Introduction
Historical appreciation through analysis demonstrates the increasing rates of incarceration in the United States. Multiple discourses then ensue as scholars and pundits alike endeavor to contribute to this emerging trend. The literature review analyses multiple factors that range from inquiring into the causes of the increased incarceration as well as an interrogation of the effects of such incarceration on families and society at large. Suffice to note that incarceration is one of the punitive options in the criminal justice system. An interrogation of incarceration equally brings to the fore issues relating to racism in relation to the prison distribution system by race and age.
Causes of Incarceration
According to Travis et al. (2014). they posit that the increased numbers are not by accident. It mirrors a systematic ,erosion of the political and social structures that otherwise world to keep the society in check. The authors argue that America’s partisan politics may contribute negatively to the criminal justice system through biased appointment prosecutors and judges. Persuasive argument by the authors indicates that in a political system of winner takes it all; there is bound to be a vulnerability in the criminal justice because the aforementioned appointments may disregard merit and instead be inclined to reward loyalty, which would, in turn, translate to a prejudice justice system.
The authors draw a comparison to the pre-war era before WorldWar II, whereby the enforcement of criminal justice was dominantly undertaken by local authorities and not the federal government. In this era, there was a reduced incarceration rate, but when the system shifted to management by the federal government because of its higher resource capacity to pursue and punish crimes. This capacity led to higher incarceration rates. Nonetheless, cognizance is made to the fact that incarceration is persuasively synonymous with a high crime rate. Statistical representation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicates that the rate of crime over the years has almost doubled to almost 100,000 incarcerations, even as the number of serious crimes jumped.
The political topography also indicates that differentiation in critical policies that have contributed to the high rates of incarceration, with each administration magnifying different agendas. The Johnson administration is perhaps the most notable in the fight against crime as it waged war against crime that led to high incarceration. The war on drugs and the harsh policies related to it equally contributed to the upsurge in incarcerations.
The rates and study of the incarceration number present another relevant aspect of incarceration in the United States, and this is the racial distribution of prisoners and what it says about the various races. Research indicates that colored people dominate the penitentiaries, and this, in turn, points to other societal inequalities that then trigger crime for which incarceration ensues, such as inequity on resource allocation. In fact, many African Americans are incarcerated annually, which equally informs the social question; is their disparity on justice by the judges whereby the African American is punished severely more than the white man, perhaps owing to inherent prejudices and stereotypes. Persuasively, this contributes to the high number of cases because it is predictable that it would translate to automatic incarceration because of one’s skin color.
Effects of Incarceration
Closely knit to incarceration’s social aspect is the related impact that it has on society, and this is particularly more visible in the family set up. The heartaches and mental anguish that accrue to families upon incarceration of their loved one,s has occasioned dilapidation in people’s mental health. The family unit is often left broken up when one of its members is sentenced to prison life. In fact, these broken families are what often leads to cases of recidivism upon release. Suffice to note that the penal system’s objective is to rehabilitate, and the veracity of the rehabilitation is often tested upon. In any case, the rising cases of over-incarceration have led to inequality in development in the neighborhood. This is so because of the resulting resentment that is then leveled at the law as well as public institutions; this perception maybe deep-set and may even affect the quality of education rendered in these neighborhoods. The case of high incarceration of minorities and the resultant uproars, and even higher crime rates because of the boycott of education exemplifies this negative impact of incarceration. By and large, scholars also argue that incarceration results in economic retardation because of a reduction in the productive workforce.
In any case, upon release, it becomes hard to get any job after incarceration, and the fact that most employers shall require a clearance report before employment most often works negatively for ex-convicts. Needless to say that the societal tag of a convict is hard to overcome, and the life after incarceration may be too hard to work around. Thus recidivism is further inevitable. On the other hand, the growing number of incarceration leads to a strain on the available resources, and this is particularly of concern in state budgets. Running the penitentiaries and their staff is a costly venture.
In respect of mindset shift, it is relevant for community practitioners to remain savvy if these adverse effects of incarceration so that infrastructural support often manifesting in unprejudiced interaction becomes robust. In any case, it is important to shift from the skewed rigid mentality of viewing ex-convicts as outcasts, but instead, society should be ready to embrace the theme. The old perception is a colonial mindset that requires liberation for a socially savvy student in the community.
Conclusion
The appreciation of incarceration pedestals social work to the point of empowering the society of the impact of crime. It bestows an onus of campaign and awareness creation on social workers to ensure that communities and neighborhoods alike are aware of crime’s ramifications. By and large, the adversities that arise out of incarceration can be sufficiently mitigated. In any case, it pedestals a need for re-assessment of the political and social structures and thus inquires and answers the crucial questions relating to racial inequality and whether this really translates to criminal miscarriages of justice. Invariably the question of justice has been an emotive issue over the years. Thus a deliberate introspection, as well as evaluation of incarceration, brings to the fore the existent gaps. The paper adopts the position that the high rate of incarcerating should be reduced, and this hinges on a need to manage and save resources, which can then be applied to other social projects that include management of substance abuse among the youth. This critical appreciation results in the shaping of identities that will result in identities that do not ascribe to the rigid societal perception that minorities are criminals, and that is their path.