1. Why does Michelle Alexander say the main reason people go to jail is wrong?

She says most people think jail is about stopping crime or drug use, but that’s not true. She explains the system was made to control Black people, especially after the civil rights movement. The War on Drugs started even before crack became a big problem, so it wasn’t really about drugs—it was political.

2. Why can’t drug crime rates explain the racial differences in jail?

Because people of all races use and sell drugs at similar rates, but Black people are arrested and jailed much more. That shows the system isn’t fair and is targeting Black communities more than others.

3. What does “the American penal system is a system of social control” mean?

It means jail in the U.S. isn’t just about crime—it’s about controlling certain groups of people. Even after someone leaves jail, they still lose rights like voting or getting a job. It’s a way to keep poor people, especially Black people, at the bottom of society.