The Marshall Project

How My White Privilege Protected Me In Jail

Being locked up for a crime I didn’t commit was hard. But nothing compares to the humiliation and harassment that my elderly, disabled, Black cellmate experienced.

When I was framed for a crime by a White, male U.S. marshal and arrested by White, male cops, I came the closest I will likely ever come in my life to experiencing the feelings of powerlessness and despair that people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor faced as part of their daily reality. It’s a horrifying, crushing feeling that leaves one wondering how a system could be so fucked up that it fails so epically.

Life Inside Perspectives from those who work and live in the criminal justice system. Sign up to receive "Life Inside" emailed to you every week. Related Stories

But I’m a White female, and my experience of jail and the justice system was, without a doubt, privileged. I

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Marshall Project

The Marshall Project5 min readCrime & Violence
Where Coronavirus Is Surging—And Electronic Surveillance, Too
In Chicago and elsewhere, the number of people wearing an ankle monitor has jumped in recent months due to the pandemic.
The Marshall Project6 min readCrime & Violence
Think Private Prison Companies Are Going Away Under Biden? They Have Other Plans
CoreCivic and GEO Group have been shifting away from prisons toward other government contracts, like office space and immigration detention.
The Marshall Project3 min readMedical
Should Prisoners Get Covid-19 Vaccines Early?
Now that shipments of Covid-19 vaccine are on the move and FDA approval on the fast track, the fight begins over who will get the scarce vaccine first. States have until Friday to finalize distribution plans and submit them to the federal government

Related