Michelle Alexander, “The New Jim Crow”

1- M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to back up her point. (see p. 1-2)

M.Alexander stated that so many people that were sent to Jail which most of them were black or brown are deeply wrong because this “drug war” has broken up families, destroyed Black neighborhoods which should not happen anymore. These communities have been threatening over several decades to serve political agendas which have created unrealistic fear about this minority group. The mass imprisonment of communities of color has essentially replaced slavery. Political agendas have changed fighting wars to fighting drugs which led black and brown poor people to be the first targeted.

2-Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

The rates of incarceration cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes because studies showed that people of all colors used and sold drugs at similar rates. Mostly white youth are more likely to engage in drug crimes. however, statistics show that prisons and jails are overflowing with blacks and browns.

3-How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

The Phrase “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history” I understand as the upper class has more power than those in the lower class which they try to suppress mostly people with color. In this way American penal system failed as a social control unparalleled in the world history, compared to other states in the World. We can understand this by comparing the white and black drug offenders in prisons which led us to the conclusion that there was and still is serious racial discrimination.

1.M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the US today is deeply wrong. Although the imprisonment rate in the United States is the highest in the world, the actual crime rate in the United States is not significantly higher than other Western countries. The reason for the high imprisonment rate in the United States is the serious racial discrimination in the United States, they used the war on drugs to imprison black people on a large scale. M. Alexander wrote “In fact, the War on Drugs began at a time when illegal drug use was on the decline. During this same time period, however, a war was declared, causing arrests and convictions for drug offenses to skyrocket, especially among people of color” (Alexander, p. 6).

2. The racial difference in imprisonment rates cannot be explained by the drug crime rate, because Michel Alexander stated that the rates of use and sale of illegal drugs by people of different colors are very similar. White young people are more likely to commit drug crimes than other young people. But American prisons are full of black and brown drug offenders.
3. I think “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.” This sentence means that the system is unfair and has serious problems of racial discrimination. The American penal system at the time was just to be able to scale up Imprisoned a large number of African Americans. Studies have shown that people of different skin colors use and sell illegal drugs at very similar rates. But American prisons are full of black and brown drug offenders, which also shows that the treatment of whites and blacks is very different and there is a serious problem of racial discrimination.

1. M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to backup her point. (see p. 1-2)

M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong, due to the reason that the U.S. currently has the incarceration rate in the world, and most of them are colored people, especially Blacks. At the push of the media campaign, people started to form a stereotype that Blacks are related to cracks. Alexander claimed that “the crack crisis might be the U.S. government’s plan to rigged Blacks.”

2. Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

The racial disparities in the rates of incarceration can’t be explained by rates of drug crimes, because the government were mainly focused on Blacks or colored people, if Whites committed crime, they would be punished way less than the Blacks. Alexander wrote that “In some states, black men have been admitted to prison on drug charges at rates twenty to fifty times greater than those of white men.”

3. How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

I think it’s a satire, American government used its penal system to wipe out races they don’t like, this action is the first-ever compared to other countries.

M. Alexander claims that the many explanation of why so many people are sent to prison in the U.S today is deeply wrong. According to her mass incarceration is a system that was put in place to radically and socially control minorities especially people of color. It is believe by conspiracy theorists that the CIA the Government had intentionally sought the destruction of the Black community by allowing illegal drug to be smuggled into the country, it was ironic to them that the drug crisis appeared in the community before the WAR on Drugs had been declared. Alexander also stated that “No other country in the world imprison so many of its racial or ethnic minorities” her argument is that different legal factors have combined to mean both that people of color are more likely to be targeted by police and receive longer sentence for their crimes.

Racial Disparities cannot be explained by rates of drugs crimes because Studies shows that all people of all color use and sell illegal drugs at similar rate. It is suggested that whites especially white youth are more likely to engage in drug crime then people of color, yet our prisons and jails are over flowed with black and brown drug offenders.

“The American Penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world History” that phrase to me means that the system is there to control minorities and people of color, it is systematically racist because it is set up as such, if a person of color and a white person commits that same crime they would receive different punishment. A Black person would receive a high prison sentence while the White people walks away with a slap on the wrist.

 M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to backup her point. (see p. 1-2)

M.Alexander made a claim of why many people are sent to jail wrongfully and I couldn’t agree more. One of the main reason why is because of a persons race or the community they come from. The system is only paying attention for a person skin color and missing the fact of the crime. M. Alexander expressed that in surveys taken shows more popularity of white people having a higher chance of commenting a drug crime than any other race. Although knowing that fact, our jails have more black people In prison for charges and cases that are lesser than a drug charge. Racially recrimination is a massive issue that our government has been making and a reason for Alexanders claim.

2) Racial disparities cannot be explained by drug crimes because majority of black people who are incarcerated get charges for life for something that if a white person was to commit it would be forbidden. White people have more privilege when it comes to the system. sometimes not but the most targeted communities are people of colors, why? because sometime they are seem as threat although all people of colors sells drugs at the same rate.

3) To me, “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history” is more likely to me as if you have been incarcerated you no longer have rights because regardless of what was their charge they will always have to carry that with them specially when wanting to start a new life. Also it seems as a social control because they only see the bad in a certain group of people instead of all equally.

1. M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to back up her point. (See p. 1-2)

Most people believe the War on Drugs was started in response to the crack cocaine issue in inner-city areas, and minorities being incarcerated is nothing but the government plan. M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong because the government targets poor, minority neighborhoods and people of color. I believe that Michelle Alexander claims that the government racially discriminates against black or poor, minority neighborhoods to have control over them, and that’s why they are being charged with drug crimes. You can see this when Michelle Alexander states “This view holds that the racial disparities in drug convictions and sentences, as well as the rapid explosion of the prison population, reflect nothing more than the government’s zealous—but benign—efforts to address rampant drug crime in poor, minority neighborhoods.”

2. Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

The criminal justice system purposely attacks communities of color. The rater of drug crimes cannot explain it because even if a white person were being charged with the same crime as a black person, the white person has the privilege to get fewer years in prison than a black person would receive. For example, “In some states, black men have been admitted to prison on drug charges at rates twenty to fifty times greater than those of white men.” This demonstrates how racial disparities in incarceration rates “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes” because of the discrimination against black people.

3. How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

The phrase “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”? Translates to in world history, the American prison system has developed as a mechanism of social control unequaled.

LiLiu

Professor Arto Artinian

POL100: Discussion Board 2.1

May 28, 2021

1. M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to back up her point. (see p. 1-2)

Michelle Alexander claims that the main explanation is deeply wrong because many people think that the United States has the highest imprisonment rate in the world, so the crime rate in the United States might be high. However,  the crime rate in the United States is actually not high. According to “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, she shows the truth of why the United States is the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Michelle Alexander explained that the U.S. judicial system uses the “drug war” as a tool to discriminate against and oppress African-American men, other minorities, and the poor. This leads to mass imprisonment. For example, Michelle Alexander writes, “In fact, the War on Drugs began at a time when illegal drug use was on the decline. During this same time period, however, a war was declared, causing arrests and convictions for drug offenses to skyrocket, especially among people of color” (Alexander, p. 2). Michelle Alexander pointed out that mass incarceration increases the percentage of incarceration rates for African Americans and minorities, and exposes these people with criminal records to legal discrimination throughout their lives, preventing them from entering the mainstream society. Therefore, Michelle Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong.

2. Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

Michelle Alexander expressed that the rates of using and selling illegal drugs are very similar among people of different skin colors, and differences in some surveys show that white young people are more likely to commit drug crimes than others. However, in fact, American prisons are full of black and brown drug offenders. Michelle Alexander writes, “In some states, black men have been admitted to prison on drug charges at rates twenty to fifty times greater than those of white men. And in major cities wracked by the drug war, as many as 80 percent of young African American men now have criminal records and are thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives” (Alexander, p. 3). Therefore, Michelle Alexander expressed that racial differences in incarceration rates “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes.”

3. How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

I think this sentence of Michelle Alexander points out that the American penal system conceals its own problems of racial discrimination. Because studies show the rates of using and selling illegal drugs are very similar among people of different skin colors, but American prisons are full of black and brown drug offenders. Moreover, Michelle Alexander also points out that the “drug war” actually started with a decline in the rate of illegal drug use, but the incarceration rate for drug crimes in the United States is higher than anywhere else in the world. Because of racial discrimination in the American penal system, a large number of African Americans have been imprisoned on a large scale. Therefore, Michelle Alexander points out that this is the New Jim Crow, and she also expressed the consensus of many people in the United States of “color blindness,” which makes them think race is no longer important. That makes people turn a blind eye to the racial issues that arise in society, which promotes the emergence of new racial issues.

1. From a civilian or humanitarian perspective, it is indeed a big mistake for the United States to have so many prisoners. But for the interests of the ruling class, I really can’t think of any harm to them. From the point of interest, drug addicts or most prisoners will not give the country much tax before being imprisoned, and they may cause security problems. On the other hand, they do not have the ability or will to fight against the state apparatus, imprisoning them does not need to pay any price. Reduce social instability factors, obtain cheap labor, and obtain economic benefits. What reason does the capitalist class have to worry about too many prisoners of this type?
2. In layman’s terms, I have never seen the sons of big capitalists or parliamentarians go to jail for drugs, regardless of their race.
3. Prison and penalty system are common in the world, but large-scale construction of privatized prisons and a large number of detention of the bottom of society. The United States does have its unparalleled unique insights in controlling class movement and alleviating class contradictions.

Michelle Alexander raises a number of important and interesting points. Let’s start a discussion centered on the following questions:

1. M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to backup her point. (see p. 1-2)

2. Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

3. How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

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