African American Prison System

Words: 1131
Pages: 5

America is founded on the idea of a social caste system. From the start of this nation, African Americans were placed at the bottom of the social class. From hundreds of years ago, African Americans were the backbone or the labor behind the masterpiece of this nation. After Jim Crow of the 1920s, the criminal justice system took the place of this overt legal social separation. During the late 1900s until the 200s, minorities are convicted wrongfully day after day as perpetrators who do not abide by the American founding principles. African Americans are hindered from defeating social oppression because of poverty in neighborhoods and educational advancements not available. These living conditions force minorities in a predicament of finding …show more content…
They introduced laws for nonviolent drug crimes that left the ones persecuted to serve brutal and extensive sentences. This opportunity allowed them to form a larger population of prisoners for their labor force. The free labor that comes from prisoners leave employment outside of jails limited due to producing products within prison complexes, but the private investors acquire more money for their businesses. The ultimate goal for Alec was to ensure its own security with its business and become a leader in economic decisions. Prisoners are doing back breaking and strenuous work for the company, knowing that beyond the life behind those bars there will be nothing implemented to help rehabilitate back into …show more content…
Nixon served as the President during the late 60s until the early 70s. Under his administration, he made the statement of claiming a “War on Drugs” because he saw an outbreak of the drug cocaine being overused and affecting communities ( History.com Staff). His plan was to directly go the source of how the drug is being sold and abused in neighborhoods. The sentencing for these nonviolent drug crimes were stricter and longer than ever before. From his public statement, poverty and low employment were the center of this government imposed solution. African American homes were the target and for this reason African American men were sent to jail more often rather than a white person. The United States for years had “higher arrest rates among African Americans” because of racial profiling ( “Mass Incarceration”). The War on Drugs is another way of hindering success for minorities when most were at this trying another way of earning money for their families. The issue did not come into account for serving the law created from the 70s, 80s and 90s, Michelle Alexander cited in The New Jim Crow, under Clinton administration initiated the rule “One Strike and You’re Out’’ as way to keep prisoners already in the system oppressed against the judicial system. This will result of keeping the minorities as the bottom of socioeconomic status and will the officials in