1. According to Michelle Alexander, the primary explanation for the high number of people sent to prison in the United States today is because “sentencing policies are more one-sided.” This means that “minority” races are more likely to be sent to prison for the same crime than “elitist” races. In addition, “racial disparities in drug-related crimes and the number of people who are sent to prison say more than enough about how the government plans to treat people of color.” Politicians started using “coded anti black language” to get votes from white voters who were also opposed to segregation. Promises to “get rid of crime” meant “find a new Jim Crow” for people of color. This is another example of why it is wrong to send so many people to jail in the United States. First of all, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
  2. Since drug use and acquisition are nearly universal among all racial groups, racial differences in incarceration rates cannot be attributed to differences in drug crime rates. This indicates that laws and government policies are to blame for the disparity in rates. When minorities use the same substances as more superior ethnicities, they face greater penalties.
  3. According to my interpretation, the statement “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history” refers to the distinction between the penal system and other forms of oppression that our society has experienced. This could be the case since racist language is now very well camouflaged, making things that aren’t immediately apparent either invisible or ignored. The American prison system currently has stricter laws that favor one race over another.

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