- Michelle Alexander speaks about how mass incarceration in not based upon crime control but more about social control. she claims that the system was used to target specific communities. she states that incarceration had nothing to do with rising crime because when crime rates fluctuated incarceration continued to rise. She also focused heavily on the war on drugs, claiming that drug use and drug crime were at a decline when this war began. police were trying to make drug arrests especially towards black communities. She made it very clear that people of all colors used and sold drugs at basically the same rates however, black and latinos were usually the ones targeted. Alexander argues that once someone is labled a “felon” they face discrimination for the rest of their lives; from denial of employment, housing, education, and sometimes voting rights. She made it clear the system was intened to target african americans.
- It was stated very clealy in the text that racial disparities in incarceration rates cannot be explained by drug crimes because people of all backgrounds use and sell drugs at similar rates however, blacks and latinos are inceasingly more likely to be accused, conivted, and incarcerated for drug crimes. Alexander gave a survey response that states, white people use and sell drugs just as often or even more than black people. (especially white youth). the disparity is clearly due to how the laws are enforced, who is being targeted, not by the actual individual or their behavior.
- This phrase is not focused on punishing crime but about marginalizing and controlling certain people, especially black communities.
- Southern racist politicians in the 1950s and 1960s chose to frame their defense of racial segregation using the language of “law and order” because it took away from the look of racial motives and made it look more acceptable and justified. By speaking about “law and order” they could look good to white voters without mentioning race. Since protests were seen as disruptive to “law and order” they were able to frame something that was peaceful as criminal activity; this allowed harsh responses without it looking like it had anything to do with race. All in all this helped them gain broader political support without loudly supporting white suppremacy.
- Yes I do belive that the Souther Strategy is still influencing American politics today. Race today in indirectly discussed. A modern example would be voter ID laws which creates voting restrictions.
