The Prison System At Parchman - 1032 Words

Worse than Slavery is a monograph that discusses Parchman Prison and gives various accounts of men and women who lived within the prison. Overall, Parchman was another way for white men to stay in charge and to keep black men oppressed. During this time, ninety percent of the prison population was African American. Although slavery had ended many years prior to the establishment of Parchman, it had many characteristics of slavery. The prison system at Parchman reflects themes of poverty, racism and reform. Living in poverty was something most African American had sadly become accustomed to, therefore, going to Parchman wasn’t much of a change. African Americans at this time were mostly sharecroppers and use to maintaining the fields.†¦show more content†¦I’m got to work wherever I’m is.† (136) The writer ever referred to Parchman as a smooth and simple extension of normal black life. (136) Although Parchman prison was a very profitable operation and made a great deal of money on cotton production, the inmates were still forced to remain in poverty. (224) In less than a decade, Parchman had become a giant money machine: profitable, self-sufficient, and secure. (155) Racism in Mississippi was still strong at this time. Parchman was thought of as a well-organized slave plantation that would not raise African Americans intelligence or their morality, but it could teach them proper discipline, strong work habits, and respect for white authority.(110) Although, there were some white males in the prison, they were still segregated by race. While most African American’s did work in the fields, whites with particularly useful skills hoped for jobs as carpenters, mechanics, truck drivers, maintenance men or â€Å"dog boys.† Otherwise, the whites performed the same tasks and the same routine as African Americans. (162) The women’s camp at Parchman was also segregated by race. The blacks lived in a long shed-like s tructure, while the whites lived in a small brick building with a high fence in-between. Very few white women ever spent time at Parchman. It was said, â€Å"It is a fortunate thing for Mississippi that white women seldom indulge in serious crime.† (174) In