Lately, because of documentaries like 13th by Ava DuVernay,
Americans have been made aware of the highly problematic prison system in our
country. Often politicians and activists hoping to draw attention to mass
incarceration in the United States cite that while the country only holds about
five percent of the world’s population, we have about twenty five percent of
the world’s prisoners. While this statistic is shocking and sickening, and
maybe seems like a stretch of the truth, according to the Washington Post the
claim is explicitly true[1].
Not only does our country hold an enormous number of the global population of
prisoners, but African Americans in general, and African American males are
overrepresented in American prisons. According to the NAACP, “African Americans
are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites”[2].
Similarly, whites and blacks use drugs at comparable rates, yet African
Americans are 6 times more likely to be imprisoned for drug possession and use[3].
Due to the “War on Drugs” made popular by President Nixon, many laws used to
crack down on drug use were targeted towards the African American population by
making specific laws about drugs used at a higher rate in African American
communities. Many argue that mass incarceration serves as a new form of segregation
which previously operated as a new form of slavery. According to Michelle
Alexander, mass incarceration accomplishes this as it, “is a system that
operates to control people, often at early ages, and virtually all aspects of
their lives after they have been viewed as suspects in some kind of crime”[4].
Alexander explains that just like slavery, and segregation, mass incarceration
aims to take total control of a person’s life, and should they be released from
prison they then become a “second-class system” and lose many of their basic
rights as American citizens. This structure echoes the way that both
segregation and slavery stripped individuals of their basic human rights and
permanently marked them to be less than others or those in power in a given
community. Learning more about the mass incarceration of African American men in
our country is startling, especially when you take into consideration that
often African American men are also the targets of police brutality. Some would
like to argue that as a nation “all lives matter” and we have achieved a sort
of equality. However when forced to face the statistics, it becomes clear that
African American men are not given the same respect and rights in our country,
and instead many are forced to spend their lives in jail.
[1]
[2]
[3]
I.b.i.d.
[4]
I have know that a large fraction of the black population is incarcerated but the statistics are still shock me every time I read them. I agree with what Alexander is saying there incarceration takes control of another persons life and puts it in the hands of the government. The cycle of having black Americans end up in jail has been constant since enslavement and that was an imprisonment in itself. There is claims that this cycle is coming to an end but there is no evidence to support it.
ReplyDeleteThis article hit home for me. The issue of mass incarceration is one that has been skimmed over and ignored for the majority of its existence. Beginning with the bondage of slavery, this incarceration is nothing new. It is simply another way to keep Black people out of the public eye. As you mentioned Michelle Alexander saying, mass incarceration is literally a way to keep enslaving Black people, without the title of “slavery.” The fact that Nixon claimed that these drugs were the simple reason for the unreasonable spike in the imprisonment of Black people genuinely goes to prove how unsafe Black people really are in this country. Police officers have the backing of the government to justify their wrong doings among Black people. This “war on drugs,” gives the illusion that Black people are the only people abusing drugs, when in fact, the drug intake of Black people is nearly equivalent to the intake of White people.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of mass incarceration is concerning, Especially for the black community. Slavery has evolved through black codes, Jim crow, and now mass incarceration. this way is more systematic and giving america a reason to enslave people without saying its because of color.Also because of the laws set in place and heavy policing it places bad stigmas on black people and men. When you heavily police a area and the police are usually white men or women that believe these stigmas and stereotypes you start to encounter police brutality. Post-incarceration you become a victim of second class citizenship. Which looking from and family standpoint, you loose something so precious and essential, time. Time with family, kids, and friends. All of which now look at you differently, almost like a different person. so yes, mass incarceration is a new form of slavery that "coincidentally" enslaves more black people than any other race.
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