CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Criminal Justice System: Incarceration of African American Men

Abstract

There are currently 2.3 million Americans incarcerated in jails and prisons across the United States; that means more than 1 in every 100 adults are serving time. The United States imprisons more of its population than any other country. Black communities often fall victim to deindustrialization, leaving them with few job opportunities and slim chances of social mobility. As a result, many black men become hopeless and desperate, and turn to such illegal activities as selling drugs to try to provide for them and their families.

Criminal Justice System: Incarceration of African American Men

Introduction

“Crime” is actually violation of public rules of behavior as inferred and articulated by the criminal law, this replicate traditional values, community belief, and the point of view of people presently holding political and social power.

Incarceration is not only a social and political issue but also has become a public health problem, since many people are jailed each year. The United States spends forty-nine billions of dollars each year to accommodate the 6.6% of the adult population expect to become incarcerate at some point in their lives. Twenty years ago, the annual budget for prisons was only 11 million. The U.S. surge in the country has held the nation with the highest percentage of people incarcerated in the world, even larger than China, a nation more populous than America. The mass incarceration not only leads to less funds that dedicated to education, but also can lead to dangerous health problems such as high infant mortality rate.

It is a fact that centuries between 1920 and 1975, the federal and state population in prison was about .10 of 1% of the total population. Mary Patillo states, “the rate of incarnation led to increase ion every single year, which has been a concern”, as by 2001, 0.69% of population was in jail or found in prison.

Data analysis

The U.S. incarceration rate is 5 to 11 times higher than that of countries of the European Union, and 7.6 times more than the French. The only Texas imprisons more people than France, the UK and the Benelux countries combined. If one add to adults imprisoned those who are on parole and conditional, are 6.6 million people who are currently subject to penal control, against 1.8 million in 1980. Officially, this "explosion prison" was justified by the need to reduce crime in the United States. However, it is far from clear that there is a direct cause and effect between mass incarceration and crime reduction, both phenomena seem disconnected.

The "prison industry" in the United States is also "correctional firms", ie the private prisons. It is understood that the disturbing mixture of public and private interests which leads the Prison has become a key issue in the "Land of the free".

Comparison

Incarceration is more prevalent for young black men: 1 in every 15 black males ages 18 or older is in prison or jail compared to 1 in 115 black men over age 55 ...