Causes Of Mass Incarceration - 1755 Words

The Road to Mass Incarceration†¦ IT has been said that ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions’. This maxim known in some form around the world has stood for a relatively simple meaning, that, regardless of the ‘intent’ behind an action, it is the result of that action that matters. Now, this can be applied directly to the problem that has plagued the United States of America since the mid-1970s, that of mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is the ‘high rate of incarceration in the United States†¦ that is markedly above the historical and comparative norm for societies this type’(Western 28). This produces a ‘systematic imprisonment of whole groups of the population’(Western 29), specifically the black and brown communities found†¦show more content†¦The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Civil Rights Activist, Thurgood Marshall, once said that the ‘intent is evident in the results’ to mean ‘when we intend to do good, we do, [and] when we intend to do harm, it happens†¦ our intent always comes through’. Former President Bill Clinton said that he didn’t intend to cause an increase in prison expansion, yet, under his administration ‘the incarcerated population rose from 1.3 million to more than 2 million’ (Kilgore 66). In 8 years, the Clinton administration managed to increase ‘federal, state, and local corrections expenditures†¦[to] $57 billion a year’ (Kilgore 32). His administration also implemented the Omnibus Crime Bill and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 which ‘cut the rights and opportunities for people with felony convictions’ (Kilgore 32) and ended the welfare assistance that once existed. None of these actions actually brought about the safety of U.S. citizens, because at the time of Bill Clinton’s presidency, crime rates were decreasing. Yet, despite this downward trend in priso n population rates the Clinton administration ‘enacted notoriously harsh narcotics penalties in the †¦ three-strikes legislation in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and more capital crimes with fewer appeals in the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 and theShow MoreRelatedRacial Disparities Of Mass Incarceration1572 Words   |  7 PagesRacial disparities in mass incarceration Introduction Mass Incarceration in the United States has been a large topic of choice because rapid growth in the prison and jail populations, the long sentences the inmates face, and the inability for some inmates to incorporate themselves back into society. Since the 1970’s the U.S. prison population quadrupled from 158 to 635 people per 100,000, causing the U.S. to gain the title of country with the highest incarceration rate. (Massoglia, Firebaugh, Read MoreCriminals Must Be Punished For Breaking The Laws Of The Land1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthe system of incarceration. Jails have functioned in our society to protect citizens, or those who obey the constitution. For years, our jails were able to separate criminals from obedient citizens as well as punish criminals for their wrong doings. In the past, people have questioned whether this system was effective or not. Now, we have shifted our focus onto how much longer our jails will exist due to our lack of resources. The longer we wait to find a solution to mass incarceration the harder theRead MoreThe New Jim Crow Law1014 Words   |  5 PagesMass incarceration is known as a net of laws, policies, and rules that equates to the American criminal justice system. This series of principles of our legal system works as an entrance to a lifelong position of lower status, with no hope of advancement. 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The mass incarceration of blacks has created a racial underclass; a population with second-class status based on their criminal records (AlexanderRead MoreThe Political And Economic Factors Of The War On Drugs872 Words   |  4 Pagesuncovers the system of mass incarceration: a system comprised of laws, rules, policies, and customs that control criminals both in and out of prison. The greatest instigator of mass incarceration is the War on Drugs. Rather than combat drug activity, the War on Drugs has served as a deliberate strategy to control people of color and remove them from the political process, which is racist in both application and design. Alexander suggests that the War on Drugs and mass incarceration constitute a rebirthRead MoreThe Effects Of High Incarceration On The United States879 Words   |  4 PagesThe vast societal effects from mass incarceration have caused an increasingly alienated po pulation to form in the U.S., which can be broadly classified in the dual areas of lasting effects and impacts to the family unit. First, the lasting effects of high incarceration rates are that they impact the rights of the convict, particularly African Americans. For example, noted civil rights attorney Michelle Alexander posits that the long term effects of mass incarceration operate to deny black AmericansRead MoreMass Incarceration And Its Effects On Families, Communities, And Society1400 Words   |  6 Pagesa problem and many refuse to believe or even acknowledge that there is one. However, the United States has paved the way to create a cycle of endless incarceration for many people but especially for those of color. Such as the 1994 Violent Crime Control Act and the lack of substance abuse treatment in prisons. Overwhelmingly, mass incarceration has had a great impact on families, communities and society as a whole. As illuminated through the parable by inmate Joe M artinez, this continued cyclingRead MoreThe New Jim Crow And The Article On The Myth Os Mass Incarceration853 Words   |  4 PagesCrow and the article on the myth os mass incarceration, I was surprised to see how different they really were. The book is suggesting that mass incarceration is in fact the new Jim Crow, while the very title of the article infers that mass incarceration is a â€Å"myth† and is something that is not actually happening. That being said, I believe there are many ways in which Michelle Alexander would respond to this article in order to defend the topic of mass incarceration, and the fact that it is African-AmericansRead MoreThe Basis for Cridme Deterren ce in the United States964 Words   |  4 Pagesreaching consequences for criminal offenders and completely ignores the true goal of incarceration, to rehabilitate the offender for reintroduction into society. Mass incarceration as a means of criminal rehabilitation in the United States is extremely flawed. There are many far-reaching consequences of this practice that not only affects the incarcerated but larger society on a whole. The phrase mass incarceration, according to Oxford Encyclopedia, refers to â€Å"comparatively and historically extremeRead MorePrison Overcrowding And The United States1555 Words   |  7 Pagesshould not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.† The prisons in the United States have been overcrowded for many years and require a change in order to fix this. Some of the main causes for prison overcrowding that will be covered in this paper are mass incarceration, long sentencing, recidivism, and prisoners of drug crimes. Overcrowding of prisons in the United States is a major issue that affects not only the prisoners themselves, but taxpayers and politicians. Although