Mass Incarceration: U.S. Leads World in Prison Population - Essay Sample

Introduction

Mass incarceration in the United States accounts to one-quarter of the world's prison population yet the country has five percent of the global population. In the last four decades, mass incarceration has ballooned in the U.S. According to Michelle Alexander, the renowned author of the New Jim Crow the increase in the population of state, local and federal prisons arise from the choices made by policymakers who sought to deal harshly with individuals convicted of crimes. This was because of the increased rate of crime in the early 1970s and 1980s. Furthermore, Alexander indicates that the policies on war The War on Drugs, The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and The 13th Amendment have contributed significantly to the increased rate of mass incarceration.

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The War on Drugs is one of the public policy aspects that has promoted the increased rate of mass incarceration. The implementation of the policy by the political class targeted minority groups of color. Michelle Alexander argues that mass incarceration is a tremendous system of social and racial control by which people fall on the wrong side of the criminal justice system, branded as felons and criminals, and locked away in prisons, jails, and penitentiaries. As a result, the drug war has become a nationwide representative of the New Jim Crow in the form of mass incarceration that has singled out the black community diminishing their rights as U.S citizens. In the 1980s, there was a political hysteria about drugs leading to the implementation of draconian policies that aimed at solving the drug menace facing Americans. The law enforcement agencies worked hard to arrest drug dealers while judges, prosecutors, parole officers, and correctional authorities advocated for the brutal punishment of drug criminals. This led to the increase in the prison population due to lengthy jail sentences and a high probability of arrests progressing till the 1990s. Therefore, the sharp rise in mass incarceration to date can be attributed to political decisions made directed towards the war on drugs.

Similarly, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was the most expensive crime-control bill in the entire history of the U.S. that decimated people of color and promoted mass incarceration. According to the Act, states that applied for federal prison grants had to prove that they had increased the rate of incarceration and the period for jail sentences for convicted violent criminals. The grants provided to state authority were to aid states to build more prisons if they passed the truth in sentencing laws that provided a mandate for convicts to serve almost all of their sentences. As such, the act encouraged states to remain tough in fighting crime by eliminating parole and implementing mandatory minimums that led to a rise in the population of people behind bars.

On the same note, the 13th Amendment has promoted the sharp rise in mass incarceration because it little to limit the abuse on the criminal justice system. According to the legislation, the enslavement of African Americans was prohibited as stated in the Constitution. However, the 13th Amendment frees people from slavery except under the umbrella of sentencing and conviction in the criminal justice system.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the United States has faced widespread mass incarceration at an unprecedented rate while compared to other developed countries of its kind. The criminal justice policies implemented during periods of fast social change and rise in criminal behavior has contributed to a correctional atmosphere that promotes mass incarceration and long prison or jail sentences. In particular, the war on crime, 1994 Act, and the 13th Amendment have played a pivotal role in promoting discriminative behavior in mass incarceration. Communities of color dominate the prison population, hence making mass incarceration a form of Jim Crow politically driven policies.

Works Cited

Alexander, Michelle. New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New Press, 2016.