Urban Incarceration: It isn't just about crime--it's about circumstances (pt-1)

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Incarceration isn't just about crimes it is also about circumstances. In this first episode of our Urban Incarceration series, I dive into the harsh realities of these circumstances that affect urban communities.

Growing up in poverty, I faced impossible choices, and like many others, I ended up in the system. But incarceration is only the beginning. From the struggles behind bars to the nearly impossible road to reentry, this episode unpacks why so many people remain trapped in the cycle and we will discuss in coming episodes what we can do to change it. Subscribe now!

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This episode was hosted by Sterling Brown

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you have ever been told by someone that you're not
capable of attaining success,if you have made mistakes or
lived in an underprivilegedneighborhood, then this podcast
is for you.
You are now locked in toStruggle to Success.
Struggle to Success aims toinspire individuals to navigate
life's challenges with courage,fortitude and unwavering

(00:21):
determination.
So if you're in your carjogging or somewhere else trying
to find the calm in the storm,then join Struggle to Success
airing every other Saturday.
Remember life is trial.
Stay focused.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hello, wonderful people, welcome to the Struggle
to Success podcast.
I'm your host, sterling Brown,and today we're kicking off a
new series, one that's personalto me Urban Incarceration.
Now, let me be upfront.
I'm not an academic expert, butI do have lived experience.
I've been through the system,and the fact that I'm here

(00:57):
speaking to you means I'veovercome it.
That alone should tell you nomatter how deep you are in the
struggle, there's a way out.
Someone out there maybe you,maybe someone you know needs to
hear this.
That's why I'm sharing my story, not just for the awareness,
but for offering understanding,perspective and a real chance
for change.

(01:17):
Growing up in poverty felt likenavigating a war zone.
Every decision was a matter ofsurvival.
The streets, the pressure, thelack of opportunity it all made
it easy to fall into the system.
I've talked before about theconsequences of my choices, but
that was only a fraction of theimpact the justice system had on
my life.
And I'm not alone.
Thousands of people, especiallyin urban communities, go

(01:40):
through this every year.
That's why today we're divingdeep into the system how people
end up in it, what life isreally like behind the bars, and
why it's so hard to break free.
We're covering racial andeconomical disparity in
incarceration, the realities ofprison life, things that no one
talks about, the re-entrystruggle and why so many people

(02:00):
fail to rebuild.
If you've ever wondered why thecycle of incarceration keeps
repeating, this episode is foryou.
Urban incarceration isn't justabout crime.
It's about circumstances.
When you grow up in anenvironment with underfunded
schools, few job opportunitiesand constant police presence,
the choices become limited.
It's hustle or starve.
And then there's the systemitself.

(02:22):
Black and brown communities aredisproportionately policed,
arrested and sentenced toharsher penalties.
A mistake in one neighborhoodmight get you a warning, while
in another it gets you yearsbehind bars.
That's the reality of racialand economical disparity in our
justice system.
And let's be clear gettinglocked up is only the beginning.

(02:43):
Prisons aren't built torehabilitate.
They're about control, survivaland, for many, leaving worse
than when they went in.
Then comes re-entry.
You serve your time, you getout, and now what You're hit
with a criminal record thatmakes finding housing, a job or
even basic services nearlyimpossible.
Society claims you've paid yourdebt, but the system is

(03:05):
designed to keep you locked out.
To put it in perspective, let'slook at Lancaster County,
pennsylvania, a place with deephistory but also home to one of
the oldest continuouslyoperating prisons in the country
.
Lancaster was oncePennsylvania's state capital.
It has one of the nation'soldestless markets and the
largest Amish community.

(03:26):
But six blocks from downtownstands Lancaster County Prison,
known locally as the Castle.
At first glance it looks likesomething out of medieval Europe
, but behind the stone walls,razor wire, metal barriers and
overcrowded cells, this prisonwas originally built for 160
inmates.
Crowd itself.

(03:46):
This prison was originallybuilt for 160 inmates.
Today it holds nearly 950 andprocesses over 5,000 individuals
annually.
And things aren't slowing down.
By the end of 2024, lancasterCounty plans to build a new
430,000 square foot jail tohouse up to 2,000 inmates.
Officials say it's meant toease the overcrowding, but let's
be real.
Are we solving the problem orjust making more space for

(04:09):
prisoners?
Let's take a step back.
How did we even get here?
Mass incarceration isn't anaccident.
It's the result of decades ofeconomic shifts, policies that
criminalize poverty and ajustice system that's more
focused on punishment thanrehabilitation.
We're not just talking aboutbad choices.
We're talking about how thosechoices are shaped.

(04:30):
We're talking about a systemthat profits from full prisons
while entire generations arelost to it.
That's why this conversationmatters, because if we don't
understand the forces at play,we can't begin to change them.
This is just the beginning.
Over the next few episodes,we'll dive deep into what life
is really like behind the bars,the mental and emotional toll of

(04:53):
incarceration, how families areaffected and how they can
support loved ones inside and,lastly, what it really takes to
break the cycle.
If this episode resonates withyou, share it.
Someone out there needs to hearit.
Someone needs to know thattheir past doesn't define them.
We're just getting started, sostay locked in and remember life
is trials.
Stay focused.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Thanks for checking out this episode of Struggle to
Success.
To connect with the show, youcan email us at
struggletosuccessp at gmailcom.
Make sure you like andsubscribe so that you never miss
an episode.
And remember life is trials,Stay focused.