Behind the Bars

The sound of metal bars slamming shut,

Echoes through the halls, as the doors are shut.

Another person behind bars, another life on hold,

As the cycle of mass incarceration takes its toll.

The criminal justice system, a web of inequality,

Where the poorest and marginalized face the brunt of the penalty.

The system's designed to keep them down,

Locked up and out of sight, with little hope of getting out.

The cycle begins with poverty and inequality,

A system that's rigged to keep them in obscurity.

A lack of education, opportunities, and hope,

Pushing them to the fringes, struggling to cope.

Once in the system, the cycle continues,

The stigma of a record, making it hard to pursue,

A life outside of prison walls,

Trapped in a system that makes them feel small.

The mass incarceration of our society,

Is a symptom of a problem that runs deep.

A criminal justice system that perpetuates poverty,

And leaves the marginalized with no room to breathe.

Let us break the cycle of mass incarceration,

And work towards a system that's built on reparation.

For a world that's free from poverty and inequality,

Is a world where justice and equality reign, indefinitely.

So let us work towards a future that's fair,

Where the cycle of poverty and inequality is rare.

A future where justice is truly blind,

And freedom is a right for all humankind.