A young, upper-middle class, white male commits several crimes and wonders what would have happened had he been a young, poor, male of color
We’ve been reporting a lot on the disparities in the juvenile-justice system. We talk about the consequences of the school-to-prison pipeline, where brown and black kids are treated so much harsher than their white counterparts. It’s not often we get a glimpse into the system from the point of view of a white, advantaged male. Most often, it’s the disenfranchised who speak out about their stories. However, this anonymous young man has chosen to share his brush with the justice system and why he’ll be the first to believe that it was the color of his skin, not his innocence or guilt, that provided him with a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.
I was arrested for my first (and only) time when I was 20 years old. I was just a few weeks away from my 21st birthday, going out to a concert, very drunk. Depending on who you are, the thought of me getting arrested can vary from downright impossible to quite probable. To my family and professional network, I am a mature, well-behaved and respectful member of society. To my friends, I am a drunken idiot, someone with good intentions, but displaying poor public behavior, at least on weekends.
The night I got arrested is still surreal to me, still something I struggle to believe actually happened. I was waiting in the parking lot to enter the concert, drinking a beer with my group of friends. I had to urinate and decided it was smart to do so out in the open. A police officer saw me and approached. Nervous and scared, I ran. I’ve blanked on the next several minutes, but the first thing I do remember was a police officer slapping handcuffs on me. I was irate. I was cursing him out while also pleading for my release. I was hostile, abrasive and incredibly disrespectful. I was drinking underage and urinating in public. I resisted arrest and verbally assaulted a policeman. Oh yeah, I also had cocaine in my pocket, which by the way, I had been using that night. To pile onto my list of crimes, I had a fake ID in my wallet. You can add up the potential charges on your own, but given some subjectivity, it was probably somewhere around seven or eight.
I proceeded to spend the night in jail. I was first put in what I can only imagine is considered the drunk tank, and I was there with one middle-aged white male. At some point in the night, approximately 15 black males entered the holding cell, joining me and my good friend. They were there for various reasons, some to do with domestic disputes, but most involving non-violent drug charges. Every single one of them had spent multiple nights in jail. It was the first time for my white cellmate and me. The disparity was startling to me, but I was still too drunk, too confused and too angry to process the situation. But the following days, weeks and two years, I acknowledged and resented my white privilege.
Getting off easy
When I went to my release court the following morning, I discovered the only charge I faced was trespassing, one that is essentially meaningless. I came back two weeks later, pleaded guilty to underage drinking, got my trespassing charge dropped, and that was the end of it. I grew up in a wealthy suburb, and even if my university had not provided me a free lawyer, I know my parents would have worked something out. I can only imagine the hoops that a poorer version of me with a darker skin color would have had to jump through to receive this kind of service. After the hearing, my lawyer informed me I would never have to worry about anything serious coming up in a background check. All the other crimes I committed that night—the public urination, possession of cocaine, fake ID, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct—all vanished as if they never occurred. I now have a great job in Boston, rent a beautiful apartment and live my life carefree. What if all kids were given a second chance like this?
It is my firm belief that I beat the criminal-justice system because I am a privileged, educated, white male. I didn’t beat it because I was innocent. I didn’t beat it because I was treated unfairly. I simply beat it because I am a privileged, educated, white male. Or at least, when reflecting on the laundry list of crimes I committed, that’s how it feels.
It's important for people to hear my story because the issue of racial discrimination in the criminal-justice system is often spoken of in very broad terms. White privilege exists. People of color are more likely to be arrested and so on. But these statements without stories and data are simply unsubstantiated claims that the opposing side can invalidate based on their own political and social beliefs. My story is one of a white male, the most privileged demographic in the world, committing a number of crimes—the cocaine possession alone carries a maximum sentence of one year —but getting off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
It's a real story with a powerful message people should heed. I know how lucky I am to have had little fallout from this night of dumbness. And I feel guilty for the privilege that awarded me this, something I had no say in. I don't know how to help others right now. I don't know how to help fix a broken system, but I can share my story and message.
This blog was written in response to a previous blog from May, 2016. Read that one here.
To learn how MST can help combat racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system, download this white paper.
