Conclusion

Music and media access in prison begins to address the problems of stress relief and eventually rebuilding communities. If the goal of incarceration is punishment through confinement, conflict, tension, violence, stress, tribal factions, degradation, willful mismanagement of mental health issues, etc., then they are on the right track; however, if the department of corrections is willing to sacrifice arbitrary revenge and even undercut their profits in favor of rebuilding communities, then positive changes are quite possible in my opinion. If real steps are taken to create a less stressful environment for prisoners that would show good faith (an obligation which should not always rest on the underprivileged). Corrections really ought to demonstrate that they are not in the business of human warehousing.

I believe the free world music issue has the potential to gather a groundswell of public support. Record companies and artists (especially those who maintain ties with a socio-economically disenfranchised fan base) need to be made aware of this battle for free speech on their behalf. This would be an important victory for many human beings.

The overarching goal of this project would be action towards ending mass incarceration. Innocent people sometimes go to prison for more than just a visit and even guilty people are regularly punished too harshly due to their race or any number of arbitrary factors. I think the majority of society has evolved enough to acknowledge there are innocent people in prison. Those aware of these intrinsic flaws within criminal justice ought not be willing to stand for prisoners being punished as a monolith.

Music is not freedom but it gives many people hope for their future. If people are sent to prison as punishment and not for punishment, music deprivation seems more than a bit cruel and unusual. This topic is important to me and there are many others whose lives would be significantly improved given the chance to hear their favorite song again.

Underground music can be an unofficial historian for the socio-economically disenfranchised. I hope someone will establish or utilize a legal fund with the objective of protecting prisoner’s First Amendment rights. I’m happy to help any way I can but my own means are limited. My freedom is my priority; however, I took this time and effort to try and get a conversation started. That said, I couldn’t care less about credit.

I was a good lil’ homie because that’s what the big homies showed me. If you can say the same, that’s gotta be worth something. Bringing that gangsta shit back to its proprietors is only right. And let us never lose perspective that the real struggle is opening doors and rebuilding community.