Peer Responses- Increase of Mass Incarceration in the United States
Responding to J. Carroll
Hello Carroll,
Great work with your post. Indeed, tough-on-crime policies and mandatory minimum sentencing are two significant factors that have led to mass incarceration in the US. One example of strict law policies resulting from tough-on-crime policies is the “three-strikes” laws, which impose severe penalties, often life imprisonment, for individuals convicted of a third felony. This can lead to lengthy sentences for individuals who may have committed nonviolent offenses as one of their three strikes. In addition, in mandatory minimum sentencing, some policies mandate specific minimum sentences for certain offenses, limiting judicial discretion and flexibility. This approach fails to account for the nuances of individual cases and may result in disproportionately harsh sentences. As such, more people, even those who pose no public security threat, end up behind bars and for a longer time than anyone should. Unfortunately, these factors are still in play today; a specific example is the Three Strikes Law of California (Benekos & Merlo, 2020). This law states that upon committing a third offense, whether violent or nonviolent, the individual will receive 25 years to life imprisonment. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.
References
Benekos, P. J., & Merlo, A. V. (2020). Three strikes, and you’re out!: The political sentencing game. The American Court System, 89-95.
Responding to Lacy Sena
Hello Lacy,
Great post! Harsh laws on minor offenses and lack of support towards recently incarcerated individuals are key factors leading to mass incarceration in the US. Notably, these harsh laws are not applied fairly across all demographics. Tough-on-crime policies and mandatory minimum sentences disproportionately affect minority communities (Boghosian, 2020). Racial and ethnic minorities are often subject to more severe sentences for similar offenses compared to their white counterparts. This explains the larger percentage of minorities in prisons compared to white people, who are the majority in America (Vogel & Messner, 2023). The deterrents you mentioned meant to stop police abuse are not as effective as they are supposed to be, as evidenced by the killing of a few black people, including George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, in the last few years. In addition, it is not only the lack of support after being released that leads to recidivism but also policies that tend to prioritize punishment over rehabilitation. This approach does not address the root causes of criminal behavior but instead hinders the successful reintegration of individuals into society after serving their sentences. Lastly, I agree with you that these factors are still in play today and that they affect certain groups of people, specifically minorities, than they do the majority group.
References
Boghosian, M. (2020). The war on drugs: Systemic racism perpetuated in the name of clean streets. The Sociological Imagination: Undergraduate Journal, 6(1).
Vogel, M., & Messner, S. F. (2023). Group threat and social control: Who, what, where, and when. Annual Review of Criminology, 7.
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Question
pls respond to these two discussion posts on a page.
Question: Identify 2 factors that lead to the increase of mass incarceration in the United States.
Discuss whether those factors are still active today. If policies have changed, how are they different? Is the change positive or negative? Respond to a peer who identified a different factor and discuss what you learned.