There’s No Justice In The Law

by Lord Serious

Justice cannot be arrested by law. Justice cannot be confined to any statute. Whenever lawmakers attempt to codify justice, justice ceases to exist. The framers thought they captured it in the constitution, but that is no justice. That is only the imitation of justice. The narrow scope of the law is only a cheap replica of what lawmakers think justice should be. Do these man made laws truly serve the greater good? If so, then why do these public safety policies result in disparate treatment that makes disadvantage groups feel unsafe? When the law being implemented in the interest of justice serves only special interest; these laws aren’t just, they’re just the law.

Justice is an art, the law is a science. One is abstract and infinite while the other concrete and finite. It is justice that established the four seasons and equally divided time between day and night. It is the law that caused global warming and decides daylight savings time. The law’s limitation is that it can only impose penalties. But justice is boundless in its ability to grant rewards. The nature of law is to discriminate. But justice will befriend an enemy, because it’s nature is to be indiscriminate. The law can be used to condemn and incriminate the innocent. Justice has fulfilled its purpose when it redeems and liberates the guilty.

The criminal justice system is a system of laws governing institutions to punish those who have violated the law. This system is so structured that it has an inherent bias towards the social conditions of the impoverished. Those who are being marginalized and excluded from mainstream society are disproportionately underemployed. They disproportionately suffer from mental health issues. Furthermore, their environmental conditions disproportionately exposes them to traumatic experiences within their homes and in their community.

As a direct result of these conditions, a major disparity exists between which socioeconomic class receives heavy scrutiny under the law and which receives a slap on the wrist. There are disparities in how the law penalizes the white collar and corporate crimes predominantly committed by the upper class. Versus how the law punishes the property crime, substance abuse, and violent crimes that are caused by poverty. Justice will always correct imbalance wherever it may exist. But the laws inhibit justice, because they are what cause the imbalances within this society to increase: the wage gap, the shrinking middle class, the opioid crisis. All of these social conditions are symptoms of the larger class conflict. These are the effects caused by laws that reflect the predatory behavior of the capitalist elite.

It is the law that permits the capitalist elite to cause an economic crisis that disproportionately harms middle class and lower class Americans. Increasing layoffs and unemployment nationwide. It is the law that provides government bailouts to the wealthy, but provides no relief to the member of the middle class facing foreclosure. It is the law that allows the institutional investor to buy these single family homes for pennies on the dollar and gentrify impoverished neighborhoods. Then put these properties back on the rental market and raise rent on the underprivileged. It is the law that permits the increase of evictions and then passes new laws to ban homeless encampments.

For this system to be just, it must stop punishing its citizens for being victimized by the very social conditions the laws create. Until lawmakers see those of us on the bottom of the social hierarchy, the laws will continue to protect the capital interest of their donors and special interest groups. Until legislators open their eyes to the social disorder being caused by the predatory behavior of the upper class, the law will continue to be wielded as a weapon to criminalize every member of the American underclass who accepts defeat. The law imposes retribution and it demands deterrence, but justice repairs harm and it restores balance. Laws penalizing those responsible for structuring this society in a way that causes the conditions influencing criminal behavior do not exist and they never will. These conditions are only allowed to exist, because there is no justice in the law.

P.E.A.C.E
Proper Education Always Corrects Error

Lord Serious Hakim Allah

(aka James Boughton # 1404741)

Lawrenceville Correctional Center

10 TOES DOWN

by Lord Serious

During the pandemic I began noticing an increase in the number of inmates nodding out in the pod. I had seen this behavior before, and I was aware that it was one of the many side effects of abusing opioids. I even remember the first death I encountered due to an opioid overdose. It happened a few years before the pandemic while I was at Lawrenceville Correctional Center. The deceased was an older White inmate who lived in the cell next door to me, everyone called him Bullwinkle.

He didn’t fit the stereotypical image of an addict; what I mean is that there was nothing in Bullwinkle’s appearance or behavior that would confirm the biased mind’s expectations that this he was an abuser of narcotics. Perhaps this is why I was caught so off guard when things transpired the way they did. Bullwinkle appeared normal and upbeat most days. He showed no signs of being under the influence of any substances when I interacted with him. Though our exchanges were brief and usually involved a greeting and a few polite words as we passed each other entering and exiting our respective cells. Nevertheless, the memory of that night when he was found unresponsive in his cell remains fresh in my mind.

I remember his cellmate being frantic. He wanted my cellmate to help revive him with ice while he found somewhere to hide his knife. Unfortunately, Bullwinkle was in bad shape and his cellmate had no choice but to alert staff knowing full well he would be sent to solitary and placed under investigation for Bullwinkle’s death. I remember the correctional officers and nurses rushing in. The officer’s began locking the pod down while they escorted Bullwinkle’s cellmate away in handcuffs.

About 15 minutes later the paramedics had arrived with a gurney and a defibrillator. They tried to revive Bullwinkle for about 20 minutes before pronouncing him dead. His cell had now become his temporary tomb, Bullwinkle’s body would remain there for it’s interment until the medical examiner could arrive. A correctional officer was given the duty to guard the cell until the body was exhumed and evidence could be collected. I lay in my bunk that night being lulled to sleep by the officer’s radio chatter. I awoke the next morning to find both the guard and Bullwinkle’s body gone. They each had been replaced by the crime scene tape that made a giant “X” across the cell door.

Unfortunately, Bullwinkle would not be the last inmate to die from an overdose while in VDOC custody. There are many other inmates whom I knew personally who have also had the misfortune of turning their prison sentence into a death sentence, because they were not given access to the necessary treatment to heal their disease. Yes, addiction is a disease, and like any other mental health disease those who suffer from it should not be denied treatment. Neither is it appropriate to expect addicts to have enough willpower to stop using on their own. Empathy is a super power and one sign of higher intelligence for social creatures. Addicts are people who are suffering and they deserve help whether they are free or incarcerated.

Many men I knew and respected have become opioid addicts in prison. I have watched men with the brightest minds, and those with the strongest bodies lose their personal battle with addiction and die from an overdose. These men all had release dates. They all had families who looked forward to their return home some day. They were husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers.

Although they may not have all had the best relationships with their family, I’m certain they were all loved by someone. However, I don’t think all of them were transparent with their loved ones about their struggles with addiction. A lot of these men had no history of using opioids, they didn’t come to prison as opioid abusers. But there was something different about being incarcerated during the pandemic that made prison even more intolerable and unbearable.

All visitation was cancelled, but somehow more fentanyl kept coming into the prison everyday. Shortages of staff required institutional lockdowns which meant we could not use the phone to call home. When we did finally reestablish phone contact we were devastated to learn that a close friend or family member had contracted the virus, or worse, someone we knew had died.

We witnessed inmates show signs of being infected knowing full well that a staff member had to be responsible for introducing the pathogen into our closed environment. Each day our anxiety and depression had us on edge. The fear and uncertainty we experienced behind these concrete walls and razor wire fences had all it our fight or flight responses on full alert.

But there was no escape, and no relief in sight. Due to staff shortages the prisoners basically ran this institution. Prisoners conducted the feeding, prisoners distributed mail, and prisoners began oppressing other prisoners. During the pandemic gang melees and knife fights were happening daily and most went unreported and undocumented. We were all depressed, scared, and angry, but those who couldn’t withstand the psychological stress any longer sought refuge in drugs as a means to escape.

I was aware of the decline of our morale. Something had to be done, but I really didn’t know what I could do to change it. However, I began to notice a pattern in these addicts behavior. In the beginning of their drug abuse most of them tried to conceal it. They were conscious of who was around when they bought or used. They took great pains to prevent people from gossiping about them using narcotics. But when they began to publicly nod out in the pod it was, because their addiction had reached the point where they no longer were in control.

I approached my building’s Unit Manager T. Green about allowing me to teach a drug program. She responded, “Boughton they’ve cancelled all programs in the gym because they are using the gym to quarantine sick offenders.” “Green I don’t need to teach the program in the gym,” I countered, “I could teach the program in the pods.” Green replied, “But they don’t want offenders gathering in large groups due to social distancing.

When the new warden arrived I was told that within a staff meeting Tatum acknowledged that there was a drug epidemic occurring here at L.V.C.C, and he was open to any suggestions on how to solve this problem. Unit Manager Green thought of me and informed Warden Tatum that she had offender’s in her building who had offered to teach drug programs. Unit Manager Green asked me to submit a proposal. At the time though I didn’t actually have my own drug program. I was only seeking to be a co-facilitator of Twan-P’s, Coping Opioid Addiction Treatment (C.O.A.Ts) program. I submitted the proposal on behalf and the C.O.A.Ts program and Twan-P and I anxiously awaited the Wardens response.

It would be about another year before 81 pod would be converted into a peer led interactive community with a heavy focus on drug rehabilitation. It would be called “My Next Step” by this time Twan-P no longer wished to participate. Therefore, I decided to develop my own drug program to teach to the inmates who were housed in the “My Next Step” pod. I enlisted the help of my brother Poetic Life Allah (Jefferson Elie) and together we co-created the 10 TOES DOWN PROGRAM.

I will include a few reviews from some of the guys who participated in our program. I must note that many of the participants only reference me, because Unit Manager Green would only allow me to facilitate 10 TOES DOWN program. However, Poetic’s contribution though behind the scenes was essential to it’s success. And I have taken the liberty to edit the spelling and grammatical errors to make it easier for the reader to understand the message they each wished to convey:

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Wayne Boyd #1139264
Pod 80-81 (103)
[Wayne committed suicide by hanging himself in the cell after leaving the “My Next Step” pod]

My name is Wayne Boyd when I first came to pod 81 I was very very, frustrated because I felt that I didn’t belong in this pod for what it was supposed to be; it’s purpose was for helping to get you right in other words. It wasn’t until one day I sat down in a group called (10 Toes Down), that’s when I became awaken to many issues I had hiding deep inside of my emotions which I was so not in tune with. Lord Serious with the awakening with his 10 Toes Down helped me to uncover some of my deep emotions, which needed to be addressed. He has helped me to heal some of the pain to be addressed of my deep situation of time and pain. We all need steps like this to help (us) all!! (10 Toes Down) yes its new that’s what makes it an awakening calling!! Just come and sit and listen to its calling. With that I leave you with we all need 10 Toes Down calling…
Truly yours!
W. Boyd

*************

The Ten Toes Down program has given me a lot of insight into myself & my addiction. It has changed me to deal with the Mental & Emotional issues that fuel my addiction. It taught me about Meta-Cognition & Cognitive dissonance. And how becoming consciously aware of these things is the beginning process in taking charge of my thought’s & my life. It then gave me techniques to Eliminate, Substitute, & Heal my addiction. At this point in the program I accepted the unpleasant consequences of my own actions & that my current reality is the by product of my choices and decisions. It was here that the seed of Recovery was planted. Yet I was unsure on how to tend to it, so it’d grow healthy? That’s when Lord Serious taught me how to cultivate that seed: #1) self-encouragement or from my support system, #2) think critically about the situation, #3) apply breathing techniques to control my emotions, #4) renew my commitment to my recovery, and #5) do something positive & productive to get my mind off my urge to use.

The Ten Toes Down program is founded upon sound principles that are meant to help the addict that still suffers. Its lessons are simple, yet when applied the results are profound. And I accredit my sobriety to Lord Serious & his Ten Toes Down program.

-SINCERELY ME-
DAWAIN HOPKINS (signature) #1060602 81-109

*********

The Ten Toes Down class has helped me in more ways than first thought it would. Even when I was in the hole I found myself thinking of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. It gave me a purpose even if for that moment. Before the Drug Program started back I still felt that Ten Toes Down lead me on the right track. It helped me sustain and gave me an outlet to something more. Thanks for the opportunity to even take Ten Toes Down. It shall continue.

Demons Tilantai Houchens
Cell-114 #1437799

************

213 R. Slayton
1176244
10 TOES DOWN

Mr. Boughton has been with us through all the ups and downs of the program. He showed up even after the program was cancelled.

He does his research on the subjects he presents and delivers them with a relevant twist. He has a loyal following because he brings positive messages to the group.

He is a good leader, not because we believe in him, but because he believes in us.

Sincerely,
(signature)
Robert Slayton

*****************************

8/30/23
I used to feel lost, disoriented, and off center for many years at L.V.C.C. I have been in every building up here at least once. In summary I reached rock bottom while serving time in prison. I volunteered to come to 81, while in 62 strung out and going home then in 5 months. I volunteered to come in a non-privilged pod. I met Lord Serious at 10 Toes Down p.m. Monday – Thursday class and instantly knew I was in the presence of an extremely gifted, intelligent, passionate, caring, empathetic teacher and guide. He donated his time, service and more to a group of willing participants with nothing to personally gain. His genuine concern mixed with knowledge and methodical breakdown of lessons inspired me to never miss a single class of his. I have learned about meta-cognition, cognitive behavior, behavioral science, and so much more. I honestly can say he rescued my mind from the chaos by organizing my thoughts with conscious tools and techniques. I now am proud of my current reality and my vision of my future is so bright that it blinds others when expressed. I prefer his methods of teaching, explaining and breakdown over any other. I owe him my future and will never be able to articulate my gratitude. Peace to the God !!
U
Jacob Harris
#1199267
#109

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THANK YOU – 10 TOES DOWN

Lord Serious, I thank you for bringing 10 Toes Down in my life. You came when you didn’t have to, every day you made your way into our lives. Life of mistakes, life of drug use, when you didn’t do drugs at all. You brought your heart and your love to let us know you cared about us doing these drugs that were killing us. How we can use these tools of 10 Toes Down to better our lives; and how we can reach out to people we hurt because of drugs, and let them know how we’re sorry, and how drugs messed our life up. But now we are going to use these tools – these tools of 10 Toes Down for life.

Cause my life matters. Q. Walton
And I love myself. #1077474

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10 Toes Down means a lot to me, because when I came into 81 pod Mr. J. R. Boughton reached out to me and showed me that I really had a drug problem that I thought couldn’t be cured. Boy was I in for a surprise when I really started to learn about the things I was really doing to myself. 10 Toes Down program really helped me when there wasn’t even a program in 81 pod anymore, because I had something to look forward to at the end of the day. 10 Toes Down program will always be a big part of my life and my recovery, because it taught me how to Think, Support, Renew, and guide the steps I take in life how to Tread. It was a FRESH START for me, because I had no one or any place else to go, and now that I’m actually finding out who I really am. I finished Book 2 and I hope and pray that there will be many more books to my life as well as to 10 Toes Down. Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to be apart of such a gracious program that I’ve learned about me and other people like me that have addictions like myself. Thank you Mr. James R. Boughton Jr (A.K.A Lord Serious) for just believing in me and allowing, and showing me, that others care about people like me. (-: ❤
“Always in my heart”
10 Toes Down !!!

Willie Wright
#1001446

A WORLD WITH NO SUPER HEROES

by Lord Serious

As election season approaches, this society takes its cue from the pages of its favorite comic books. Superheroes suddenly appear on the scene in crime infested neighborhoods to begin their campaigns to be elected as the next savior of the world. While all of this is happening, a Boogyman is being manufactured to sway public opinion. Mainstream media, the trusted sidekick of the hero, uses explosive headlines and catchy catch phrases to highlight the obvious need for new legislation to save the world. With every pow, boom, and blam, the audience is drawn in more.

The super power of these heroes is neither super human strength, hyper speed, or even enhanced mental abilities. The American politician and his mass media sidekick have only one super power. They control the narrative on crime here in America through the manipulation of graphs and statistics from crime reports.

Many gun control proponents blame the increase in violent crime on the criminal reform policies enacted by many Democrats following the George Floyd protests. However, the facts do not support the narrative that an uptick in violent crime is the result of the knee jerk reactions from Democratic lawmakers, or the de-fund the police movement organized by grassroots leadership.

The troubling thing about the super villains in most comic books is that in their origin story you learn that they used to be a good guy in their past. But when they take a political position in opposition to the zero tolerance policy of the hero. Their uncompromising will places a target on their back and they get labeled the bad guy. But if it were not for the hero and certain choices the hero made, the conditions would not have existed to allow the emergence of the super villain. But this fact gets ignored.

Likewise, our political leaders would rather ignore how their decisions to militarize the police force in impoverish communities, privatize prisons, and the economic shutdown the endorsed during the pandemic influenced the spike in crime and public distrust for police.

The data shows that violent crime such as murder was increasing all throughout the country not just in Democratic localities.The number of homicides spiked almost 30% during the first year of the pandemic in both cities and rural areas, and in both red and blue states. Also, of significance is the fact that, with this increase of violent crime during the pandemic its effects were not evenly spread across all socioeconomic demographics. There weren’t any increase in affluent elderly people being attacked. The risk of being a victim of violent crime still disproportionately affected Black men and those living in impoverished communities.

Pew Research Center found that FBI data on the cause of the increase in violent crime during the pandemic was still unclear. Some of the variety of potential causes included the economic and social changes brought on by the pandemic, as well as policing policy changes in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Significantly, while murder rose 30% and Aggravated Assault rose 12%, rape and robbery declined. And despite this spike in murders, the murder rate during the pandemic was still lower than the levels seen during the early 90’s during the Crack era and Cocaine Wars. Lastly, Americans are more likely to die from suicide or drug overdose than they are to die by murder. The 2020 homicide rate was 7.8 per 100,000 people. That same year Suicide rate was 13.5 deaths per 100,000 people; overdose deaths accounted for 27.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

The heroes sidekick pointed out crime sprees and mob retail theft and blamed it on police reform and policy changes regarding bail and granting parole to violent offenders. But there was no hard proof to support this theory. Yet, Glenn Youngkin successfully won his campaign for the Governor’s house using this narrative.

You see when you are reading comic books or watching movies about comic book heroes. You tend to become so invested into the epic struggle between the forces of good and evil that you fail to think about the perspective of the average citizens living in Metropolis or Gotham City. Not everyone likes Batman, and, not everyone hates the Joker.

Many of them understand that the Bat signal is just a dog whistle informing the world that it has now become politically fashionable to fight crime. The Batman only fights low level and organized crime as a vigilante, because he is a criminal himself involved in all sorts of corporate crime. The same way America’s politicians offer pay to play and federal appointments to their corporate donors. Bruce Wayne uses the image of the Batman to protect the corporate interests of all the Wayne Enterprises of the world.

There are no super heroes or super villains in this world, there are only people. But the people we elect can make good or bad policy decisions that can influence everyday law abiding citizens into making a split second decision to violate the law. Should the crime be a violent offense, the current policies in Virginia do not grant that average citizen a second chance to gain early release through good behavior, whereby they can earn additional good time or even get paroled.

This November, I think it’s time that we elect people who will make good policies that will serve the public interest more than the corporate interests of their donors.

Lord Serious is the author of four published books. He is a hip hop artist who recently dropped a political protest mix tape against the prison industrial complex called Work Release, Vol. 2 (The Mixtape) which is now available on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and other streaming platforms.

It Would Forever Unfit Him To Be a Slave

“….A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master – to do as he is told. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,” he said, “if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontent and unhappy.” – (The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas)

Within the above quote, Frederick Douglas recounts the moment his slave master admonished his wife for teaching him (Frederick Douglas) the alphabet. According to Frederick Douglas, his enslaver was fearful that an education would make him unfit to be a slave. After witnessing this exchange Douglas was certain that the words his master spoke were true. He now understood that Whites greatest power over Blacks was their ability to keep them blinded through their ignorance. From this moment on, Douglas became obsessed with learning to read and write. But since his mistress now forbade him to learn, Douglas had to devise clever ways to get around the social barriers that made it unlawful for him to learn.

This quote is relevant today, because we now live in an era where the White power structure once again has erected new barriers that prohibit Black children from learning. Groups like Moms For Liberty have lobbied for, and Republican leaders like Florida’s Governor Desantis, have passed laws outlawing Critical Race Theory and banning books by Black authors that address race issues in America. The deprivation of a quality education for Black children remains a prominent agenda of White supremacy in America.

If Blacks living in America today hope to overcome the education barriers of our era, then we must adopt the resolve of Frederick Douglas. We must adopt the mentality that any where we are at can be transformed into a classroom and we must use every conceivable opportunity and resource at our disposal to educate ourselves and our children. As a race, we cannot allow our ability to learn to be limited by our group’s inability to receive a quality education inside of the White power structures public schoolhouse.

I once heard a story about this ancient philosopher. It is said one day one of his students came to him requesting additional education. The philosopher looked as his pupil and said, “You want to know what else I have to teach you?” The pupil replied, “Yes!” The philosopher told his pupil, “Follow me.” The two men walked to the coastline and the philosopher enter the water where it was waste deep and gestured for his pupil to follow. When they both were submerged waste deep in the water the philosopher said, “Now I will show you what else I have to teach you.” The philosopher grabs his pupil’s head and pushes it down into the water. The two struggle as the philosopher continues to hold the pupil’s head beneath the water. Finally, the philosopher relents and the pupil comes up from the water gasping for breath. The philosopher looks at him and says, “This is what I have to teach you. You should want knowledge the same way you wanted air.”

Ensuring that Black children in America are receiving a quality education is something that we have taken for granted. But when we are deprived of it, or it under threat to be taken away. We quickly realize just how important it is to our overall survival as a race of people. This should naturally produce resistance within us and create a power struggle where we fight now begin the fight for power, we now understand why it important for us alone to control our own education the same way the drowning man understands why he needs to fight for control over his right to breathe independently.

Lord Serious Hakim Allah
#1404741

Lord Serious is an author, artist, activist, blogger, and representative of the Nation of Gods and Earths and the Director of Umoja Nation. His latest children book “Squirrels, Beavers, And Everyone Else” is scheduled to be released in March as an eBook on LuLu, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most major distributors where ebooks are sold. Work Release (The Mixtape), Vol. 1 is available on his social media pages @ Lord Serious Speaks. Lord Serious is the co-author of the “10 TOES DOWN” drug rehabilitation program and interactive facilitator of this program and the “My Next Step” program at Lawrenceville Correctional Center.

PROTECT THE BLACK VOTE

by Lord Serious

The Black vote in America is constantly under attack. For this country to proclaim itself as the greatest democracy in the world – while at the same time it systematically devises new schemes and policies to dilute and undermine the Black vote – is not only hypocritical, it is also criminal. Since being kidnapped and brought to these shores, our people have had our Black skin criminalized and have been forced to live in chains and shackles by our White enslavers. These White overseers have consistently used the institution of slavery to dehumanize us and to justify their undemocratic suppression of the Black vote!

I remember the first time I registered to vote. It was in the summer time and I had just stopped at the neighborhood community center when I was approached by someone who asked me if I was registered to vote. I was not registered and I really hadn’t given much thought to it until that moment. I was 18 and I would be turning 19 after the upcoming November election. So as I filled out the form, I grew excited about having the opportunity to vote. I didn’t know anything about the candidates or their policies and truthfully, I didn’t care. My mother had told me we were democrats and so I was planning to vote for every democrat who name appeared on the ballot. This was in the year 2005.

As time passed, the election had totally slipped my mind. So when the first Tuesday of November arrived and I seen the line of people waiting to cast their ballots outside of the community center, I suddenly remembered that this was my chance to vote. So I parked my car and I got in line. The experience was new and exciting. There were people electioneering telling us which candidate we should vote for and why their policies would benefit us more than what their competitor had to offer. But they were only allowed to go a certain distance with us before we left them behind as the line progressed closer to the entrance. This wasn’t a presidential election so I didn’t have to wait for hours, I made it inside within maybe 30 minutes. And then, I finally reached the person who looks like they’re the gatekeeper. This person was sitting at a table right in front of the doors that led to the gym area where the voting machines where stationed and they had a list of names. When they asked for my name I proudly told them, “James Rickey Boughton, Jr.” and I gave them my address. But when they asked for my ID I stuck my hands in my pants pockets and I could not locate my ID anywhere! The gatekeeper then asked if I had my social security card with me? But I did not and when I could not produce any form of identification, I was turned away.

I was disappointed and frustrated by the whole ordeal. I had totally forgotten all about the election and the only reason I did stop was because I saw the people standing in line and the signs in front of the community center. But, had I left home with the intentions of going to vote I would have taken the proper identification with me. But I had other business to attend to, so I didn’t have time to go back home to retrieve my ID and then spend another 30 minutes waiting in that long line.

My next experience with voting was just as disappointing as the first. This time, I was detained in the city jail awaiting trial for the charges that eventually sent me to prison for the sentence I’m currently serving today. The 2008 Presidential election was projected to be the most historic election in modern history, and inmates in the jail who had never been convicted of a felony, technically still retained their right to vote. So we were informed by employees of the Sheriff’s department that we could vote in the upcoming election. This was exciting news and I couldn’t wait to vote for Obama and help elect a Black man to the highest seat in office. I asked Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants about when I could I register and I was eventually provided some documents to sign. But no one ever provided me with an absentee ballot or a mail in ballot. And on the day of the election, I asked members of the Sheriff’s department when would I be able to vote and they claimed that the organization who was responsible for organizing the entire thing never provided the jail with the ballots for its inmates. So once again, I found my efforts to exercise my right to vote thwarted by red tape.

Today, we see states like Georgia passing new laws to target and discourage Black’s from participating in the voting process. And I can speak from experience that restrictive ID laws do discourage people and interfere with their right to cast their ballot. Furthermore, mass incarceration (our generation’s version of modern day slavery) has been used to deny many Blacks access to the ballot box. As I’ve shown you from my own personal experience, I had been denied bond, therefore, I was being detained in the city jail before I had even been to trial. I had never been convicted of any felony prior to the 2008 election, and I had every right to exercise my right vote. But due to what I believe was voter suppression being committed by the Sheriff’s department, I was denied access to the ballot. So if laws are being passed that will make these kinds of undemocratic practices illegal, then I think they are very necessary to protect the Black vote.

Lord Serious is an author, a blogger, and a podcaster. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook at Lord Serious Speaks and you can learn more about him by visiting his website www.LordSeriousSpeaks.com.