About five years ago, my favorite person was taken away from me. When I was seven years old, my father went to jail. I felt like the world was over. In the beginning, it was always, “He’s at work.” I remember when my mother first informed me where he actually was. I was devastated. I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t going to be able to see my best friend for a while—a while as in 6 years.
With my father being incarcerated, my household became tricky in many ways. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to heal a little from his being gone, but I am far from the only person doing this. Did you know that in the United States, there’s a troubling trend where a disproportionate number of Black men end up incarcerated? The unfair incarceration of Black men in the United States underscores systemic racial biases within the criminal justice system, necessitating comprehensive reforms to promote equity and social justice. It’s a complex issue that has deep effects on both individuals and their communities. Let’s delve into why this happens and explore potential solutions to address this systemic problem.
The overrepresentation of Black men in the criminal justice system has been extensively researched. According to the author of the Sentencing Project, Ashley Nellis, “Going to prison is a major life-altering event that creates obstacles to building stable lives in the community, such as gaining employment and finding stable and safe housing after release. Imprisonment also reduces lifetime earnings and negatively affects life outcomes among children of incarcerated parents.” Clearly, these are significant obstacles. Additionally, research by sociologists Bruce Western and Becky Pettit has shown that the growth of the prison population disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged communities, particularly those of color. This perpetuates cycles of poverty and disadvantage while tremendously disproportionately affecting Black communities, such as the loss of a father figure in a kid’s life, taking away additional help from and in communities with already dense support, and overall, being one of the many ways to make the world worse than it already is.
Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach. Instead of relying hard on punitive measures, we should invest in preventative strategies and alternatives to incarceration, such as equipping lawyers better to help reduce the jail rates of Black men and help families actually be families! In “Reducing Racial Disparities in Jails,” authors Jessica Eaglin and Danyelle Solomon note, “By reversing these trends, we can actually better protect and serve our communities.” With this, I know for sure our community and families can be fixed. Finally, reforming sentencing policies to eliminate racial disparities and implementing restorative justice practices can help break the cycle of incarceration.
The evidence strongly demonstrates that the mass incarceration of Black men in the United States has profound and far-reaching effects on individuals, families, and communities. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach that confronts and examines root causes such as poverty, systemic racism, and inequitable access to opportunity. By investing in alternatives to incarceration, promoting restorative justice practices, and addressing structural inequalities, we can begin to dismantle the systems that perpetuate racial disparities in the criminal justice system, fostering a more just and equitable society for all.
