A Level Politics – Civil Rights – Incarcerated Rates

A Level Politics – Civil Rights – Incarcerated Rates
This topic examines the significant racial disparity in US incarceration rates, focusing on the disproportionate imprisonment of African Americans.
I. Core Problem: Extreme Racial Disparity in Incarceration

• Key Statistic: African Americans are incarcerated at a rate more than five times that of white Americans. In 2018, 33% of prisoners were African American despite comprising only 12% of the adult US population. Conversely, whites made up 63% of the adult population but only 30% of prisoners. This stark difference demands explanation beyond simple crime rates.

II. Potential Explanations & Their Limitations:

• A. Higher Crime Rates: Data from the Bureau of Justice and the FBI indicates higher rates of certain crimes among African Americans compared to white Americans. Some sociologists link this to socioeconomic disadvantage within the African American community.
  • CRITICISM: This explanation is insufficient. While crime rates differ, the disparity in incarceration rates is far greater, suggesting other factors are at play.
• B. Unequal Application of the Law:
  • Evidence:
    • African Americans are six times more likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses despite similar drug usage rates compared to white Americans.
    • During the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC, African Americans received over 80% of summonses for social distancing violations.
  • Implication: These examples strongly suggest systemic bias in law enforcement and the judicial system, leading to unequal application of the law based on race.

III. Long-Term Consequences:

• Devastating Impact: Over half of low-income African-American men have served prison time. This has profound consequences on their lives, significantly hindering their future employment prospects and overall life chances.
• Lifetime Probabilities: A black man born in 2001 faces a 1 in 3 lifetime chance of imprisonment, compared to a 1 in 17 chance for a white man born the same year. This highlights the stark reality of systemic racial injustice within the criminal justice system.

IV. Key Terms & Concepts:

• Incarceration Rate: The number of people imprisoned per 100,000 population.
• Socioeconomic Disadvantage: Lack of access to resources, opportunities, and social support.
• Systemic Bias: Bias built into institutions and systems, leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.
• Unequal Application of the Law: Disparate treatment under the law based on factors like race.

V. Study Questions:

1. Explain the significant difference between the percentage of African Americans in the general population and their percentage in the prison population.
2. Critically evaluate the argument that higher crime rates among African Americans fully explain their disproportionate incarceration.
3. Provide evidence from the text supporting the claim of unequal application of the law.
4. Discuss the long-term consequences of mass incarceration on individuals and communities, focusing on the African American experience.
5. How does the provided data challenge the notion of a colorblind justice system?

To learn more about A Level Politics Click Here