The Wheeler/Baston law regarding the illegality of using all-white-juries to convict Blacks accused of crimes against white victim. 2) MERD, which says prisoners should be released after a give period of time served. 3) Youth Offender Law for those convicted prior to the age of 18-21. 4) Elderly Law for those 55 and older. 5) Compassionate Release for those suffering terminal illness who was not sentenced to death. 6) People VS. William Palmer for those who have been incarcerated for a period that constitutes Cruel and Unusual Punishment. And 7) is regarding SB-1437 which states there can no longer be convictions under the Felony-Murder- Rule for murder unless they planned or actually committed a murder. At Jordan's most recent PB hearing on 03/14/19 he was denied parole in spite of the PB acknowledging the following, i.e. 1) Good parole Plans. 2) Marketable Job Skills. 3) Would likely function within the law if released. It should be noted that the laws of California dictates that if a prisoner is not a threat of safety to society then he should be released at his/her earliest possible release date. When the PB stated on the record they believed he would function within the law if released, then ultimately state he is an unpredictable threat to society, therefore unsuitable for parole is the part that defy all logic. The question of logic is: "how can a person function within the law and still be considered a threat to society?!" Such is apparantly the logic of the PB when it comes to AABM/POC. Recently a research project attempted to do a scientific study regarding various aspects of incarceration and parole regarding different ethnic groups. The PB was petitioned to provide data in the records in re ethnic groups and parole, however the PB Commissioners "stone-wall" the researchers and refused to provide the data ("The San Francisco Chronocle Friday May 22nd, 2020 Page B2 article entitled "Prison Stonewalling by Megan Cassidy"). The reasons the PB would not turn over the requested data is obvious, there are over 800 Prisoners Of Conscious" illegally detained for no other reason than their race and political awareness. The PB Commissioners have been trained by the approved schools of so-call higher learning to be biased towards POC who come before them. The level of "professional bias" by these commissioners only exceeded by the reprehensible actions of a system that allow text-books to trigger their actions via printing outdated positivist criminologist theories, which not only give inescapable answers to this essay's opening questions, but more importantly explains the reasons why. Written by Charles Jordan Inspired by "HK" Sept., 4th, 2020 I certify that I am over the age of 21 and that I am the author of the aforementioned submission (essay/article) Sept., 4th, 2020 entitled "IS THERE SYSTEMIC RACISM AT CALIFORNIA PAROLE BOARDS" to which I give my permission to edit/publish/ distribute all are in part. I also certify that all of the contents of the essay/article is true and correct to the best of my ability except for those matters 2 stated under "Information & Belief" and to those matters I believe to be true also. I so declare. Executed this 13th day of October at Mule Creek State Prison in the City of Ione, in the County of Amador in the year 2020. CHARLES JORDAN : DATE 10/13/20 lifers4life.com / iris.cathey@gmail.com
