Black History Day 6: Criminalization as Control

Julie Bolejack

06 Feb 2026 — 1 min read

Black History Fact:
After Reconstruction, Southern states used “Black Codes” to criminalize everyday behavior, forcing Black men into prison labor that closely resembled slavery.

Mass incarceration did not emerge spontaneously.

Black history shows us that criminalization has long been used to maintain racial control when other methods became politically inconvenient.

Today’s prison system follows familiar patterns: surveillance, punishment, profit.

When we ask why prisons are full, we must ask who benefits from them being so.

Black history does not allow us to pretend this is coincidence.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

SUBSCRIBE AT @julies-journal.ghost.io

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