I'm expanding

So this news story isn't about POC on screen, but it is in part about POC and it's one of many many articles that regularly appear in print that ever so subtly perpetuate unfortunate thoughts and feelings toward certain elements of the population.

It's possible this article has been shortened to fit on msn.com's space allotted for today's news stories. I hope so, otherwise, the AP has a reporter who's really falling down on the job. Without any analysis of why minorities (and since they go through the trouble of pointing out blacks, I will, too) live longer in prison, there's a latent idea that maybe it's not so bad that so many minority faces are behind bars. It's analogus to the "but Africa wasn't any better" arguement that people throw out when they feel uncomfortable with a conversation about slavery.

I have no idea why life expectancy is longer. It probably has something to do with getting three (healthy enough) meals a day, regular exercise and limited access to smoking, drinking and fast food as well as more access to medical help than one might get on the outside when one has no medical insurance. That's just a guess, but I think it's a pretty reasonable one. But if anything like that were the case, then the onus would be on the public to actually do something. And why do something when we can just lock people up. After all, it's not like life on the streets is any better, right?