Analysis of Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys
In Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, ex-gang member, Victor Rios, Ph.D., came back to the place where he grew up in Oakland, California to conduct a study of 40 young men's battles managing stigma and punitive social control applied on their lives from society. Rios conducted his study for a time of three years using various number of qualitative methods ranging from observation, interviews, and review of academic scholarship and official records. This book is divided into two major sections, the first part of the book contains four chapters which examine the punitive nature of the criminal justice system, more specifically the police, and how it has stripped …show more content…
However, before I get into that it is very important to show that there is actually a support system behind these kids. During his research Rios finds that most family attempt to instill positive values in their sons, furthermore, most the young men aspire to attend college or to learn a trade which they can make into a profession and strive for a “normal” life. Rios finds that, “many of the delinquent boys gave their peers ‘love’ for making it in school, getting good grades, and graduating.” (p. 152) Most of the families that live within these communities are characterized as extremely poor, therefor, there is a lack of sufficient resources within the families, local schools, and overall a community that limits the vocational and educational opportunities. On top of this there is a warranted mass incarceration problem that has become an every-day reality. At least 75% of the young men that were part of this study had previously been arrested, and at least 35% of them had parents that had been to prison, and all of the participants believed that they had a much higher chance of being incarcerated. Many of the young men were forced to deal with the stigma that is associated with their family drug problems or imprisonment …show more content…
He additionally takes note of the numerous probation officers that treat these young men in unjust, arbitrary ways. Most of these officers tend to be located at or near schools in Oakland; Rios also states that large portions of the young men on probation tried to avoid issues with the law, however the probation framework did not give the resources required to "desisting from crime." Probation officers more often than not ignore young men's want to change and concentrate on pinpointing any little infractions for which they could be "punished" and detained. Such infractions are frequently outside the domain of criminal law and include school guidelines or community rules. As Rios watches, being suspended at school, disrespectful behavior towards others, or an argument with parents could prompt an arrest and further criminalization. Victor likewise investigates how school staff, community members, and even relatives are included in the "youth control complex." In his observation Rios concludes that schools consistently manage "problem students" as future criminals, and some staff act like watchman, telling the young men they will never sum to anything and threatening to call the authorities or probation officials for misconduct that has to be addressed on school grounds. Surge in
In Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, ex-gang member, Victor Rios, Ph.D., came back to the place where he grew up in Oakland, California to conduct a study of 40 young men's battles managing stigma and punitive social control applied on their lives from society. Rios conducted his study for a time of three years using various number of qualitative methods ranging from observation, interviews, and review of academic scholarship and official records. This book is divided into two major sections, the first part of the book contains four chapters which examine the punitive nature of the criminal justice system, more specifically the police, and how it has stripped …show more content…
However, before I get into that it is very important to show that there is actually a support system behind these kids. During his research Rios finds that most family attempt to instill positive values in their sons, furthermore, most the young men aspire to attend college or to learn a trade which they can make into a profession and strive for a “normal” life. Rios finds that, “many of the delinquent boys gave their peers ‘love’ for making it in school, getting good grades, and graduating.” (p. 152) Most of the families that live within these communities are characterized as extremely poor, therefor, there is a lack of sufficient resources within the families, local schools, and overall a community that limits the vocational and educational opportunities. On top of this there is a warranted mass incarceration problem that has become an every-day reality. At least 75% of the young men that were part of this study had previously been arrested, and at least 35% of them had parents that had been to prison, and all of the participants believed that they had a much higher chance of being incarcerated. Many of the young men were forced to deal with the stigma that is associated with their family drug problems or imprisonment …show more content…
He additionally takes note of the numerous probation officers that treat these young men in unjust, arbitrary ways. Most of these officers tend to be located at or near schools in Oakland; Rios also states that large portions of the young men on probation tried to avoid issues with the law, however the probation framework did not give the resources required to "desisting from crime." Probation officers more often than not ignore young men's want to change and concentrate on pinpointing any little infractions for which they could be "punished" and detained. Such infractions are frequently outside the domain of criminal law and include school guidelines or community rules. As Rios watches, being suspended at school, disrespectful behavior towards others, or an argument with parents could prompt an arrest and further criminalization. Victor likewise investigates how school staff, community members, and even relatives are included in the "youth control complex." In his observation Rios concludes that schools consistently manage "problem students" as future criminals, and some staff act like watchman, telling the young men they will never sum to anything and threatening to call the authorities or probation officials for misconduct that has to be addressed on school grounds. Surge in