Hispanics Behind Bars: Justice Vs. Discrimination

Al Bermudez Pereira (49) - of a Puerto Rican heritagecommunicate. He affirmed that these inmates were
and raised in Brooklyn, found inspiration to portray indisadvantage because they didn't speak English. This
this book his 20 years of experience as a correctionalmasked discrimination also extended to officers. In
officer in one of the most repressive facilities in theone passage of the book Bermudez describes a
nation. Sing Sing located in Ossining, New York, isscene where he goes to the aid of a prisoner who
considered as the warehouse for society's worstattempted suicide by hanging himself inside his cell.
criminals.While Bermudez managed to cut the knot on the
In his visual narrative Bermudez conveys the level ofsheet, the inmate was being held up by an Afro
bravery and professionalism required for those whoAmerican officer who also performed resuscitation
lock the gates behind them every morning to keeptechniques until a white paramedic arrived to place
watch over men with extremely dangerous minds.the inmate on a gurney. As a result, he received
However, the Hispanic officer focused onheroic commendations, while the Afro American and
circumstances that most impacted him concerningHispanic officers received nothing for their efforts
innocent people in jail and discrimination againstand courage to save a life.
Hispanics.The narration rapidly scans each corner of the
"In the book I mentioned that my Brother went tocorrectional facility until the reader is transported to
jail in 1983 for a crime he never committed. I knew,the cell blocks where the youngest prisoners reside.
as many others, that he was serving a sentence heHere the reader confronts the oppressive darkness
did not deserve." Pereira said to ECO Latino Magazine.of all the corruption and injustice society can inflict.
"Over the years I learned to recognize who wereBy Maria D'Adamo, Managing Editor
the innocent people in prison.ECO Latino Magazine
Bermudez said, his years working in Sing Sing helpedECOLatino.
keep his Spanish alive to assist Hispanics to