Analysis Of Abolishing Prisons Is Wrong By Angela Davis

Abolishing Prisons is Wrong Angela Davis argues that the prison system exemplifies white privilege. She claims this is true due to the fact that “more than two million people… now inhabit U.S. prisons, jails, youth facilities, and immigrant detention centers” (Davis, 2003, pg. 10). She also states that out of these two million incarcerated people, the largest population per capita is Native Americans, seventy percent are people of color, and the fastest growing population is black women (Davis, 2003, pg. 13-19). Davis uses five principles to construct her argument of white privilege being prevalent in our prison system. While I am sympathetic to the portion of her argument discussing the issue of racism within our justice system, I ultimately …show more content…
I believe prisons are needed for multiple reasons. The first reason I think prisons are still needed is due to the fact that they provide safety for society from heinous criminals such as murderers and child molesters. In addition, I believe that prisons serve not only as a physical safety barrier for all people of society, but also provide peace of mind for victims of those criminals as well as the victims’ families. Lastly, I believe it is understandable that some people may want revenge against the criminals that hurt themselves or their loved ones. However, I also believe most people just want criminals to be punished for the crime they committed, in hopes of deterring them from committing the same crime again, and potentially harming others in the …show more content…
108-109). This is another point of her argument in which I find myself to be partially sympathetic to. I do agree that those who use illegal drugs and do not commit heinous crimes should not be incarcerated for long periods of time, but should instead be offered treatment from a rehabilitation center to help them fight and overcome their addiction. With that being said, this type of reformation should not apply to those who manufacture illegal drugs, sell and distribute them, as well as commit crimes while under the influence of illegal substances. Those who make, sell, and distribute drugs should be held responsible to the highest extent of the law, to include incarceration due to their endangering the overall welfare of society. Drugs can be linked to many violent crimes such as violent gang activities, organized crime, and homicide. If someone commits a violent crime while under the influence of illegal drugs, such as assault or murder, they should be held responsible for their actions by our justice system. In addition, the individual who provided/sold the illegal drug should also be held responsible as a contributor to the crime. If the person that committed the crime had no access