MiAngel Cody | Writings & Articles

Death by Imprisonment: America’s War on Melanin Possession and the Indigent

1986 was an important year in the War on Melanin Possession and the Indigent (formally known as the “War on Drugs” and practically waged as the War on Black, Brown, and Poor People). Reynolds Jr., the son of cocaine- and heroin-addicted parents, was in the sixth grade.

“But the Legislation Doesn’t Go Far Enough”: It’s Time to Check Our Unincarcerated Privilege in the Conversation About Sentencing Reform

Tyrie Bell was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. His crime: He sold 82 grams of crack to an informant. Tyrie has been locked away for 17 years. It is not simply the shockingly harsh sentence that makes Tyrie a compelling argument for sentencing reform. It is the disparity between him and the violent undercover informant who netted him that demands our attention.

A Bright Blue Light

The quantum of Eric’s entire life flashes before him in the bright blue light of his prison welding gun. In the federal penitentiary’s steel factory, Eric earns just over $1 per hour. Eric’s gaze never rose above the eye level of poverty.