We've always been the targets

by Ronald Cook

(We've always been the targets)

WHAT IS RECECPTION, it's where you go to get processed into the New York State Prison System with no exception, (Target Acquired)

WHAT IS A DIN, it's when you're provided with a department identification number that serves as your official log in, (Maintain a Visual)

WHAT IS A STATE ISSUE, articles of clothing and other property given free of charge, to assist you while you serve time in general population's cells, rooms, cubes, and or yards, (More Targets Arrived)

CLASSIFICATION AND PLACEMENT, is dependent upon the sentence and the various facilities that your time computation corresponds to, maximum, medium, and minimum levels are designed (A) or (B) classes. Sentenced inmate are subject to, when they're not free. For example, Attica Corr. Facility, is a maximum (A), that's were your confined behind a very tall imposing wall, whereas, Eastern, is a maximum (B), nothing but barb wire fences, looking through to the parking lot, continuously, because that's what I used to do uneventfully,

(ON MY MARK....)

and when your classification drops, you can be transferred to a place like Fishkill, which is a medium (A), while Woodboure Corr. is a medium (B), and facilities like Queensboro, are minimun placement, where you can (Work Release) and walk around as if your free, (Targets Incarcerated...Over?)

SEE, the criminal justice system wasn't originally designed to accommodate this abberation of mass incarceration that boldly faces down this nation, new developments and dire revelations, expressed in Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow" She addresses a specific instance, (War on Drugs). She argues "In two short decades, between 1980 and 2000, the number of people incarcerated in our nation's prisons and jails soared from roughly 300,000 to more than 2 million, by the end of 2017, more than 7 million, Americans -- or one in every 31 adults-- were behind bars, on probation,or on parole". (P. 77) The system is broken systemically, incidentally, it's apart of that greatest story that's only been partially told, officially, as a memorable reminiscent,

GUILTY UNTILL PROVEN INNOCENT, Many hardliners say how can this be? it may sound like a parody, but its really not a joke, its like a dagger being held to ignorances throat, (WOW) We were the intended targets all along, we're being incarcerated, its happening everyday, unsuspecting dark skinned individuals are systematically wronged in legal courtrooms all day everyday, represented by ineffective advocates, who cut deals with D.A's in hidden backrooms for atleast 150.00 dollars a piece, getting their clients to take illegal pleas that will destroy there lives in the worst kind of ways, piece by piece, loved one's grieve by these documented tragedies, like paying exorbitant court fees for being wrongfully convicted, WHAT HAPPENED TO SEEKING TRUTH AND JUSTICE? its just us, they want our dark skinned bodies, this is to be our fate?

WHAT IS A SET TRIAL DATE, its an adversarial process, both sides may present evidence to rebut or establish the essential elements of an alleged crime filed against the accused, without due process he or she is un-rightfully abused, (We need more targets to acquire) they yell out blatantly, while they capture black bodies in an insatiable gluttony, a benefit to the captors of said bodies doomed, when will we figure out this is the end of the story, no sequel, BOOM... if we can abolish this brutal system of mass incarceration, we will have defeated a true evil, this is what we should be talking about people, kill it in its systemic form, its not the norm, it has always been our inability to envision, thats been our downfall, my freedom is what I so yearn above all, wrongful conviction is something I earned for being dark skinned, its never to late to exonerate, release the hate perpetrated against my dark skin, its just how I feel,

WHAT IS A DIRECT APPEAL, its when the judgment entered against you can be challenged in a higher court, The Appellate Divisions, a panel of co-conspirators who evaluate whether a defendant has received a so-called fair trial, or not, it supposedly acts to find whether substantial errors occurred, that violated rights you were never afforded to begin with, usually, your mouth piece is given an opportunity to orally argue that your issues warrant reversal of the conviction, did I mention, its for real, you got A.D.A's fighting against 440.10 motions like their lives depend upon the outcomes, the prejudice is found in the injurous lives the other's are forced to live in, proven guilty although being actually innocent, is an oxymoron, it can't be, the answer often eludes me, for years, so many tears shed, the failed motion briefs have been read, the legal avenues foreclosed upon and decidedly determined dead.

This is Mass incarceration at its finest, we need for it to be re-thought, it should be abolished, it bodes I'll for all of whom it effects, its like Tourettes syndrome, we can't stop the involuntary induced episodes through which mass incarceration has survived, we must now face the facts, we were and are captured because we lacked the skill to mentally defend, from said extremes that seek to maintain the status quo, thank goodness, knowledge is being made available, abolishonists' fight to repeal discriminatory laws and policies, obviously, we have to do the required work, just one voice in a sea of other's who are thinking just like me, we assert, collectively, let's end this era of Mass Slavery.... (DO YOU COPY, ALL INCARCERATED TARGETS ARE NOW FREE TO GO)...