Oral history interview with Darnley Brathwaite, 2019
Abstract
Darnley "Dabbin" Brathwaite discusses why he became a police officer and how different officers approach the job. He describes watching his peers going to jail or prison when he was in high school. He shares his perspective on why Black males end up incarcerated: he focuses on anger and how they have been denied the skills necessary to handle that anger, such as conflict resolution. Brathwaite talk s about his work in a juvenile priority offender program and Right Moves For Youth program that puts officers in classrooms. He discusses the role of economics in recidivism rates and the criminal justice system as a whole. He speaks about how a person's upbringing can impact their future significantly, and the responsibility parents have to keep their children out of trouble. He describes some early intervention techniques, including increased access to education, as one way to reduce the population of Black males in prison