TRENTON, N.J. — Tariq Maqbool, a correspondent for The Progressive currently incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison, offers insight into the prison population’s enthusiasm for Donald Trump’s second term. He writes that Trump’s survival of two assassination attempts and his record of keeping promises gave him “street cred” and offered an appealing alternative to Democrats’ perceived failure on reform.
In the wake of Trump’s second inauguration, Maqbool reflects on a survey conducted by The Marshall Project, which found that most incarcerated people nationwide would vote for Trump if allowed.
Though the survey was conducted in Washington, D.C., Maqbool argues that it sheds light on political views inside New Jersey State Prison. Of the more than 54,000 participants, support for Trump was especially strong among white men, but a substantial number of Black men said they would vote for him too.
Despite Trump’s vocal support for the death penalty and talk of sending U.S. prisoners to El Salvador, Maqbool believes many incarcerated people at the prison still prefer his policies over what he sees as the Democrats’ subpar record on criminal justice reform.
Maqbool points to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, largely authored by Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton’s support for mandatory minimums and limited early release, as policies that “devastated minority communities” and worsened racial disparities in incarceration.
He also highlights the failure of Democrats to deliver on promises. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act never passed, and President Biden’s ban on private prisons was undermined by the U.S. Marshals Service, which simply transferred contracts.
Maqbool notes that Kamala Harris’s record as California’s attorney general alienated many people. He points to her support for the death penalty even in cases where there was “ample evidence that cast doubt on their guilt.”
In contrast, Trump is viewed by many inside as a “hustler” and relatable figure. Maqbool writes that watching a convicted felon rise to the presidency for a second time gave some hope for better prison conditions and possibly even the right to vote.
Trump is seen as “a fellow cut from the same cloth,” gaining “street cred” for his blunt style, disdain for Hollywood, and survival of two assassination attempts, Maqbool writes.
When Trump pardoned Alice Marie Johnson, who received a life sentence for a first-time drug offense, and then pardoned the January 6 rioters after his second term began, “NJSP was buzzing about Trump ‘keeping his promise.’”
In a system where prison labor pays as little as $1.50 to $2.50 per day, Trump’s policy of including incarcerated people in stimulus payments was seen as significant. Maqbool shares how his friend Manny felt like “a real dad” when he used part of his check to buy his daughter a gift.
Still, Maqbool says he does not share the same optimism about Trump’s impact. He quotes his friend Martin “Pancho” Robles: “A lot of incarcerated people wanted Trump to win, but they seem to forget that during his first term he said that he did not like criminals.”
Despite Trump’s antagonism toward incarcerated people, Maqbool writes that support for his second term comes from a mindset of “it couldn’t get any worse.”
“In the wake of Trump’s second inauguration, Maqbool reflects on a survey conducted by The Marshall Project, which found that most incarcerated people nationwide would vote for Trump if allowed.”
Who knew? I give the incarcerated a lot of credit for seeing democrat’s failed policies.