And in the U.S.A.
(State of emergency in New Brunswick, N.J.)
by Miguel Algarin

If something is not done
Criminal Justice will collapse,
or worse, there will be riots in jails
just like those in Essex, Union, and Bergen Counties.
Prisons overflow, they can’t hold,
there’s no space, the courts dismiss everything,
only extreme cases are retained,
though it’s still difficult to hold on to
people who react with brutal crimes.
The hitch is in the rapid dismissals,
can’t keep up with those handcuffed,
the courts are jammed,
the list of fugitives grows.
If beds aren’t found,
the jails’ll explode,
set on fire by inmates
who yield to violent passions.