Mass Incarceration of African Americans: The Social And Moral Effect

African Americans face plenty of problems in today’s society. Even with achievements like the abolition of slavery and racial segregation. They still face social and political problems in the 21st century. A critical issue that African Americans face is mass incarceration. There is increasing number of incarceration among the blacks than it is with other races. This has contributed to high unemployment rates amongst the African American community and has left some families broken.

As already stated, African Americans are incarcerated more than other races. According to Roberts (2004), of the two million inmates in U.S. jails and prisons in 2002, (436,800) were white men and (235,000) were Hispanic while (586,700) were lack men (Roberts, D., 2004, p.1274). Even though they are the most incarcerated they are also not likely to find jobs once they are released. Due to the time they spend in prison many of them lost simple work skills and aren’t even given the equal opportunity to gain proper work ethics as others.

Thus, unequal distribution of resources resulting from criminal backgrounds mainly stems from stratification systems. “Social stratification is a system of structural inequality in which people receive different amounts of society’s valued resources” (Knudsen, 2018, slide 2). An unequal distribution of resources formed by social institutions can hinder minorities from providing for their family. Jail has become common for African American minorities. It has a negative stance on those on the outside. Who now have to manage with its emotional, financial, and economic effects. Children with one or both parents that are behind bars usually act out and repeat the same patterns as their parents. It is on record that “areas where social capital is lacking, the effects of poverty, adult unemployment, and family breakdown are magnified, making life much worse for children and adults alike” (Putnam, 2000, p.317).

To bring about a lasting change in the African American communities on issues of mass incarceration, things must change. First, prosecutors should lower penalties on low-level crimes when suitable. Judges must be more careful henceforth in pronouncing verdicts. There should be reasonable punishment that simply fits the crime committed. It worthy of note that “urban Institute had developed a set of principles that they believe should guide decision-making in the criminal justice system, including that sentences should be proportionate to the crime, that everyone should be offered a meaningful chance of release,” Anzilotti, E. (2017, July 13).

Secondly, there should be an end to class inequality. Racism in the criminal justice system is the result of pure discrimination between different racial groups, especially against African American people. If there is going to be change, it has to start with real changes in the criminal justice system. Mass Incarceration is just one of the many issues facing the African American culture today, and it is high time we sought real solutions to ending it. Even though maybe difficult for African Americans to stand by the government while being treated unjustly, fact remains that they are still are American citizens. To end mass incarceration, we need to end long prison sentences.