One Way Ticket to Prison
This cartoon compares the methods of helping criminals reintegrate into society to work ethics. The cartoon uses a young black male to also highlight the present racial bias in our justice system. He is implied to be fresh out of prison and waiting for help on deciding his future actions. The affirmative action is out to lunch but the spider webs on their desk may imply they've never been to work. On the other hand, incarceration(named “ preferential incarceration”) is open 24/7 and has a welcome sign. This leaves the person with no choice but to seek help with incarceration. This cartoon sends the message that society leaves criminals only one path in life, re-incarceration. With the affirmative action absent, they have no choice but to return to crime. The subtext under affirmative action are all steps to a stable future, but they are out of reach for convicts. For example, a decent job is hard to find with a felony on record. This cartoon also shows a different perspective, as criminals are emotionally and physically treated as outlaws. People often think of criminals as people are evil and do not usually think of criminals who are trying to change; this cartoon helps people understand how criminals do not have much choice. The grim reaper that monitors the incarceration stand may imply that once someone is caught committing crime, it is a lethal and lifelong commitment.