Introduction
The USA is famous for having the highest numbers of incarcerated prisoners in the world. Despite being only the third most populous nation, the country’s incarceration rates surpass that of India and China combined. As it stands, over 2 million prisoners are currently being locked up in American prisons, with over 7 million being under supervision or on parole (Hyeyoung, 2008). Unlike in other countries, where the population has been mostly homogeneous, in the USA the problem of mass incarceration is not only a matter of criminal justice but also a political and a racial problem. The purpose of this paper is to research the subject of black incarceration and outline its reasons as well as the effects on the prisoners and their families.
Overview of the Topic
Black prisoners are largely viewed as victims of a profoundly corrupt and prejudiced system that grooms them to become criminals from a very young age. Even though the black population comprises only 12.1% of the entire population of the USA, the ratio of white to black prisoners is circa 1 to 9. This number has grown three times since the 1970s. Researchers, advocates, and social workers offer plenty of potential explanations for this happening. The most popular theories include the pointlessness of the War on Drugs – a campaign initiated by President Nixon in the 1970s in an attempt to curb the drug flow from Mexico, the inherent prejudice of the white-led criminal justice system, the historical impact of segregation and slavery, and the disparities in wealth and education levels (Hyeyoung, 2008).
Topic Relation to Specialization
This topic pertains directly to me as a major in Education. Almost every research done on the matter of crime, social inequality, and poverty highlights the importance of education as a means to ensure safety, security, and social mobility for the discriminated populations. Thus, my job is to ensure that my students do not drop out, understand the importance of education in their lives and shield them from any negative and antisocial influences they may experience due to their social status, educational status, and background (Presser & Sandberg, 2015). Also, this subject relates to me as an educator and a citizen. I must participate in the social and political life of the community, promote laws and legislation aimed at reducing crime, poverty, and social ineptitude among the neglected minorities. Researching this topic would provide me with the critical insight necessary for understanding the roots of the problem as well as the effect it has on the target populace, which, in theory, should enable me to perform affirmative actions and efficiently cooperate with the political representatives of my district(Presser & Sandberg, 2015).
Review of the Literature
Incarceration and social inequality are typically co-aligned. Nations with a higher rate of inequality typically have higher crime rates and vice versa. Western and Pettit (2010) state that the roots of social inequality in the USA are very profound and are connected not only to physical aspects such as wealth, but also to intellectual and treatment inequalities, pertaining matters such as education, the criminal justice system, and historical influences. The researchers state that incarceration has a deep and profound effect not only on the people imprisoned but also on their families, stilting growth and preventing long-term social mobility. The conclusions that the researchers make is that public safety cannot be improved solely by dispensing punishment, as punishment in itself deepens social inequality and predisposition towards crime both on an individual and on a community level. Therefore, an organized approach towards crime prevention and punishment must be focused on eliminating the root of the problem rather than dealing with the consequences.
The subject of the effect of incarceration on black families is followed in the article by Western and Wildeman (2009), who researched to discover how black male incarceration affects the overall health and stability of the black community. According to their findings, incarceration inevitably leads to an increased number of orphans and single mothers raising children, which is associated with poverty, neglect, and lack of social mobility, as a woman raising a child alone seldom has the opportunity to build a career and maintain her motherly duties. This, in turn, leads to their children suffering from a lack of parental attention, which leads to an increased likelihood of indulging in crime, thus negatively affecting the long-term social perspectives of the community at large. While the article makes a convincing argument about single-parent families, it does not, however, investigate the alternative – fathers susceptible to committing crimes are likely to be abusive to their families.
One of the main reasons for the growing numbers of incarcerated black men is considered to be determinate sentencing. It is a kind of sentencing that does not allow parole or sentence reduction based on extenuating circumstances. However, Reitz (2006) argues against that notion. His article states that determinate sentencing alone is not the sole reason for the growing numbers of prisoners. If anything, determinate sentencing was fought for by the black community to reduce prejudice in the court. With sentences being determined, a black criminal would get as much time in incarceration as a white criminal. According to statistics, states with the highest incarceration rates have indeterminate sentencing systems. At the same time, states with the lowest crime rates have a mix of determinate and indeterminate sentencing systems, depending on the crime. Reitz (2006) provides recommendations in regards to changing the situation by endorsing a presumptive sentencing system.
The subject of race and crime in America is, without a doubt, a historical issue. The black population has gone a long way from being powerless slaves to segregated second-class citizens, and after that, through reformations inspired and advocated by Martin Luther King, have obtained full equality and citizenship. However, the historical perspectives of inequality and crime in black communities starting from the 19th century, and their interpretations were largely influenced by the common misconceptions and popular views propagated in culture and literature. According to Srebnick (2005), when working with historical accounts, researchers are always forced to interpret the available information to separate exaggerations and lies from the truth, as all accounts of criminal activity carry their distinctive cultural imprint on them.
Hyeyoung (2008), who analyzed the available data on prisoners, crime rates, and incarceration rates ever since the 1970s and ending with contemporary times, tested modern social views on crime and incarceration. According to his findings, the prison model focusing on punishment and arrest as crime deterrents, while having had an effect on the increasing number of prisoners, did not reduce overall crime rates and only facilitated their gradual increase. Among other factors that have affected incarceration rates, Hyeyong (2008) found that variables such as race, economic background, educational background, family background, and political views prevalent in the society have influenced the drastic growth in the prison population seen between 1970-2008. However, how exactly these variables influence one another remains unclear.
Conclusions
Mass incarceration of blacks is a problem that is deeply rooted in American society. Despite slavery ending over 150 years ago and segregation being abolished in 1964, its historical aftermath still affects the country even today, resulting in high incarceration rates primarily for adult male citizens. Crime in black communities is the result of generational poverty, lack of proper education and social mobility as well as incarceration methods themselves, as the new generation of black children is being raised by single mothers, thus becoming susceptible to poverty and sickness. The lack of a father figure is making these children more likely to drop out of school and engage in criminal gang activities, which only serve to exacerbate the problem. To reduce crime rates in black communities, a multi-level approach must be taken, to eliminate the social, economic, and historical injustices that have a long-standing effect on crime rates and the justice system. Until the root causes are dealt with, it does not matter how severe the punishments are and what state the correctional facilities are in. Punishment would be rendered ineffective, as it would only breed more crime in the long-term. My job as an educator will be to ensure that all of my students, including those from underprivileged and minority backgrounds, are treated equally and fairly, and have all the tools they need to succeed in life.
References
Hyeyoung, L. (2008). Finding explanations on the growth of incarceration and the reductions in crime: Incapacity or social threat?Retrieved from ProQuest. (UMI 3329513).
Presser, L., & Sandberg, S. (2015). Narrative criminology: Understanding stories of crime. New York, NY: New York University press.
Reitz, K. R. (2006). Don’t blame determinacy: U.S Incarceration growth has been driven by other forces. Texas Law Review, 84(7), 1787-1802.
Srebnick, A. G. (2005). Crime and culture: A historical perspective. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.
Western, B., & Pettit, B. (2010). Incarceration and social inequality. Daedalus, 139(3), 8-18.
Western, B., &Wildeman, C. (2009). The black family and mass incarceration. AAPSS Annals, 621, 221-242.