Posted on 12/08/2014 7:22:45 AM PST by Academiadotorg
The Center for American Progress has attempted to tackle a growing bipartisan issue: over-criminalization and over-incarceration.
A recent panel discussion at CAP featured University of Texas sociology professor Becky Pettit who argued that “incarceration is deeply concentrated among men, those who are young, and those of color.” She noted out of the 2.2 million inmates in the prison system, “approximately half of them are black.” She claimed that, “Among young black men who drop out of high school, over a third are incarcerated on any given day.” She did not mention that their victims outside the gates are also likely to be black.
Also, Pettit believes the current system “disproportionately affects former inmates” who violate probation and parole. Her own words were that, “The consequences are dire: it makes it hard to get a job…stable housing; it makes it hard to support one’s family.”
“Crime, by almost any measure, has been on the decline since the 1990s, yet incarceration has risen since 2000,” Pettit said. It apparently never occurred to her that the latter helped lead to the former.
She went on to claim that “One in four children can expect to have a parent” in prison until age 18. Pettit believed these statistics are “an important call for research on that, specifically. We know this is important in people’s lives…it’s important to know more about what the impacts are.” And, most of all, Pettit said, “It’s not a new thing.”
Pettit said that the government should be “stemming the inflow into incarceration and recognizing the full complement for the needs and capacities” for those in the system. She said, “Mental health, and other issues they [inmates] may have” are important to take care of in the criminal justice system. Pettit averred that Americans need to “help prepare people for reentry and success” and adjust to today’s “rapidly changing labor force.” She said, “Ninety-five percent of people who go to prison or jail come out” and it is up to us to “think really hard about how to prepare them for the real world.”
More criminals locked up means less crime.
But common sense and cause and effect is too difficult for the Left to grasp.
These are the same people who label us “stupid” for not understanding how enlightened the decisions they make are for the rest of us.
If you could properly poll the American public, you’d find their first concern would be their personal safety and that of their loved ones.
They don’t want to be raped, mollested, robbed, maimed or murdered.
Criminals who commit these type of crimes should get stiff sentences, which is not always the case.
They are unable to say that half of all crime is committed by 13% of the population, and that’s why so many of them are in prison.
Most people don’t go to prison on their first felony rap unless they did something pretty egregious. So, by and large that means those in prison are on the old repeat offender list. So, next question: did these guys commit the crime? If the answer is yes, then that’s why they’re in prison. While it is unfortunate that nobody bothered to educate or properly socialize these guys, it is nobody’s fault but the parents. Not the governments (despite all attempts to convince us otherwise), and not “whitey” either. The breakdown of the intact 2 parent family is the real problem. Unfortunately that is also the 10 ton pink elephant in the room that everybody pretends not to see. Okay if it makes everybody comfortable I’ll get the ball rolling: “OMFG, there’s a frigging 10 ton pink elephant in the room!”. Feel free to join in now that i’ve broken the ice.
CC
Caution! Your agenda is showing again!
“Among young black men who drop out of high school,
This background helps explain the current rioting and protests associated with what happened in Ferguson and NY. I mean the police were hassling people who could not have committed the crimes they were being investigated.
The “gentle giant” walking in the middle of the street blocking traffic and endangering himself is not a crime in Eric's eyes. Nor is striking a police officer, trying to take his firearm. Similarly, in NY being a gang member, facing police and telling them you are not going with them in Eric's eyes is not resisting arrest, if you are a black man.
One needs to understand the “new” Orwellian 1984 language of the Obama Administration, certain academics, and the street protesters.
We need to get a vote on the role of prisons in America. Prisons were once used as severe punishment for those too wicked and violent to be in open society.
It has changed from punishment to rehabilitation where prisoners have access to cable TV, education, and vocational training. All at the expense of their victims.
The Progressives / Liberals would like to further dilute the punishment aspect and treat these criminals as wayward children and give them a time out.
We have already set up a system where anyone under 18 is free from prison to the affect that gangs now use children to commit murder. If potential criminals are given a free ride on one crime; the number of crimes will sky rocket.
Imagine upstanding citizen working for Loomis transporting cash to and from businesses. What happens to the temptation level of having one free shot at stealing a truck full of cash?
Conclusion? The criminal justice system is sexist!
are you a sociologist too? just kidding
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