The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration of the Racial Undercaste

Throughout the semester, we have discussed many different issues that are currently prevalent in the United States, specifically those related to racial discrimination. One specific issue that I have developed interest and research in is that of institutionalized racism, specifically in the form of mass incarceration, and what kinds of effects mass incarceration has on a community. In this paper, I will briefly examine a range of issues surrounding the mass incarceration of black and Latino males, the development of a racial undercaste because of rising incarceration rates, women and children’s involvement and roles they attain in the era of mass incarceration, and the economic importance that the prison system has due to its†¦show more content†¦One of the most significant policy developments that created a space for institutionalized racism following the slavery era was the War on Drugs, announced by President Ronald Reagan. This declaration was surprising becau se at the time, most Americans were hardly, if not at all, concerned about drug problems in their communities. Instead, President Reagan had created a tool in which race in the US could be controlled, specifically through a transition from traditional policing to military style policing. But this was not the only change in policing during this time. The Reagan administration, and following it, the Clinton administration, continued their racist-driven agendas by doing such things as making cash grants to those police authorities that made it a top priority to pursue drug offenders. Essentially bribing police officers into searching out anyone with drugs, it became legal for police officers to stop and search vehicles with minor traffic violations, as well as to confiscate any belongings of the individual charged with committing a drug crime, claiming that the object could have been a part of the felony act. Moreover, there was a shift in the court systems, leaving many individu als without their right to due process. This meant that many of those being charged were not given a lawyer or counsel from the state, they could be pushed into taking a plea bargain under the impression that there is no other way out, and bailShow MoreRelatedThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration1370 Words   |  6 Pagesnearly invisible to the majority of Americans. Michelle Alexander, in her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness shatters this dominantly held belief. The New Jim Crow makes a reader profoundly question whether the high rates of incarceration in the United States is an attempt to maintain blacks as an underclass. Michelle Alexander makes the assertion that â€Å"[w]e have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it† using the criminal justice system andRead MoreRacism And Incarceration Rates Among African Americans And Hispanics Essay1581 Words   |  7 Pagesthe United States prison system and the gap o f incarceration rates among African Americans, Hispanics, and White males. According to a research by Prison Policy Initiative both African Americans and Hispanics are imprisoned at 5.1 times and 1.8 times higher than the rate of White Americans for every 100,000 incarcerations, respectively. Throughout the history of the United States, it is obvious that the reasons for the disparity of the incarceration rate are related to policies, irregularities, andRead MoreThe Effects Of American Criminal Justice System Created By Public Perceptions Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesdays of racism are far behind; however it is clear that institutional racism still exists in this country. One way of viewing this institutional racism is looking at our nation’s prison system and how the incarceration rates are skewed towards African American men. The reasons for the incarceration rate disparity are argued and different between races, but history points out and starts to show the reason of wh y the disparity began. Families and children of the incarcerated are adversely affected dueRead MoreMass incarceration of African Americans, The Revised Caste System1780 Words   |  8 Pagesissue of racial disproportion in the United States has been an ongoing topic in history since slavery. As Americans we are affected by racial injustices everyday. One may not realize how their own racial identity plays a part in their everyday life experiences. The dynamics of racial oppression and privilege with the United States is incredibly complex ranging from the time of establishment to present day. The present day racial inequality within the criminal justice system and incarceration rates hasRead MoreAmerican Criminal Justice System And Mass Incarceration1752 Words   |  8 Pagesbias to implicit bias, from Jim Crow laws to the current American criminal justice system, there have been many changes, but the outcome has essentially remained the same: racial discrimination. Racial discri mination is treating someone differently only due to one’s race. Although it is said to be illegal in current times,it is still implemented through new techniques such as the modern criminal justice systems. Michelle Alexander discusses in her book, The New Jim Crow, how the current criminal justiceRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander2184 Words   |  9 Pages Paola Gonzalez Professor Maroney The American Experience May 6, 2015 The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander The New Jim Crow book written by Michelle Alexander and Michelle McCool addresses the racial dimensions of the War on Drugs. The book disputes that the federal drug policy purposefully targets lower minority groups and communities of color to keep black people incarcerated and off the streets. The book starts of disproving the idea that racism no longer exists by proving that racism is stillRead MoreStatistics Have Shown That Three Out Of Every Four Black1076 Words   |  5 Pageshandling of drugs (Kerby, 2012). Regardless of the evidence that shows that all races are equally susceptible and apart from the drug epidemic, African Americans have been number one in charts. In the article â€Å"The New Jim Crow: How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste†, Michelle Alexander discusses how to this day African-Americans remain as the most prominent target of America. Alexander acknowledges how the rising drug war has labeled African Americans as â€Å"Bad Guys†. Alexander’sRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander Essay2059 Words   |  9 PagesIn the book The New Jim Crow author Michelle Alexander argues that a racial caste system still exists in the United States. Furthermore, this caste system is set up by the social control that is created by the discriminatory practices of the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs and mass incarcerations create a racial â€Å"undercaste† of African-Americans, by marginalizing ex-offenders in America. Within her arguments she describes the racist practices of, and policies surrounding, the War on Drugs. These extend