The Impact of Mass Incarceration in the US



The Impact of Mass Incarceration in the US

Introduction

United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world. This fact can be observed from data sources of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Imprisonment population per 100,000 has increased from 139 in 1980 to 502 in 2009. The data for the 30 years clearly indicate an increase of more than 260%, in the rate of imprisonment in US (Sabol & West, 2009). This increasing trend is problematic and (Clear, 2009) argues that the prevalent situation posits a negative impact on the American society as a whole.

Discussion

Clear argue that such massive rates of incarceration in the US, is primarily concentrated with imprisonment of young men of color. Further, such race biased imprisonment is concentrated in the communities these people reside in. The targeted imprisonment of certain groups has brought along a disproportionate spread among the nation's population. Racial prejudice has thus given rise to a possibility that African-Americans are more than 6 times more likely to be imprisoned in comparison to the Caucasian population. Furthermore, one-fourth of adult males in certain areas of the communities are in prison on a daily basis (Clear, 2009).

Todd Clear present a range of considerable effects of such race-inclined imprisonment on the communities affected. These detriments are:

Resultant affects are witnessed through weakened labor markets. This is because of the reduced earning power of convicts recycled from the prison system;

It has led to a decrease in the rates of marriage among the effected minority races;

It has led to an increase of economic problems for the affected families;

Children of such imprisoned populace suffer a major setback in terms of future life chances. This phenomenon is witnessed through increase in risks of association with the juvenile justice system. Further, school prospects and ...