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Decarceration Lyrics by Angela Davis

The Meaning of Freedom

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Now, if the prison is proposed as the solution, then other possibilities get excluded.

So, you know, some people say, like my governor- well he’s not my governor- Governor Schwarzenegger, the governor of the state in which I live, changed the name of the California Department of Corrections to the California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. So, if we really want rehabilitation, then we have to start talking about decarceration.

How is rehabilitation possible under conditions of total confinement?
How is rehabilitation possible when there is no way that people can exercise their freedoms?

As a matter of fact that’s the whole point of the punishment of imprisonment it deprived you of your rights and liberties. That is why the prison is a peculiarly democratic punishment. It is the quintessential democratic institution, because it provides you with the negation of that upon which the whole concept of, I would say, Bourgeois Democracy has been developed.

Now Prison- the assumption that if you are from a certain racialized community you will have had some contact with the prison system. That is- it’s another way of saying the relationship between racialization and criminalization.

There was an interesting study that was conducted by a sociologist who matched black and white pairs of job applicants. And some of them indicated that they had a conviction, criminal conviction, and some of them didn’t.

What was very interesting was that whites- white people who had a felony conviction were called back for interviews at the same rate as black people who had the same credentials but had no criminal record.

So- and this is a point that Marc Mauer makes; he says black men are essentially born with the stigma of a felony conviction. So we are talking about an institution that not only affects those it incarnates, It has an influence on entire communities.
Credits
Angela Davis

Angela Davis

About “Decarceration” by Angela Davis

Read the complete lyrics to "Decarceration" by Angela Davis from the album "The Meaning of Freedom". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Decarceration" is performed by Angela Davis. from the album "The Meaning of Freedom" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Decarceration", explore more songs by Angela Davis using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Decarceration" is credited to Angela Davis. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Decarceration" appears on "The Meaning of Freedom".

Visit the Angela Davis artist page at /artist/angela-davis for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

Speech delivered at the Embassy Auditorium Los Angeles, California - June 9, 1972
Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial Complex
Corporate Globalization
Imagining Democracy
Prison Industrial Complex
Black History
Gender, Race, and Class
Slavery and Nightmares
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