Race, class, and incarceration are all examples in which the prison system in America is operated. Over the years, many people have argued that racism no longer exists—let alone classism. Therefore, it would be completely obscene to infer that these components could dictate our precious America in any way. However, research conducted by organizations such as The Sentencing Project and renown sociologists like Angela Davis provide for a strong rebuttal. This essay will argue that the American justice system is dictated by the Prison Industrial Complex, racism, and classism.
In Angela Davis’ Masked Racism (1998), she argues that “prisons do not disappear problems, they disappear human beings”. This statement is true based on the fact that …show more content…
economy” (Davis 1998) as the stocks of prison companies like Correction Corporation of America and Wackenhut Correction Corporation have been steadily increasing by millions of dollars. Meanwhile, telephone companies like MCI which are used in prisons charge “outrageous prices” (Davis 1998) to the inmates and families which shows how little concern there is for their successful rehabilitation. Inmates rely heavily on the support and trust of their families in order to transition back into society which many cannot receive if they come from poor communities and do not have to funds to afford constant phone calls. This inability to sustain a strong support system gives released prisoners a greater chance of being incarcerated again, thus providing the American prison system with more free labor. The Prison Industrial Complex exacerbates the structural impact of policing on poor communities of color by incarcerating minorities and not providing them with the proper means of becoming a respectable citizen in …show more content…
Corrections to show how racism is another factor that dictates the American justice system. A majority of their research shows that black men take up the most housing in prisons—even more than Hispanics as shown in Rate of Incarceration per 100,000, by Gender, Race, & Ethnicity 2011 (Carson, A. & Sabol, W. 2012). This shows racism shaping prisons because the population of Latino men is less than half that of black men while the white male population is even less. Based on the graph, one can easily infer that while it has often been believed that all minorities are equally represented in correctional facilities, black men are far more likely to be incarcerated than any other skin color or
In Angela Davis’ Masked Racism (1998), she argues that “prisons do not disappear problems, they disappear human beings”. This statement is true based on the fact that …show more content…
economy” (Davis 1998) as the stocks of prison companies like Correction Corporation of America and Wackenhut Correction Corporation have been steadily increasing by millions of dollars. Meanwhile, telephone companies like MCI which are used in prisons charge “outrageous prices” (Davis 1998) to the inmates and families which shows how little concern there is for their successful rehabilitation. Inmates rely heavily on the support and trust of their families in order to transition back into society which many cannot receive if they come from poor communities and do not have to funds to afford constant phone calls. This inability to sustain a strong support system gives released prisoners a greater chance of being incarcerated again, thus providing the American prison system with more free labor. The Prison Industrial Complex exacerbates the structural impact of policing on poor communities of color by incarcerating minorities and not providing them with the proper means of becoming a respectable citizen in …show more content…
Corrections to show how racism is another factor that dictates the American justice system. A majority of their research shows that black men take up the most housing in prisons—even more than Hispanics as shown in Rate of Incarceration per 100,000, by Gender, Race, & Ethnicity 2011 (Carson, A. & Sabol, W. 2012). This shows racism shaping prisons because the population of Latino men is less than half that of black men while the white male population is even less. Based on the graph, one can easily infer that while it has often been believed that all minorities are equally represented in correctional facilities, black men are far more likely to be incarcerated than any other skin color or