RACISM WITHIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SDM

PUBLISHED APRIL 2016

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???????????????????????RACISM WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.??

??????????????????????????????????TAKING SOCIETIES LEAD??

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?????????????????????????????????????????ABSTRACT?

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First let me state that I do not believe that every white person within the Criminal Justice System is racist, especially when some of the racist I encountered were in fact black whom themselves hated being black. Who were far worse to black inmates bending over backwards to show their white counterparts what they thought of black people, as if they themselves were white.?

Also my ideas on racism in many ways differs from that of conventional society.?

My name is Trevor Hercules.?Having changed my life around some 17 years ago, I have since worked mainly with young people within the Education and the Criminal Justice System. I now feel compelled and duty bound to put pen to paper to document some of my frustrations, at what I see as an old antiquated Justice system that somehow still seems to be steeped in the middle ages.?

I have written two books?(Labelled a Black Villain 1989) and (Rage Within 2007)?

I also have a published paper?('Understanding The Social Deprivation Mindset')?

Both books were filled with anger and rage.?If anything they were more of a rant at a society I felt unjust, and in many ways hard to deal with, and a frustrating impotence to affect what I considered real change. Yet while those books were filled with a passion of my burning grievances towards a society that I felt I was at war with and alienated from.?I think many within the Justice System, and academics, found much of it unpalatable and hard to swallow back then in 1989 but black people loved the books.?Not that they the academics and justice system didn’t find the books fascinating and inciteful because I know they used them for universities and studied them.?The first book Labelled a Black Villain was even given the full review page of the Sunday Observer newspaper.?But I believe for the Criminal justice System and academics, much of it was harsh crude and uncomfortable reading for them, especially pertaining to slavery, colonialism, and imperialism. As well as the part Britain played within this and became extremely rich, and how black people were treated.?But there was one academic who invited me down to Birmingham university to give a talk to his class of trainee probation officers.?

Yet as the years pass I have mellowed with age I do believe. And that frantic immediate now gratification of acceptance of what I say is right, no longer propels me. I have come to accept that trying to ram your views down other peoples throats even though you maybe right, often defeats the point that you are often trying to make. So it is with this mindset that I set out to do this article.??

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I may add that I do have some sympathy for many who are considered racists within our society and are at times judged by people whom I believe have no real understanding of what I (experiencer) and many others consider 'real' racism. But whom have jumped on the bandwagon of being politically correct appearing to say and do the right thing.??

Being black does not disqualify me from understanding that some accusations of racism are taken completely out of context often leaving the accused nonplussed, confused and disorientated as to what is really going on. And in some cases leads to resentment at being unjustly accused. A Point in case is that of the many people who voted to leave Brexit, which some claim was motivated by racism. Yet even if they voted with the hope of a change to the immigration policy feeling there were to many foreigners in Britain still does not make you a racist as far as I am concerned.?I dare say some may well have been racist but to accuse most of being racist is totally absurd.?

This article is not a witch hunt for those whom I believe are responsible for racism within the criminal justice system, because I believe the regime on the whole is racist and not down to a few individuals. Many of those whom are labelled racists, are often people just doing their jobs as they know the regime would like and approve.?They themselves may know the system is biased in their favour because of the colour of their skin and can take advantage of that fact. Yet most of the time I would not really call these people racist but opportunists. But what I do call for is a change of Mindset, from the Criminal Justice System, the Government, and Society. I do believe we all?have to change with the times, to deal with the many problems we as society face. Further more I will put forward some ideas that may be helpful in understanding racism from a different perspective. Defeating racism completely at this present time in our human evolution I believe to be still some way off, that is, if we as human beings can ever be free from prejudice and racism.?Black people are also not exempt from being prejudice. But I do believe that highlighting racism within the confines of the criminal justice system from a different perspective, while, putting forward ideas for change from a black ex-offender can hopefully be beneficial.?Last but not least it is my wish that black people especially the young do not let racism and being black be the focal part of their world as it was for many of us the old guard, and to develop a kind of immune system by a change of Mindset . Also not to forget about racism, but to not play the game as others would like them to play, by becoming bogged down in self-consciousness as people laugh up their sleeves at you standing still arguing mute points when you could be on your way progressing instead of letting some fool hold you back by deliberately winding you up by saying something racially controversial and you go off the path that you were heading down.????

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????????????????????????????????????????INTRODUCTION?

Much of my life has been well documented, from Children's Homes Detention Centre, Borstal and finally many years in prison being disruptive.?Suffice to say I finally came to my senses with an understanding that I had to change my Mindset my way of thinking which I termed my (Social Deprivation Mindset. SDM)?

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I make no excuses for my time spent in institutions nor do I blame anyone else but myself. But throughout my life rightly or wrongly I have been fighting a battle, coming to terms with being black in a white society. I have never expected special treatment nor have I ever wanted special treatment, but I knew because of my black skin I was different, I was made painfully aware of it from a very young age. But my hope is that having gone through all that unpleasantness and suffering, that black people especially the young can learn and have a good understanding of what it was like for black people in the past and how we now the older generation can now help them integrate into a society that many of them see as unfair and hostile towards them.??

And by documenting my accounts of my life no matter how bad it may have been, and no matter what people may think, will hopefully help others to avoid the many pitfalls and traps that i?believe are inadvertently set for us.

And the first one I believe is going to prison.?I say this with great clarity and understanding of being a lost angry black youth. Many times being played (tricked) by white people who called the police on us for absolutely nothing knowing that when the police came we would kick off at the injustice, and be taken away.?I have lost count at the number of times when the police would come up to us and play their little games and we would bite only to be taken away.?

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?('That's why people don’t like black people') said sister john Ogilvy a nun, as she proceeded to beat me with a blue plastic tennis racket. It was 1964 I was ten years of age in Nazareth House Children's Home in Sussex. Since then the whole world has continued to let me know I am different, black. Yet it seemed when I wanted to talk about how black people got here through slavery colonialism ete, most people didn't seem to want to know. But I needed to know how it was I was black and everyone else was white and had all the goodies and the power, of course i wanted to know what was going on. After all I was English wasn't I and this was my country yet people were treating me as a mug because of the colour of my skin taking the proverbial of course I was angry. And so off I went to find out what was going on, and what I saw heard and found out I didn't like at all and it grieved me and pained me. I looked around and I was lost, all I thought I knew was not so, who I was I was not sure, what would happen to me I knew not. And I cried and cried and cried, my heart and soul cried too and something in me died.?

It seemed to me that black people themselves felt a deep shame concerning these subjects as if it were somehow their fault. While many white people gave the impression they felt superior to me. But there were others who seemed to veer towards a deep guilt concerning this subject and they were mostly educated.?Many years later I remember the editor of my first book while out drinking in Queensway saying how sorry he was about slavery as if it was somehow his fault. I have since found the same attitude amongst many white people. But then there are those white people who rightly or wrongly somehow feel black people are somewhat flawed because of a small part of their history. While also having no real knowledge of black peoples real true wonderful past history. I know people of whom if you accused of being racist they would be horrified, yet to me I would consider them racist. Because outwardly they say and do the right things but would never want you to marry their daughter not because of the hardships they may face, but because they have never really confronted their own real deep down prejudice, and in many respects, many of us do harbor prejudice thoughts and feelings.?

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?But I believe racism is more about power and the amount of control one has over a group or individual with that power. Being prejudice is not the same as being racist I believe. Prejudice is that?you dislike what you do not fully understand. If you dislike something you fully understand then that to me is dislike.?While racism is having the power and the knowledge and using or not using it to affect change over others negatively simply on account of their race (black skins).?Having written two published books around race and a peer reviewed paper on (Social Deprivation Mindset) I feel that my observations and comments do bear looking at if not for my life journey alone.????????????????????????????????????

I do not believe that most white people are inherently racist nor any other race but I do believe the media and many within society have a lot to answer for in promoting racial stereotypes and hindering the progress between black and white people. Also to a large extent manipulating white people with negative portrayals of black people and its culture.?Its as If the media do not really wish to recognise black people's achievements nor promote the wonderful culture and contribution they make to this country and have made to this country and the world.?

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I challenge that a large part of the British media is a powerful racist institution and has been as far back as I can remember. I still recall the hurt and shame when in the children's home with 30 other boys. (all white) Alf Garnett screaming from the television every week " Coons, Wog's, and Black Bastard's go back to your own countries you jungle bunnies, to the hurtful laughter of the others. This usually ended up with me fighting and in trouble. And if I was someone of a weaker substance I would have been a sniveling wreck of low self-esteem hating been born black and ashamed of who I was and where I came from. And still being treated on the psychiatrist couch hating every white man that ever lived. What type of people would make programmes like that without a thought for other peoples feelings especially a minority in the country that were already under?pressure.??

As far as I am concerned those within the media while not necessarily having made a conservative effort to discredit black people in the way they portray them and in their lack of portrayal. Also in the content and context in which they portray them. I do believe that they could and should be doing much more to integrate black people into the very fabric of our society. This is my opinion based on being born black in Britain 64 years ago. I am not saying it is all doom and gloom and I do know and understand that there are many within the media who have done wonderful work for the advancement of black and white awareness of each other as equal human beings. Also Promoting the wonderful interaction and love and respect between us as human beings. But these are individuals who are fighting an uphill battle against an institution that I believe has to change its Mindset away from an undercurrent of an inherent colonial and imperialist past mentality that I believe still exists in many within the institution.???

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?????????????????????????????????RACISM SOCIETY AND PRISON?

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Many within our society will say why do we have to keep going on about racism enough already.?

I can understand if you think it doesn't affect you directly or indirectly. But it really does affect us all regardless of whether we want to keep hearing about it or not. And hiding our heads in the sand or trying to dismiss it as trivial will not make the real day to day problems we face go away. The disproportionate number of black youth in prisons should be concern enough for us all as they are products of our society and they must one day come back out into society. And the role prison plays in their development will go a long way to how they fit back into society. But more importantly we as a society should have access and first hand information as to what is taking place in prisons.?

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What is going on what type of things are in place for these young people to help them fit more easily back into society hopefully with less inclination to crime, and harming themselves and others. How are we going to get them to change their mindset about living in a white society?they see as unjust and unfair. There are many vulnerable lost and damaged youth who are exposed and susceptible to all kind of outside influences that can look extremely enticing in the wake of feeling alienated abandoned with no allegiance to anyone.?

My contention of racism within the Criminal Justice System is based on its inability to deal with these young black men and find?real and progressive options that can and will help them address real issues and not just the symptoms of their offending behaviour. These people are different and we have to realise this, and that they have different needs that have to be addressed. Until the justice system along with society realises that many of these young men's problems and issues Centre around being black in a white society and start to address that Mindset and listen to these young men i see no real change.?In other words the justice system would have to address the whole question of race the elephant in the room and how and what black people want from this society that is their home. And society would have to also address slavery and its continuing impact on black people today especially those with a Caribbean heritage.???

By my understanding and reasoning that the media and society is racist it should be no surprise that I believe prison and the Criminal Justice System to be racist. Yet I found NOMS to be very fair in their dealings with me despite others misgivings.?If I believe that society has not come to grips with racism why should the Justice system. Individual racism as I have gotten older I do begin to understand and in most cases feel sad for those individuals, who are like dinosaurs and ignorant because they have not really been educated properly around human beings being equal. But they can only really operate in a climate that is racist already to survive. If the culture of the regime changes then they will have to change to survive or die out. That is why I put the oneness for the prison regime to change. But I do believe that can only come about when society the government and the media changes its Mindset on how it deals and portrays black people within our society and educates white people as to their true history.???

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??????????????????????????????????WHO'S ACCOUNTABLE?

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I did have access to see a lot what was happening within the Criminal Justice System after all I had spent many years in it's institutions from detention center's borstal, prison, and on probation. In later years I took on the role of volunteer and running a charity. I can only put forward how and what I found and in many instances my own view point of certain situations. Yet that should not distract you from forming your own opinions. Firstly there are many organisations within the Criminal Justice System that deal with Prisoners from The Probation Service, Welfare, and a host of Charities that are funded privately or by the Government. These Charities were to help make a difference within the working of the Justice System. Doing things and collecting data or making programmes that would go towards re-routing prisoners away from crime. I found that these organisations were so far apart from on another that in most cases they were doing their own thing. And in many cases the same thing.?

?These organasasions for the most part kept what they did secret from one another even though they were working on the same thing. In my opinion the reason for this was that each groups most important act was to secure their own funding that to me was what they really cared about. Without funding they would not be able to function, so it was that everyone seemed so secretive and less forth coming. It seemed that the most important thing within the Justice System was to find solutions as to how to deal with prisoners those who were in prison and those who kept coming back and how to dissuade them from crime. But let me say not all organisations were in it for the money there are some who do outstanding work.?

When I came into the Criminal justice System all they talked about was a prisoners Offending and Re-Offending behavior. That was the Criminal justices Mantra. That was their template for prisoners, and how to deal with?them. Looking at their offending behavior and trying to stop it.??

They did not have as far as I could see any real new initiatives it was just the same old antiquated system that I had been through all those years ago. They still were having trouble with a new and vast influx of black young men whom they really didn't?understand who were proud loud and who had issues surrounding the society in which they lived and though unfair, prejudice, and biased against them. Many of whom had in many cases alienated themselves from society because they thought society had alienated them and abandoned them. They were angry and in many cases not able to articulate that anger and so were disruptive and hard to handle. And to add fuel to the fire here were these white people whom represented part of their anger trying to make them into good citezens, when as far as they were concerned knew nothing about them their culture, way of life, their real experiences and what it was like to be black in a society they believed was racist against them. These young people mirrored exactly how it had been for me going through the Justice System. I was angry at everybody and everything, disruptive, violent, with a hatred of a world I was unable to change that I believed was against me and people like me. And so I rebelled against society and the prison regime whom i considered to be my enemy. There was no one I respected or looked up to who had similar experience as me who could help me put the way things were into a real perspective that I could understand that related to how I felt and the inner turmoil I was going through being black in a white society that I thought was unfair. It wasn't until much later in life that I realised I was damaged.??

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?????????????????????????????????SOCIAL DEPRIVATION MINDSET?

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Coming into the Criminal Justice System to work I generated a lot of interest after all I had written 2 books 'Labelled a black villain and 'Rage within' and as far as the Justice System was concerned a Black Villain turned good and somewhat of a minor celebrity.?

?How It came about that i got into working in the criminal justice was when utterly fed of being denied working in youth clubs as they all said to me (you've been to prison).?

A friend of mine said why don't you go and see your MP. Which at the time i found hilarious but she persuaded me and we both went. The outcome of which was that I met Justine Greening MP for Wandsworth were I lived.?I explained I had written two books and told her about my life. And really for the first time that i can ever remember someone in higher authority gave me real respect and really listened to what i had to say. When I had finished she said to me you should be like gold dust for what you can offer. She introduced me to a lady that helped Charites and from there I found myself mentoring in two schools in Wandsworth to high praise at the innovative work that I carried out. After leaving the schools?somehow I managed to get funding which was basically a wage paid to me by an accountant to carry on volunteering work. In the beginning it was fine, but I soon realised most of the organisations had nothing new to say they were all scrambling about looking for new ideas to take to their funders to get paid.?

And as I came along fresh with ideas and 'real' knowledge of being an offender they courted me and un beknown to me used my work as their own. They also used other ex-offenders in this way who came amongst them to take their ideas as well. I soon began to realise that most were in it for the money. They would go to these conferences all over England that cost a fortune and at times I wondered how they could justify this, it was more like gathering of friends to be seen. I was extremely disappointed with many of the black organisations that were being funded some in the millions. Most of them sat in their ivory towers away from the harsh realities of gun and knife crime far away from where the real inner city problems were nor were they brave enough even to go down and talk to the youth, they stayed well away. Yet down on the front line those who were doing the real work volunteering work, having to put up with physical?abuse and confrontation to be able to get through to these young people, were not even getting paid, I was incensed.?

At first I thought to blame the Government, but these people who were getting government and charity money were slick, wore gold rim glasses, had degrees suited up and knew every argument the Government wanted to hear. To me many of them were con men and should have been in prison themselves. The real shame was that the millions of pounds that should be going to the right places for the young, never get a penny. I couldn’t understand the apathy of why communities never demanded who gets all the money and were does it all go. I came to understand that the Criminal Justice System needed more people who had the experience of coming from the wrong side of town prison, those who had been there seen it and done it and who were more able to have affinity with these young people incarcerated. People who had changed their lives but more importantly changed the way they thought.?

My whole understanding of crime, and why and how it was committed was so different from that of the archaic Criminal Justice Systems views of offending and re-offending behavior that I decided to do something about it. I was tired of being dragged along to conference's and such like where most of these so called experts really saw offenders as prisoners and criminals as far as I was concerned. They in my eyes talked all the fancy talk, but in the final analysis I felt they honestly believed they were better than the offenders they were dealing with, superior, these offenders were tainted and the perfect subject for tea parties. While to me I understood them perfectly and could identify with what they were going through and had been through.?I sat down and realised that to me the criminal justice was still living in the past in an old antiquated system that was still stuck in a time warp and more importantly didn't really understand them or what they were about. These so called experts seemed so far removed from what was really happening, even if that may not have been strictly true. As far as I was concerned they didn't have a clue.?It was then that?I realised,?I could make a real contribution to changing the system?not?only for black prisoners but for the whole prison regime. I sat down an wrote with all my experience and understanding and knowledge. The outcome was an academic paper stating it was not the offending behavior that needed to change. But that you needed to change your whole way of thinking , the Mindset, you had to change your Mindset. And that challenging offending and re-offending behavior was only dealing with the symptoms and not the real underling causes. I called that Mindset a SOCIAL DEPRIVATION MINDSET'' (SDM)?

?I give great thanks to professor Mike Nellis of Strathclyde University my good friend who helped me get the paper published, and who has always believed in my work. He invited me down to Birmingham university to give a talk when my first book came out labelled a Black Villain I (1989) and even though we've had our disagreements we still remain good friends.?

?From my whole experience and that of my friends I knew that changing that mindset which many of us had acquired adapted and adopted was the key to changing your way of life especially for those on the (Periphery). But there are many of which I term the (Hardcore) that are so far gone who have to learn to manage that Mindset. I have written an academic paper entitled "Understanding the Social Deprivation Mindset" published by the British Journal of Community Justice.??

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????????????????????????????????BLACK PEOPLE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?

Black parents and the black community we have a lot to answer for concerning the upbringing of our children. In many ways we have failed them miserably and allowed them to go out into a hostile environment unprepared. We have not given them the knowledge and discipline they deserve, to fully function and survive as decent human beings in society they feel somewhat alienated in.?

Because were black and feel that we are discriminated against does that mean we are beyond criticism, and that everything bad that happens to us is the white man's fault. For far to long we have been blaming everyone else and relying on someone else to fix our problems. Its time to step up to the plate and take some responsibility for your child, their whereabouts and their actions and education. You are now to be held accountable. No longer can you leave it solely up to teachers schools the government and society to bring up your children you have to take an active role. No longer can your children be out without adult supervision. No longer we as fathers have different children everywhere from different mothers or mothers have different children from different fathers without a hint of marriage in sight. What type of message does this send to our young .No longer can you make excuses when your son or daughter keeps getting arrested or goes to jail, you have to take on some of that responsibility they are your children and you should be giving them guidance. Where are you on parents day do you?both go to the school to support your child. You brought these children into this world you have a duty to look after and protect them. As it stands now we the black parents and community are on trial at the moment. Not the police not the government not society not white people but us black people and as far as I can see we are failing. And the irony of this is, if i was a white person saying this you would say it was racist that is how far we have come in our denial to take responsibility for our own children make of it what you will.??

I do understand white peoples dilemma with all these different people and customs in your country but its not your country its our country and no matter how you wish it to change its not going to happen the world has changed. No matter how we might want to keep our kids apart its not going to happen they are going to integrate in every department and there is nothing we can do. The world is changing and we as human beings are going have to live side by side and help and respect each other. We have to pull together?to make this country great and help change the world for the better because deep down I do believe this?can be a great country that others can learn from. We have great young talent who at this point in time many are lost or incarcerated or alienated, both black and white and we need to help them understand that this is a good country. With good people not all racist at all and that they can be anything they want to be if they apply themselves, and that we will help them any way we can regardless of colour or creed. I know it maybe difficult to look at other people and not feel sometimes intimidated or over-run or out of your depth. Your not the only ones who feel like that others feel apprehensive too.?But were all the same deep down, have the same hopes and fears and if you want a blood transfusion your not going to care who's blood it is or what colour the nurse or doctor is, or if they came from eastern Europe. Besides you think you've got problems what about the?aborigines. People have taken their whole country away from them. What about the Native Americans what about new Zealand. The world has changed and we need to change and move forward. The fact is anyway that those who are not able to or don't want to move forward will become like dinosaur's and die out.????

?????????????????????????????????????????CONCLUSION?

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That there is racism from my point of view within the criminal justice system is really only a reflection of society. And that for the criminal justice system to change society must first change. Society must face up to, that many of these black youngsters are damaged, and feel alienated like second class citizens in a society they see as unfair, white, and does not represent them. Many of them feel they have no voice at all. I am not using racism as an excuse for young black youths criminality but I am saying it is an important factor. Many have adopted and adapted to a certain Mindset that I term a Social Deprivation Mindset where they don’t care about this society or the consequences of their actions. Many just believe in 'JUSTIFICATION' and 'SELF PRESERVATION' and really do not wish to mix with the rest of society. But are happy to stay in their area's where they feel in control within their own tightly formed communities, where they will hustle to make ends meet. They have their own street jargon and a sense of togetherness belonging and shared cultural experiences that normal society in their eyes does not offer them or understand. Many go through life loud and boisterous but in reality they are in many cases scared young men whistling in the dark afraid of a big wide world they feel will consume them as they are outsiders and different.?Society and the Government must come together to solve these problems now. We have to sit down and discuss the past and the future this is not a blame game. Things have happened in the past that are still affecting many within our society and the world in which we live. Please lets do it before its to late.???

TREVOR HERCULES

SOCIAL DEPRIVATION MINDSET