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. What she means by this is that majority of the individuals are not being in prisoned for the safety of society. This is just an idea sold to the American people. Most individuals in jail are there for harmless drug offenses. The U.S penal population exploded from around 300,000 to more than 2 million, with drug convictions accounting for the majority of the increase. She goes on to say that America uses its prison system to keep minority groups suppressed. The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid.
  2. Racial disparities in the rates of incarceration cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes because studies show that all races use and sell drugs at the same rate practically. Studies have also shown that if there is any type of description in racial comparison with drugs its that white youth is more likely to engage with drugs then people of color.
  3. I understand the phrase ” the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history” by viewing our penial system for what it is. That is a entity that controls who gets to participate in America and who doesn’t. Our penal system is not used as a system to punish the criminal but as a system to withhold unpopular individuals from society. There has never been a more structured system in place to suppress certain individuals as the U.S. penal system.

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