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More than 60 teens watched a fight between Khaseen Morris and a group of other students. Morris was stabbed and eventually died - turning the video on the teens’ phones, and posted to Snapchat, into evidence of a murder. 

“I would hope... students would break up fights, not just stand there and video,” said Tim Winter, a school district Superintendent. But it’s not that simple.

Some school administrators, and lawmakers, want filming fights to be illegal - but that would be unconstitutional.

Jessica St. Louis was released at 1:30am from Santa Rita jail without money or a phone. It’s two miles from the nearest public transit station, which doesn’t start operating until 5am anyway.

Four hours later, she was found dead.

She’s not alone. Hundreds of women are released late at night from prisons and jails daily. Part of this is because of how they’re funded.

A corrections officer in Charlotte, MI got charged for stealing an inmate’s property during booking. It also recently happened in Liberty, TX and Homewood, AL - and in countless jails across the country.

What’s going on?

Anyone booked into a jail in the United States has to surrender all of their belongings. They’re supposed to get everything back when they make bail or are released - but it doesn’t always happen.

Not only do many have their belongings “lost” or stolen, but a recent exposé in Philadelphia also showed a similar way jails abuse inmates.

When it’s time to leave prison you might be in the middle of nowhere. Say you’re released from some facility far from where you’re from. You’re going to need a ride, somewhere to go, food, and more. Some prisons give those they release a little money, but here’s what’s wrong. 

California passed a bill that BANS for-profit prison facilities, and it’s great news. Private prisons mix money with the prison system in more ways than one and add an incentive for people to see us locked up! Now, what’s happening in California should inspire us all. 

California was huge for private prisons, with “more than 2,200 people… held in such facilities as of June” as reported by Vice. The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, who said “it was a stand against companies that ‘only care about the almighty dollar.’” We need more like it!

You have the right to remain SILENT. You’ve probably heard that before, but that’s because it’s true, and it’s YOUR RIGHT. You can make a request to speak with your lawyer and not say anything else. This is just one of the important things to remember if you’re getting arrested.

Anything you say to the police WILL be used AGAINST you. So, it’s better to say nothing than give incorrect information or possibly incriminate yourself, even if you didn’t do anything wrong. You have the right to a local phone call, and police shouldn’t be listening in on your conversation. 

If you end up behind bars, there are some important things you MUST remember. As Black people, we are more at risk than others to end up in prisons and jails. Since our imprisonment happens disproportionately, knowing our rights may make a difference in a bad situation.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees rights to prisoners. If you’re locked up, you have a right to the following: food, medical care (including mental health care), a safe and humane facility, and safety from sexual crimes and excessive force. You have the right to complain too! 

Because around 70% of children are born to unwed Black mothers, a stereotype has long persisted that Black fathers are absent. But it’s far more complex than that...

Marriage doesn’t equal presence. Many Black fathers continue to co-parent through cohabitation, visitation, caretaking, and financial support. In fact, statistics show that, among men who live with their children, 78% of Black fathers fed or ate meals with their children daily, compared to 64% of Hispanic and 74% of white dads.

Protestors have rights, and since we as Black people have so much to protest against, it’s mandatory we know what those rights are. There are things we should be aware of so that our right to take a stand is done safely, effectively, and without us being taken advantage of.