I love Canada too! lol.

While I understand your frustration with white people "parachuting in" to "make a difference". The author is an undergraduate college student in rural Illinois - most likely trying to find herself, her place in society, and how to best serve society. I think doing an internship in jail and writing about what she has…

In Louisiana, you only need one prior possession charge to get a felony possession charge, and the amount that you're holding doesn't matter. Plus, if you're poor and can't afford bail (and no one just gets to walk in LA), you wait, at a minimum 3-6 in jail, losing your job/housing in the mean time.

You don't have to break the law to have brushes with the law. Sad but true.

I think she was saying the "white man's burden" mindset is a trap a lot of white people in positions of power in jails fall into, and that it's something she was consciously trying to avoid by asking the women what they wanted information about, not assuming she knew what information they needed. I don't think there's…

Good call. It's always wise to attack the people on your own side first. Make sure this idealistic (if naive) college student is torn down properly.

Of course white people get arrested. No one is arguing that they don't! The point is that drug use among whites is about the same as poc drug use, yet poc's are getting locked up for it at higher rates. But, go ahead and keep ignoring the facts for your own agenda.

Simple possession (just having enough on you to get yourself high) can get you a misdemeanor conviction (Misdemeanor = more than 30 days but less than a year in prison).

In New York City, if you get three drug misdemeanors, your next arrest will automatically be bumped up to felony (Felony = more than a year in prison…

I found it to be refreshingly honest, pretending these stereotypes don't exist won't make the issue of ignorance just go away. She's sharing an obviously life-changing experience, and one I hope others can learn from.

"White individuals take drugs at the same right [sic], if not higher, than those of color, yet their rate of incarceration is a fraction of that of minorities."

Middle-class white people go to jail at a much lower rate than poc, let alone wealthy ones. My white sister sold massive amounts of oxy, stole from people, HIT A COP CAR while high, etc. She was only in jail for maybe 4 days total. She didn't even go to jail for hitting the cop, probably because she was beautiful and…

It doesn't, but it is something to help inmates. The article was nice, and did change some preconceived notions of mine. Plus, this is a huge issues in the racial inequality area, and Jez isn't always the best with that so, it's also nice to see the article here in particular.

But it is true that many white and/or well-off people raised in predominantly white and/or well-off communities are raised with certain prejudices. Even in progressive, well-meaning families, particular ways of thinking get into your head.

I hate knowing nothing more than addiction can put you in jail or prison. I can understand stealing, or the violence that may come with drugs, but the actual drugs should make no charges.

She actually confronted that very notion...the bit about "white-man's burden" miss your attention? She sounds like a very thoughtful, intentional woman that's struggling with her own prejudices and expectations, and sharing her thoughts with us. I applaud her both for her honesty and her bravery. I know I didn't…

It's also honest.

A very thoughtful piece. A bit scary to think that college students are more ignorant about contraception than incarcerated women, but we've been systematically eliminating sex education from schools, so what do we expect? On the other hand, I'm a highly educated woman turning 50 this year, and I didn't know douching…

We cannot have enough of these hammerblows to white privilege. This is some really great work.

It's great that there are resources in jail that can rehabilitate these women. It's horrifying that for many, going to jail is their only option for getting those resources.

Great piece, very interesting and thought-provoking stuff! The prevalence of douching is an interesting thing. I fall on the same side of the divide as you, I've never done it, never knew anyone who still did it, and always wondered why there were still shelves upon shelves of Summer's Eve at the local store.