Final answer:
Malcolm X believed black inmates should be released to start their own government and advocated for the separation of white and African Americans, influenced by the Nation of Islam's teachings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who believed that black inmates should be released from jails and penitentiaries to start their own government was Malcolm X. Malcolm X, raised in a family influenced by Marcus Garvey and persecuted for its outspoken support of civil rights, discovered the Nation of Islam while serving a stint in prison for armed robbery.
He adopted and preached the ideas of Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam leader, who advocated for the separation of white Americans and African Americans. Malcolm X's radical ideas included the notion that African Americans could not thrive in an atmosphere of white racism and suggested eventual emigration to Africa as a means for African Americans to achieve self-determination and independence. This was part of his vision for African American empowerment and self-governance separate from the United States.