The Impact of Mass Incarceration Among Minorities in America

Mass incarceration is the confinement of a large group of people who are in prison this leads to overcrowding. In this article the author discusses how African America men and women are more likely to go to prison, compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Tucker, R. (2017) African Americans in the United States is regarded with suspicion and fear for a long period of time. African Americans are more likely to be associated with crime. This trend has become a progressive trend over time. Pager (2007) There is a strong connection between race and crime, both actual and perceived. However, implications of this relationship remain poorly understood. Pager (2007) The United States remains distinctly divided among race. Research suggests understanding the mechanisms that perpetuate these divisions exemplifies a giant step towards solutions surrounding mass incarceration among minorities.

According to Martensen (2012) mass imprisonment affects primarily poor, uneducated black men. Imprisonment turns into mass incarceration when a specific group becomes victim to systematic imprisonment. Mental imprisonments are the consequence of physical imprisonment, however is not mentioned due to the nature, it is not obvious when someone who has a mental illness induced from being imprisoned. Consequences of mass incarceration consist of mental and physical. Other consequences are families are disrupted when an individual is incarcerated. Additionally, communities are disrupted when individuals cycle in and out. Pager (2007) Research explains, one to three African American men will go to prison once in a lifetime. Additionally, one out of one hundred women will be sentenced to prison in a lifetime. It is questionable whether mass incarceration began from increased drug use or drug crimes. It was found that drug sentencing has an impact on the number of African Americans that are incarcerated.

Some may think when an individual victimizes others removing the individual from the environment is the best result. This article suggests a growing body of research proves this theory could be ineffective. It is suggested there are supporting consequences when a large number of felons are removed from a specific community it may have a negative effect on the specified community. Most individual’s return back to the same community after incarceration, as this affects the community as well. The author suggests the United States remains racially segregated, despite some progress. Additionally, the United States disproportionately incarcerates poor people of color. An increase of massive incarceration has occurred in the United States since the 1980’s. The United States is segregated economically; it is from poor communities of color an extensive number of felons are removed. It is the same poor communities’ felons return to after incarceration. According to the author this method is called coercive mobility. Some believe coercive mobility increases crime in the community. A question presented in this article is how much of the high levels of incarceration of African Americans and Latinos are justified. This author found for lesser crimes committed the amount of unwarranted racial disparity increased.

Additional research suggests 13 percent of drug users and sellers are African American, and 17 percent are from Latino ethnicity. 65 percent of drug users and sellers are Caucasian This author suggests Caucasians sell to other Caucasians and vice versa for African Americans. However, more than 50 percent of incarcerated individuals are people of color. A recent study reviewed that 2.6 million African Americans and 24 million white Americans were using drugs illegally, but African American were 10 times mores to be sentenced to prison compared to white people. According to the human rights watch, people of color have the higher rates of arrest. Sentencing Project researched that 21 percent African Americans are more likely to receive a mandatory sentencing than white defendants.

The “Black Lives Matter” movement is often understood as a method to remove police from African American neighborhoods. In actuality “Black Lives Matter” movement encourages effective and accountable policing in all neighborhoods. Many individuals became incarcerated with drug, alcohol, or mental health related issues. These individuals received little to no treatment for mental related illnesses due to lack of funding sources. It is believed the most appropriate way to reduce the complementary consequences and the effects of high rates of incarceration and their consecutive negative effects for communities of color is to reduce the number of individuals incoming to prisons, this creates the foundation for a just society.

The theory behind mass incarceration stems from minorities who are economically disadvantaged. Commonly, within impoverished communities, employment opportunities are limited. This results in a higher crime rate in specific areas, in these specific areas businesses are disinclined to open in these areas. Martensen (2012) Deindustrialization affects many middle-class black families, these families have to work harder to improve their economic status within their community. There specifically are little to no equivalent job opportunities for minorities. This has forced them become under or unemployed, as a result minorities are forced back to impoverished communities.

Additionally, globalization has successfully turned the previously prosperous manufacturing and production industry economy into a service economy. This enables minorities applying for service jobs that require personal contact, however, these individuals are subjected to a decreased likelihood of obtaining a job. The less likelihood of obtaining a job is due to the stereotypes placed on these individuals. As a requirement, many service jobs demand a level of human or social capital that is not available to many poor, racial minorities. Additionally, requirements include, a higher number of background checks may be utilized to screen out marginalized individuals. Pager (2007) Social capital, provides assets to people based on their social networks, or who they know. This results in inaccessibility to poor, racial minorities. Minorities have been alienated from mainstream society where social opportunities are abundant. In Regards, to mass incarceration, millions of people have been sentenced to life without parole for nonviolent offenses. Currently over three thousand American citizens have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole that have not committed an act of violence. In 1980, the number of people, who began to serve life for nonviolent offenses, began to increase when mandatory minimums for drug and gun largely was abolished in the federal system. Laws were passed in the 1980’s that implemented harsh sentencing after setting a definition for nonviolent crimes.

According to Sarma (2015) in 2011, a study of truth sentencing laws by the urban institute notes the rapid expansion. By 1999, over forty states had implemented truth-sentencing law in the United States for nonviolent offenders. The sentencing polices included a combination of mandatory minimum penalties for habitual offender laws and increased sentencing whether a person committed an act of violence or an act without violence. When this policy was adopted, prisons became drastically filled with a large amount of people who committed non-violent crimes.