Jail House Rap!

Ladies and gentleman, I AM TIRED! As a hard working Black man who wakes up and puts in hours at work before the sun even thinks about rising, I am not ashamed to admitt that I AM TIRED! I am tired of defending "my people". People who don't work as hard as me, and don't strive to be anything more than a stereotype. I've had conversation after heated conversation defending "my people" with both fact and theory. At times I've felt like its just another full time job. Advocating less stringent sentences because of the disproportionate incarceration rate, arguing and spouting statistic after statistic in an effort to prove to the naysayers that the system is severely flawed, only to have the very same people that I do verbal battle for spit in my face by playing "the punch out game", and teaching their toddlers how to use profanity and then posting it on YouTube.

I AM TIRED of being thought of as an exceptional Black man just because I do what I'm supposed to do because it seems as if most of us don't.

I AM TIRED of hearing about crimes and arrests on the news, hoping that they aren't Black and then finding out that they are half the time. 

You may ask yourself. What sparked my outrage? Watch this video.

http://youtu.be/YEk4hM2i6Yo

Correction Officers say cell phones like an iPhone go for close to $2,000 behind bars. Phones and other contraband are in such high demand that someone tries to throw them over prison fences just about every day.

A video shows inmates in a South Carolina state prison recording a song with a cell phone, something that is considered contraband behind bars.

"I am not happy about it and I've talked to the warden about why this was allowed to happen and we are doing things currently to change how contraband gets in," said Director of the state Department of Corrections, Bryan Stirling.

The video has only been on the web for about two days and already has close to 500,000 views.

Stirling is the Director of the Department of Corrections and he says any contraband is dangerous but cell phones pose a huge threat.

"We have a case that's in federal court with Captain Johnson where there was an alleged use of a cell phone to perform a hit on Johnson and he was shot six times at his home."

Robert Johnson who was shot back in 2010 was a corrections officer overseeing efforts to keep contraband like cell phones out of Lee Correctional Institution.

With this incident Stirling says there were several broken violations.

"The windows should not have been covered and those are going to be questions in our investigation that I want answers to."

Aside from the covered window, about seven inmates were in a cell without supervision and there was writing on some of the inmate's hats, something Stirling says is a violation.

Apparently inmates make the rules in this prison.

He says there are a number of ways that contraband can get in a prison some hide drugs and phones in footballs and other items.

The department has now added officers to patrol more areas and they are using new metal detecting devices.

"We also walk their mattresses by and it can detect if medal is in them."

There is a bill in the state house that would make it a felony to provide contraband. Lawmakers will discuss the bill yesterday.

As for the seven inmates in the video, they have been removed from that prison and an investigation is ongoing.

All of their efforts are too little, too late. These inmates we're able to record audio and video of what is probably going to be a hit single, and someone will probably capitalize on this foolishness by signing them. The sad, frustrating and disturbing part is the fact that these inmates have no idea how much impact this stunt has. They have single handedly given credence to the conservative ascertain that prisons just aren't tough enough. Never mind the African-American incarceration rate, or the lengthy prison sentences. These guys were happy enough to rap behind bars, had enough freedom to obtain a cell phone, and were relaxed enough to utilize their creativity by coming up with a chorus, rhymes and a beat. What hard time? These institutionalized M.C.'s seem right at home with the concrete, cold steel, and broken dreams, and maybe they are. Which is perhaps, the sadest part of all.

Predictably, proponents of lengthy prison sentences for repeat offenders will use this stupid video as a "case in point" reference because of these moron's gone viral.

PR