Adrian Davis

Professor Schneider
English 123
Week 7 Rough Draft #3
Mass Incarceration: African Americans the Highest Group Incarcerated
It is a shame that America, the land of the free, has the highest
percentage of human beings behind bars in the world! African Americans
now constitute nearly one million of the total two point three million
incarcerated population, with one in six of them being incarcerated as of
2001. If current trends continue, one in three African American males born
today can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetimes according to
the NAACP criminal justice fact sheet (2010). This is a major problem and not
only affects our black communities but our overall society. The war on drugs,
crime, poverty, education, racism, and most importantly single parent homes
are major factors as to why America has a failing justice system and mass
incarceration.
Within this paper I intend to remind my fellow Americans of the United
States of our black history from not so long ago and hopefully open their
minds and hearts so we can work together and take action on changing the
justice system and strengthen our communities. African Americans being the
highest group incarcerated share an interesting link to the majority of
inmates, they grew up without fathers in the home. This is important
because America should not have the highest rate of people behind bars and

if majority of them are black then maybe that is where we should start to
solve or find solutions to fixing this problem as Americans. This is also
important to me and my studies as I am working towards a degree in social
work. I believe in the scripture John 3:16-17; for God so loved the world, that
he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. We should
help one another instead of putting each other down, hurting and judging of
the color of our skins or financial status. There are many issues within
American youth and families that affects beyond the community like stated
above and the experts have a lot to say on why this problem exists and
possible solutions however, it is currently still an ongoing issue. Statistics
demonstrate that growing up without an engaged and committed father can
be the root cause of the rapid decay of our children, threatening the future of
our society as we know it. In the African American community, the number of
children growing up in homes without both of their parents is actually
increasing because of the additional challenge of race based discrimination.
The absence of fathers is one of the most critical issues facing Mass
Incarceration in America.
Racism is one of the main reason African Americans are the highest
incarcerated in America. It is important for people to understand Americas
History of Slavery in order to have a clearer understanding of racial issues
that exist today. Michelle Alexander is an author, professor and a civil rights

lawyer who wrote The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of
Colorblindness. Her experience as a lawyer has encouraged her to make an
argument that todays incarceration practices are almost identical to the Jim
Crow laws and describes racial injustice. This is important because African
Americans are targeted or profiled by the color of their skin. The judicial
system uses similar practices to the old Jim Crow system that was used after
the civil war. Many do not know that the words Jim Crow actually meant
black person. That is why the white supremacy leaders of America made
black people laws to inforce segregation. The New Modern day slavery or
New Jim Crow refers to removal of young African Americans using policies
and procedures from our police and imprisonment implemented from 1980s
War on Drugs. By imprisonment, the book focuses on how these young men
lose the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, are legally discriminated
against for housing, public benefits, education, and employment. Being a
criminal makes legal discrimination possible and the majority of African
Americans who are incarcerated, have been jailed for drug related reasons
which correlates to growing up in fatherless homes. The modern Jim Crow
theory strengthens this argument when it comes to drug offenses. Blacks
and whites use and sell drugs at similar rates, yet blacks are considerably
more likely to be arrested and to serve time in prison for drug offenses. The
1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act legislating harsher sentences for crack cocaine
also helped to load the penal system with black prisoners according to Kay
Hymowitz, an editor to City Journal who wrote The Breakdown of the Black

Family. There were some key people in the media coverage which helped
make this act a reality and push into effect which was the June 1986 death of
NCAA basketball star Len Bias who overdosed on cocaine. Ronald Reagan
was president of the United States at that time and believed this act would
put an end to the war on drugs however it did not. Statistics show a rise in
people rich, poor, black, white, or brown selling and using illegal and legal
drugs. Many African American males with prior convictions turn to selling
narcotics because they have limited sources or options for income, to help
provide for their family. They are unable to pass a background check to get
employment. They do not have a college fund nor able to get loans, grants or
scholarships to further their education. These obstacles puts a strain on their
relationship with the mother of their children and the African American
community suffers the most.
Low income communities in the United States have the highest rates of
African American boys being raised by single mothers. According to the
National Kids Count as of 2013 67% of African American children, 25% of
white children, and 78% total of all races are being raised in single parent
homes. These numbers are baffling and if incarceration of the fathers are a
factor of why homes are broken and women are forced to live in poverty, no
wonder why more children are growing up and going to prison. Not because
they want to go like it was as exciting as Disneyland, but because they do
not have anyone to look up to. They have no one to idolize or be an example
to how to behave. A republican congress member, John Duncun Jr wrote;

over 90% of felony cases, all over the Nation, are committed by defendants
who grew up in father-absent households. Before 1960, when poverty and
racism were by all accounts far worse, the black family was considerably
more stable. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the large majority
of African American women were married before they had children. Their
children were less likely than whites to grow up in two parent homes. It was
only after 1960, even as more African American men were finding jobs and
even as legal discrimination was being dismantled with civil-rights legislation
that the family began to unravel. These single mothers have very few
options when it comes to the communities they can live in. As their men are
being incarcerated mainly because of racial profiling and or drug possession,
African American women have to rely solely on their income alone to pay all
living expenses. Most of the time it is not enough so they are forced to
consider government assistance of some sort whether it is cash aid, food
stamps, medical, or housing. If government assistance is taken, remember
that there are specific rules these families have to live by. In the
documentary 72% a Baby Mama Crisis there was an interesting saying; if you
have laws that encourage people on welfare to not have a man in the home,
then guess what, people on welfare wont have men in the home. This is true
in the black community because if the father has a criminal background and
cant provide, then where will he live? How would his confidence be and
where would he get his motivation to not give up? These days denial of these
sources are common, making the single mother take a second or third job

which neglects the child forcing them to be raised on the streets. President
Obama spoke on the consequences that befall children who grow up without
a father. In doing this he stressed the following critical statistics:
Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live
in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of
schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more
likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home or become
teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community
are weaker because of it (Lopez, 2010).
Such support for the promotion of responsible fatherhood is invaluable. 63%
of youth suicides are from fatherless homes according to the US Dept. Of
Health and Census, five times the average. 90% of all homeless and runaway
children are from fatherless homes thirty two times the average. 85% of all
children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes, twenty
times the average according the Center for Disease Control. 80% of rapists
with anger problems come from fatherless homes fourteen times the
average according to Justice and Behavior. 71% of all high school dropouts
come from fatherless homes, nine times the average according to the
National Principals Association Report.
If we as American Citizens want to make a change and lower the mass
incarceration rate overall, we have to promote substantial positive father
imaging and involvement using all shades of skin color or ethnic
backgrounds by the use of the media. There are not enough positive role

models for boys in general on television, radio, and social media, especially
ones of the African descent. Today we see more negative attention which
dehumanizes America and divides us in many categories. In a recent 2013
Cheerios commercial, the ad featured a little girl asking her mother if
Cheerios are good for the heart. Her white mother confirmed that the cereal
was indeed heart healthy. The little girl grabs the box and runs to her black
father who was asleep on the sofa and pours the cereal over his heart
waking him up. Now as adorable this ad was which promoted heart
awareness in a two parent household, there was a lot of American backlash
and racial slurs. Things like this has to stop, the comments were so bad some
had to be erased from social media because it was words of terrorism and
racism. If Americans continue to show these types of images of fathers,
families and love from our communities, then more Americans would
consider this healthy showcasing as normal. This would help set a model for
the home across the United States and the ignorant people would eventually
be outnumbered and forced to stop bullying African Americans in general.
The United States can use men of all ethnic backgrounds to be leaders in the
communities showcasing their families led by successful men. Boys are
growing up mimicking the negativity they see on television and in the
entertainment industry. If these boys do not see enough of positive men or
fathers how will they learn to behave? How will they chose education over
crime? Wouldnt racial profiling slowly decrease? I strongly believe the
answer to those questions are yes! Today we have many bloggers who

believe America is Dumbing Down our Dads meaning the father images
lack intelligence. Look at some of the characters like Homer Simpson, or in
shows like Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, or Shameless. Completely
opposite from Full House, Family Matters, and Roseanne; no wonder our boys
are going to prison.
Providing parenting and economical education to incarcerated fathers
who were sentenced for non-violent or petty drug possession charges would
help lower the incarceration rate because many states are releasing
prisoners. Think about all the African American men incarcerated currently
and how many of them are fathers? If we implemented a program for them
to take and learn responsibility and not blame others. To enable fathers to
lead healthy and productive lives and create previously unimaginable bonds
with their children. This would be another important resource supporting
social change and hope. Creating a judicial task force on father absence to
educate judges on the effects of fatherlessness on children, families and
society. The necessity of such a task force is based upon Jeffery M. Leving
that many judges adjudicate the consequences of father absence, but dont
have the data concerning these consequences to guide them to correct
resources necessary to deter crime and drug abuse. These are just a few
things we can do as American citizens to prevent mass incarceration in
America. Texas will receive the largest number of inmates who are being
freed early from prison in the largest one-time federal prison release in U.S
History. An effort by U.S. officials to reduce overcrowding and provide relief

to drug offenders who received severe sentences, according to the Bureau of

Prisons. Sarah Pahl Worthington is a policy attorney at the Texas Criminal
Justice Coalition and stated how this big step is towards sentencing reform.
The new federal sentencing guidelines can shorten sentences, free up space
in overcrowded prisons and reduce costs that have increased along with the
prison rate. According to the Department of Justice, the federal government
spent 7.4 billion on prisons that were 30 percent overcrowded in 2014. Even
though its a great thing, we really arent helping them at all to not reoffend, Worthington said. She believes Texas doesnt have the resources to
help people reenter into society, post-prison. People get out of prison and
they need to find work and housing but Worthington said thats not an easy
thing to do with the policies in Texas. If we continue to screen them out from
housing and employment, then we are contributing to the problem,
Worthington said. This statement proves what we can do as Americans,
provide programs to help felons get back into society and with their families
so they can help raise our youth.
Mass incarceration is a crisis that we as Americans have the tools to
change for the better. Educating ourselves and others on the African
American community and remembering that this current problem is an
economic issue affecting all of us. We need to work in each community
nationwide and take care of our youth and families. We need to help create
and support leaders. Changing the way we think and live will make a
difference in our world.

God Bless America.

Works Cited
Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of
Colorblindness.
The New Press. New York, NY. (2010). Print.
Blades, Joan, and Grover Norquist. "This Is the One Thing the Right and Left
Are
Working Together On In Congress." Time. Time, 7 May 2014. Web. 17
Jan. 2016.
Brewer, Jack. "4 Ways to Keep Young African-American Men out of Prison and
in

Productive Jobs - The Business Journals." The Business Journals.

American City Business Journals, 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
Haney Lopez, Ian F. "Post-Racial Racism: Racial Stratification and Mass
Incarceration in the Age
Of Obama." California Law Review (2010) Print.
Hymowitz, Kay. "The Breakdown of the Black Family." The Atlantic. Atlantic
Media Company,
4 Oct. 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.
Kaste, Martin. "Is It Possible To Let More People Out Of Prison, And Keep
Crime Down?"
NPR. NPR, 16 July 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
"Criminal Justice Fact Sheet." Criminal Justice Fact Sheet. Ed. NAACP. NAACP,
2010.
Web. 31 Jan. 2016. <http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-factsheet>.