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Mass Incarceration in the United States of America

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Mass Incarceration in the United States of America

Mass incarceration in the United States has gradually risen since the 1970s and is skewed

along racial and class lines. The increased mass incarceration is especially higher amongst

African Americans as compared to whites, leading to severe social and economic ramifications

for these communities. This essay aims to understand the cause of mass incarceration in the

United States, determine how it is impacting society as a whole, and put forward some of the

proposed solutions to this problem in the country.

Mass incarceration has become a worrying trend in the United States. This is due to the

fact that it is unevenly more prevalent among African Americans and the poorer members of

society. According to Western and Muller (2013), African Americans are 6 to 7 times more

likely to face incarceration compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, their research

indicates that for those African Americans who drop out of high school the chances of

incarceration are 20 times higher (Western & Muller, 2013). In the late 1970s, the rates of

incarceration for unschooled black men stood at 12%, as opposed to today where it stands at

35% (Western & Muller, 2013). It is also more likely for black men who have dropped out of

high school to be incarcerated than to get gainful employment. Grawert et al., (2019) also

reiterate that the rate of incarceration amongst black men is 6 times higher compared to whites,

which is creating an injustice towards this societal group and thus has become a civil rights

crisis.

The effects of mass incarceration, especially at the social level, have a negative

connotation on American society at large. As stated in Western and Muller’s (2013) article, mass

incarceration focusing on the black race within the country is ‘the new Jim Crow,’ indicating a

racially systematized penal structure. At the statistical level, incarcerating innumerable poor
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individuals in the society reduces their impact on national social indicator statistics, giving a

more optimistic picture of these indicators when the reality is not as good (Western & Muller,

2013). These social indicators are optimistic since they leave out the most socially disadvantaged

of society. Overall, it perpetuates racial and economic inequality in the country (Grawert et al.,

2019).

The solutions proposed to combat mass incarceration all majorly lie with policymakers at

the federal level. One such move was witnessed with the signing of the First Step Act by

President Donald Trump in 2018 (Grawert et al., 2019). The Act is meant to reduce the extreme

and unjust sentences within the American criminal code. Some further proposals include ending

incarceration for lower-level offenses, reducing the time served for those penalized for serious

crimes, and reverting ‘unfair’ bills such as the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law

Enforcement Act (Grawert et al., 2019). Through such bills, the U.S federal government

supported states legally and fiscally to mete out harsher sentencing laws. New bills such as the

Reverse Mass Incarceration Act would instead enable the country to apply its financial muscle to

more contingent criminal justice goals (Grawert et al., 2019).

At a personal level, some of the proposed measures that the country can undertake also

involve changing the policies to reflect a fairer justice system that does not make judgments

based on race. In addition, the government could put in place social improvement plans that

would assist poorer neighborhoods in the country to shift from crime-based economies.

Furthermore, an increase in resources within such communities, such as improving schools and

public amenity providers would make communities living in poorer neighborhoods to feel more

engaged in the progression of the American society.

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In conclusion, mass incarceration is a ticking time bomb in the United States. Due to the

uneven incarceration rates between blacks and whites in the country, it is likely that continued

mass incarceration of black men will leave this community feeling isolated. For long-term

betterment, ensuring healthier incarceration policies that reflect updated judicial performance

measures, and assisting poorer communities in society will reduce mass incarceration and

increase racial equality in the country.

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References

Grawert, A., & William S. Hein & Co., Inc. (2019). Ending Mass Incarceration: A Presidential

Agenda. New York: Brennan Center for Justice.

Western, B., & Muller, C. (May 01, 2013). Mass Incarceration, Macrosociology, and the

Poor. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 647, 1, 166-

189.