I chose the topic of police brutality and mass incarceration because I wanted to explain why it is an issue in our society. Also, I believe people should not be incarcerated for low-level offenses such as theft or assault but for more serious crimes such as murder or rape. It does not make sense that someone who did not commit a violent crime can go to jail for years just because of a minor offense like car vandalism. It goes against what America stands for in its institutions. In essence, people of color are being incarcerated at an alarming rate, and there is something wrong with that. This problem will be solved if we can stop the police from being biased and police brutality and stop incarceration for low-level crimes. From my perspective, this concern should be addressed in every area of society. According to Alapo and Rockefeller (2019), racial disparities in the United States criminal justice system exist as Black people are more likely to be arrested and charged with crimes than White people. I introduce White supremacy because I believe we should not exclude people based on their skin color. After all, it was not meant to be exclusionary and will never stop being exclusionary. However, people can constructively use White supremacy to know their histories. Police brutality and mass incarceration because of race has been controversial for generations. It is not a new issue. Police brutality and mass incarceration because of race is a historical crisis that goes back to the eighties, nineties and even the early twentieth Century. All interested in this matter must address this question, including government officials and scholars. This manifesto will offer ways to end police brutality and mass incarceration.
Police brutality and mass incarceration due to race and class have led to the over-representation of people of color in the United States prison population. In addition, these issues have led to a ripple effect on the rest of society. It is manifested through the lack of job opportunities for those with criminal records, lack of access to affordable housing and quality education, social isolation, and other such collateral effects resulting from mass incarceration. One way to tackle this issue is by addressing the underlying racial biases that lead to such disproportionate incarceration rates for people of certain races. It could be done by legally eliminating systemic racism in hiring practices, leading to high unemployment rates within communities disproportionately targeted by police brutality and mass incarceration (and subsequently over-represented within the prison population). Another way to address this issue would be to advocate for abolishing mass incarceration. It could be done by advocating for alternatives to prison, such as diversion programs or mandatory drug treatment. We can address this issue through a systematic and comprehensive approach focusing on the underlying causes of police brutality, mass incarceration, and their rippling effects on society.
Through the process of writing a manifesto, I have understood that there is a deep divide between those at the bottom of society and those at the top. There is also a breach among races, genders, and classes. I believe this separation can be broken by bringing everyone together and having equal opportunities for education and employment. I believe that if we wish to see a better world for all of us, we must work together. Currently, police brutality against people of color is prevalent across every city and nation in America. In addition, it is found in other countries across the world as well. According to Schoenfeld (2018), police brutality is a global phenomenon. The report shows that there are over 170 countries where police brutality occurs, and one of their main points is the lack of trust people have in their police and law enforcement. Many people worldwide feel their local law enforcement is harassing them for no apparent reason. I believe that the first step toward ending police brutality is ending systematic racism and acknowledging it as a problem. Police brutality and mass incarceration have been among the most dispiriting aspects of the last couple of years for all involved. From what is happening in contemporary society, many members of all races, classes, gender, and creed have come together to create this manifesto. With significant consideration, people must stand up for all oppressed persons living in a capitalist society. In recent times there has been much violence committed against people. For instance, the United States government has been turning a blind eye to all police brutality and racial profiling, perpetuating a violent society and the mass incarceration of black men and women. There should be a declaration of people’s resistance and refusal to continue injustice to create a better future.
Police brutality and mass incarceration are real issues because the police are not fully accountable. Some people see it as a “solved” issue because they do not educate themselves on how it was created, so they think that we can let the police run rough-shod over us, but no one deserves to be abused by the police. All of us deserve respect and protection by the law of our nation. in addition, police brutality and mass incarceration are class issues. Muller and Roehrkasse (2022) claimed that in the early 21st Century, the US faced an increasingly prominent problem of increasing incarceration rates within its society, which they claimed was leading to a growing racial and class inequality within American society. The officers that commit these crimes are mainly from the lower and upper classes. They are mostly White males, and many live in high-rise apartments or have wealthy family members. They have fallen into a life where they are unwilling to be accountable to their fellow citizens. They were also unwilling to take a stand against the injustice in society; even though they did not participate in it, people knew enough about it to keep quiet and be obedient to the power they had been given. It is not the way to handle this issue. Everybody can make a difference in this world by convincing legislators to vote for more oversight in handling these issues. More jobs must be created to reduce the number of people getting into prison because they do not have a job or any money. People should also ensure those police officers are held accountable if they commit brutality against someone, even if they are from another race or class.
One of the ways to end police brutality and mass incarceration is by creating awareness about race and class. Through this, people will see the interconnections of these two issues, which can then lead to changes in how people understand race and class as an issue affecting people across the board and how it affects each individual. It then leads to a change in all aspects of society, primarily political and economic. Bowleg et al. (2020) claimed that negative encounters with police (NP) and police avoidance (PA) are associated with depressive symptoms among Black men. It is because encountering NP and PA is related to avoidance of police which is a risk factor for poor mental health (Bowleg et al., 2020). The way news is presented matters because media also affects our society by shaping how society understands race and class. Police brutality and mass incarceration due to race and class among the non-White population have been long ignored. To create awareness of this issue, we must show our power by performing marches, rallies, and protests.
We have the power to educate people around the world about race and class in our society, as well as other social injustices that exist in the world, such as racism, sexism, and police brutality. We can also blog about these issues to bring publicity to this cause. Blogging is a great way to spread awareness about Race and class through social media because it allows us to reach many people, more than just those reading it in print or watching television. Mass media need to present things in a way that will enable people to recognize the connections between race and class and how they are interrelated with police Brutality and Mass incarceration. Thus, there needs to be some awareness raising or propaganda campaign from those who believe change can be made to show those who are oblivious that there is an issue under their radar that affects them all in different ways.
In addition, another way to end police brutality and mass incarceration are by drawing attention to the fact that there are people who are unaware that such issues as race and class actually exist and also affect them. Acknowledging that there is police brutality and mass incarceration due to race class among the public, or even within the family, will enable people to realize there is something wrong with police brutality and mass incarceration. Weaver and Prowse (2020) affirmed that racial authoritarianism has led to racial discrimination across all sectors of the economy in the USA. In addition, Weaver and Prowse (2020) defined racial authoritarianism as a predisposition to support one race over another. It is consistent with Racial authoritarianism, which has led to police brutality and mass incarceration since racial authoritarianism because it measures one’s preference for inequality concerning race and class and how much people would like to submit to others. This awareness can be created by spreading information about how this issue affects everyone and creating more awareness about race and class. It allows for a change in how people view society and each other. Some tools people can use to create awareness of police brutality and mass incarceration include cartoons, books, and plays. It can also be done by using various forms of media such as the internet, online blogs, magazines, and other social media platforms to spread the word about this issue. The internet enables people from every corner of the world to hear their voices in seconds. It gives them a way to learn about the cause of the issue because many people like to read about problems in other parts of the world to learn what is going on in their own country. It is essential to use all these tools simultaneously. Through this, people can gain support from allies who understand what needs to be done so that we can make policy changes and then effect those changes by uniting people for social change. Everyone needs to bring about social change since all these tools can be used collectively rather than individually. It will result in a change in policy so that everyone has access to the same rights despite their race or class.
In conclusion, race and class: police brutality and mass incarceration exist in society, and some people are unaware of this fact. People must be educated about this issue by creating awareness to bring real and lasting societal changes. There is a need to continue to organize and spread the word through social media, speeches, rallies, and protests. There are problems with police brutality and mass incarceration, and most affected people are aware, but that does not mean that change will come quickly. People must be unified and fight for their civil rights to have an equal society. They must have the courage to let everyone know that this issue affects everyone and that there is a need to stop it. Police brutality and mass incarceration, like all other injustices, will be abolished once we eliminate all social injustices. There is a need to change how society operates by educating people on how it came to be the way it is today, allowing for true equality in the country.
References
Alapo, R., & Rockefeller, D. (2019). Racial disparities in the United States criminal justice system: “with liberty and justice for all?”.
Bowleg, L., Maria del Río-González, A., Mbaba, M., Boone, C. A., & Holt, S. L. (2020). Negative police encounters and police avoidance as pathways to depressive symptoms among US Black men, 2015–2016. American Journal of Public Health, 110(S1), S160-S166.
Muller, C., & Roehrkasse, A. F. (2022). Racial and Class Inequality in US Incarceration in the Early Twenty-First Century. Social Forces, 101(2), 803-828.
Schoenfeld, H. (2018). Building the Prison State: Race and the Politics of mass incarceration. University of Chicago Press.
Weaver, V. M., & Prowse, G. (2020). Racial authoritarianism in US democracy. Science, 369(6508), 1176-1178.