“In the Name of Safety: How the Criminal Justice System Manipulates Rights into Compliance”

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By Chaddrick Thomas


They don’t even hide it anymore.

Whenever a police officer violates your rights, or a prison denies your humanity, the excuse is always the same:


“Safety and security.”


Those three words have become the most powerful shield in the American justice system—not to protect the public, but to protect the institution.

The Master Manipulators of Safety Language


From police precincts to prison yards, officials have mastered the art of using fear to justify anything:

  • Unlawful searches

  • Excessive force

  • Racial profiling

  • Censorship

  • Solitary confinement

  • Denial of legal documents or due process


The logic goes like this:

If we say it’s for safety, it doesn’t have to make sense.

It doesn’t even have to be true.

The “Public Safety Exception” – A Loophole in Due Process


Let’s start with law enforcement.


Everyone knows about Miranda rights:


“You have the right to remain silent…”


But here’s the catch:

Police are allowed to bypass those rights under a loophole called the “public safety exception.”


It lets officers interrogate suspects without reading them their rights if they believe there’s an imminent threat to public safety.


Sounds reasonable in theory, right?


But in practice?

It’s a golden ticket for manipulation.

All a cop has to say is:


“I thought someone might be in danger.”


And suddenly your rights disappear.

Fear is the Ultimate Justifier


The fear narrative works because it appeals to emotion.


“We had to act fast.”
“We couldn’t wait for a warrant.”
“There was a risk.”
“We couldn’t allow that book, that photo, that letter… it might threaten order.”


It’s the same manipulation used in every authoritarian system:

Make people believe that freedom is dangerous.

Inside Prison: “Security Concerns” as Tools of Control


In prison, they don’t even need a loophole.

They just say:


“It’s a security concern.”


That phrase gets used to deny:

  • Books about Black history

  • Legal mail

  • Photos of family members

  • Personal hygiene items

  • Medical attention

  • Group programming or religious practice


They don’t have to prove a threat.

They just have to say one might exist.


And if you question it?

You become the threat.

A System Designed to Break, Not Protect


The truth is, “safety and security” in the justice system don’t mean your safety.

They mean the system’s stability.

  • It’s not about protecting citizens—it’s about protecting power.

  • It’s not about preventing harm—it’s about preventing lawsuits.

  • It’s not about keeping people safe—it’s about keeping people in their place.

From the Streets to the Cellblock—Same Playbook


Whether it’s a traffic stop or a prison tier extraction, the strategy doesn’t change:

  1. Commit the violation.

  2. Justify it with “security.”

  3. Blame the victim for noncompliance.

  4. Hide behind policy and procedure.


And just like that, accountability vanishes.

What Do We Do About It?


If we want justice, we have to dismantle the illusion that safety equals compliance.


1. 

Demand Evidence for All Security Claims


Policies that restrict rights must be based on real, provable risks—not vague hypotheticals.


2. 

Push for Independent Oversight


Internal investigations are protection plans. We need civilian review boards with subpoena power and transparency.


3. 

Challenge the Public Safety Exception in Court


This loophole has been abused long enough. Legal challenges must push for clear, narrow definitions—not subjective “fear-based” judgment.


4. 

Redefine Safety


Safety isn’t silence.

Safety isn’t submission.

Safety is accountability, equity, and respect.

Final Thought: When Safety Is Weaponized, No One Is Free


When they say “safety,” ask whose safety?

When they say “security,” ask at what cost?


Because a system that needs to violate your rights to feel safe…

was never built for you in the first place

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