Mass Incarceration And Its Effects On Society - 2911 Words

Introduction At any given time, there are approximately 2 million American citizens incarcerated and nearly 700,000 inmates returning to their communities each year. (Petitt Western, 2004; Western, 2001). Since most prisoners are eventually released, mass incarceration has in turn produced a steep rise in the number of individuals reentering society and undergoing the process of social and economic reintegration. (Travis, 2005). During the period between 1982 and 2007, the number of Americans incarcerated in jails and prisons increased by 274% (Pew Center on the States, 2009). In addition to the increase of the individuals incarcerated, there is an even larger amount of individuals under community supervision, with a recent study finding that one in every 48 American adults are either on probation or parole on any given day (Glaze Bonczar, 2011). Recent statistics show that the percentage of parolees re-incarcerated after release currently stands at 32% (Maruschak and Parks, 2012). The growing number of individuals exiting prison each year has prompted renewed interest among academics and policymakers in the challenges of reintegrating former prisoners into society (Visher Travis, 2003). The challenges of reentry appears to be daunting, as the prospects for successful reentry are often dim. More than 40 percent of those released return to prison within three years, a phenomenon known as the â€Å"revolving door† (Pew Center on the States, 2011). This â€Å"revolving door† is aShow MoreRelatedMass Incarceration And Its Effects On Society1492 Words   |  6 Pageswidespread societal and economic damage caused by America’s now-40-year experiment in locking up vast numbers of its citizens. (The Editorial Board) The standard way of thinking about mass incarceration has it that mass incarceration is putting a stop to crimes. Today it has become common to dismiss the truth about mass incarceration. The Editorial Board of New York Times Magazine acknowledge that America`s imprisonment population has progressed to about 2.2 million (the Editorial Board). The Editorial BoardRead MoreMass Incarceration And Its Effects On Families, Communities, And Society1400 Words   |  6 Pagespaved the way to create a cycle of endless incarceration for many people but especially for those of color. Such as the 1994 Violent Crime Control Act and the lack of substance abuse treatment in prisons. Overwhelmingly, mass incarceration has had a great impact on families, communities and society as a whole. As illuminated through the parable by inmate Joe Martinez, this continued cycling of inmates in and out of prison is devastating to the growth society. At the beginning of the parable theRead MoreThe Effects Of High Incarceration On The United States879 Words   |  4 PagesA. Societal Effects From Increasing Alienated Population The vast societal effects from mass incarceration have caused an increasingly alienated population to form in the U.S., which can be broadly classified in the dual areas of lasting effects and impacts to the family unit. First, the lasting effects of high incarceration rates are that they impact the rights of the convict, particularly African Americans. For example, noted civil rights attorney Michelle Alexander posits that the longRead MoreMass Incarceration802 Words   |  4 Pagesidentifies the racialized mass incarceration problem that we have in our criminal justice system. Reading the book, you can see that mass incarceration is a social problem. This means that the problem can follow the six stages of the policy process. If I were a claimsmaker, I could assert that mass incarceration is a problem by following the six stages. In the claimsmaking stage, I would claim that the War on Drugs creates the racialized mass incarceration in our society today. To show that we haveRead MoreCriminals Must Be Punished For Breaking The Laws Of The Land1489 Words   |  6 Pagesin which we discipline those who do not respect the law is vanishing. So, what will we do with criminals once all our jails exceed their maximum capacity? Those who break the law pose a danger to our society which is why we developed the system of incarceration. Jails have functioned in our society to protect citizens, or those who obey the constitution. For years, our jails were able to separate criminals from obedient citizens as well as punish criminals for their wrong doings. In the past, peopleRead MoreThe Division Of Our Society : Exploring Mass Imprisonment1737 Words   |  7 Pages Mass Incarceration The Division of Our Society: Exploring Mass Imprisonment Pamela D. Jackson WRIT 130: Research Paper Professor Jane Campanizzi-Mook September 11th 2015 ABSTRACT Prison is unfortunately big business in the United States and our society is paying the ultimate cost and there is only one system being rewarded. More than often we do not put much emphasis on the prison system in its entirety. It is a fairly simple concept to most Americans that if you commit a crime or ifRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander1313 Words   |  6 Pages The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness examine the Jim Crow practices post slavery and the mass incarceration of African-American. The creation of Jim Crows laws where used as a tool to promote segregation among the minority and white American. Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass takes a look at Jim Crow laws and policies were put into place to block the social progression African-American from the post-slavery to the civilRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander1316 Words   |  6 Pages The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness examine the Jim Crow practices post slavery and the mass incarceration of African-American. The creation of Jim Crows laws were used as a tool to promote segregation among the minority and white American. Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass takes a look at Jim Crow laws and policies were put into place to block the social progression African-American from the post-slavery to theRead MoreThe Basis for Cridme Deterren ce in the United States964 Words   |  4 Pagesreaching consequences for criminal offenders and completely ignores the true goal of incarceration, to rehabilitate the offender for reintroduction into society. Mass incarceration as a means of criminal rehabilitation in the United States is extremely flawed. There are many far-reaching consequences of this practice that not only affects the incarcerated but larger society on a whole. The phrase mass incarceration, according to Oxford Encyclopedia, refers to â€Å"comparatively and historically extremeRead MoreThe Problem With Mass Incarceration1445 Words   |  6 Pages The Problem with Mass Incarceration Over the past few decades, the United States has witnessed a huge surge in the number of individuals in jail and in prison. Evidence suggests the mass imprisonment policy from the last 40 years was a horrible catastrophe. Putting more people in prison not only ruined lives, it disrupted families, prevented ex-prisoners to find housing, to get an education, or even a good job. Regrettably, the United States has a higher percent of its population incarcerated

Analysis Of Terry Pratchett s Captain Samuel Vimes

Americans in general look to superstars, athletes, and business moguls as the pinnacle of economic power, and hold them in great esteem for the amount of money they possess. We tend to see their success as the new ‘American Dream’ and strive to obtain what they have. However, while we know how the rich and well-to-do obtained their wealth, how do they manage to keep it? Why is it so difficult for the economically poor to change their fortune? Terry Pratchett utilized a character from his Diskworld series, Captain Samuel Vimes, to demonstrate out one of the key reasons that the wealthy manage to stay wealthy. â€Å"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example.†¦show more content†¦After taking into account the value of all marketable assets, all debts, such as credit cards, mortgages, and others, are subtracted, yielding a person’s or family’s net worth. Additionally, it is important to distinguish wealth from income. A person’s income is what is earned from any work they do, or services they provide. However, income is also derived from dividends or interest they earn from investments, or rent that may be paid to them from property they own. It is interesting to note that in 2008, there were 13,480 tax returns with a reported income of over $10 million. â€Å"Of the $400 billion in income reported on those 13,480 returns, only 19 percent of it came from wages and salaries, much less than came from capital gains, even in such a bad year for stocks.† (Norris, 2010) This report demonstrates that the majority of the wealthy in the United States do not ‘work’ for a living; rather they live off of the results of investments they have made. This fact also bring to light another question. Exactly how is wealth within the United States distributed amongst the population? The Congressional Budget Office prepared a report in 2016 titled ‘Trends in Family Wealth, 1989 to 2013’. That report states the â€Å"aggregate family wealth in the United States was $67 trillion (or

Prohibition of Torture and Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Evidence free essay sample

On 2009, the Executive Director of the Asia Program at Human Rights Watch, says: â€Å"The criminal justice system remains plagued by forced confessions and torture†¦[2] However, it must be recognized that since 1979, when the former criminal procedure law was adopted, until the 2010’ exclusionary rules of illegally obtained evidence, and even more recently the draft of the Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China, China has been taking steps to major reforms[3]. As some scholars stated, China’s legal system is a work in progress, and the purpose of this paper is to see how that progress is taking place with respect of prohibition of torture. In terms of law reforms, there have been major changes. For instance, in 1997 the shelter and investigation† was abolished. [4] Later on, in 2010, the exclusionary rules were enacted prohibiting the use of torture. However, the issue at stake is whether or not those laws have actually been implemented. We will write a custom essay sample on Prohibition of Torture and Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Evidence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In 2010, in Henan province, Zhao Zuohai was released after spending eleven years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit; but was tortured and forced to self incriminate for. The guy he supposedly killed reappeared alive and the Government gave Zhao $96 000 as compensation. [5] Could that money compensate the torture he suffered and the fact that now his wife got remarried and his kids were adopted by the new husband? 6] On June this year, a draft of the amendments of the Criminal Procedural Law was submitted to the 11th National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. In relation with the prohibition of torture and the exclusion of illegally obtained evidence, it states that: evidences and confessions collected by torture, violence, and threats should not be accepted. [7] Procuratorial organs should investigate allegations of collecting evidence through illegal methods,[8] â€Å"Interrogators suspected to have collected confessions or evidence through illegal methods shoul d be criminally prosecuted. †[9] It also states that: â€Å"all interrogations of suspects should be conducted in detention houses and the entire interrogation should be videotaped for the most serious criminal cases, according to the draft amendment. †[10] This essay analyzes the path that China is taking in order to prohibit torture and to exclude illegally obtained evidence. The first part will bring a definition of torture as well as a description of torture and punishment in imperial China. The second part will analyze the current law and the draft of the Amendments of the Criminal Procedural Law with respect of torture. Third part describes a case of torture took place in China. Finally, some conclusions and recommendations will be given. 1. Definition of torture Article 1 of the Convention Against Torture (CAT) defines torture as: â€Å"Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions. †[11] According to this definition torture enclosures not only acts of confessions, but also punishment and discrimination. According to the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) torture is a serious violation of basic human rights and human being dignity which is intolerable under modern civilization and rule of law. [12] 2. Background: Brief historical analysis of how torture was developed in China before 1979 It can be said that the use of torture in recent times reflects in certain way the vision of the past times. On the other hand, the major changes shows an intention of depart from those imperial practices. [13] Mainly, two schools of thought have influenced today’s Chinese legal setting on punishment and torture: Confucianism and Legalism. Both of them, although with a different point of view came to the conclusion that punishment is an acceptable and in fact indispensable human institution. [14] For Confucius, the ruler must govern with â€Å"li†(rites) (modes of behavior) rather than governing in accordance with positive law and the threat of punishment. 15] According to him, the effect of punishment on society is negative and people will try to elude the rules and deceive the ruler. However, Confucius stated that punishments can be applied as a last resort when extraordinary circumstances occur. He recognized that there are some â€Å"evildoers† who cannot be affected by moral instruction and the only way to induce such persons to observe †li† is through punishment. So, punishment is appropriate for the correction of the incorrigible. [16] However, punishment has to be exactly right. Punishment can never be just, they can only be right.