1
Student Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Week 3 Discussion-Option #1-Persistence of Mass Incarceration
Prompt # 1: Recall the chart we reviewed showing the prison population rates increasing
from 1950 to 2021 for the United States (and a few other countries). As you read chapter 1
in the New Jim Crow, list and discuss the factors that have contributed to this substantial
and persistent upward trend.
**Tip** Michelle Alexander discusses many factors that contribute to this upward trend. I
recommend you list and discuss at least THREE of these factors. You can focus on the
three that are the most meaningful to you**
Michelle Alexander's publication "The New Jim Crow" delves into the reasons behind the
consistent and remarkable surge in imprisonment rates within the United States over the course
of more than seven decades, from 1950 to 2021. In her book, Alexander examines three key
factors that have played a significant role in this trend.
The implementation and escalation of the War on Drugs in the 1980s and 1990s had a
significant influence on the surge in the number of individuals incarcerated. As noted by
Alexander (p.67), stringent mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related transgressions,
particularly those concerning crack cocaine, unfairly affected ethnic minority groups. The
repercussions of these policies were severe, resulting in a substantial increase in the
imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders and playing a pivotal role in the notable expansion
of the prisoner population.
Student Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Week 3 Discussion-Option #1-Persistence of Mass Incarceration
Prompt # 1: Recall the chart we reviewed showing the prison population rates increasing
from 1950 to 2021 for the United States (and a few other countries). As you read chapter 1
in the New Jim Crow, list and discuss the factors that have contributed to this substantial
and persistent upward trend.
**Tip** Michelle Alexander discusses many factors that contribute to this upward trend. I
recommend you list and discuss at least THREE of these factors. You can focus on the
three that are the most meaningful to you**
Michelle Alexander's publication "The New Jim Crow" delves into the reasons behind the
consistent and remarkable surge in imprisonment rates within the United States over the course
of more than seven decades, from 1950 to 2021. In her book, Alexander examines three key
factors that have played a significant role in this trend.
The implementation and escalation of the War on Drugs in the 1980s and 1990s had a
significant influence on the surge in the number of individuals incarcerated. As noted by
Alexander (p.67), stringent mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related transgressions,
particularly those concerning crack cocaine, unfairly affected ethnic minority groups. The
repercussions of these policies were severe, resulting in a substantial increase in the
imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders and playing a pivotal role in the notable expansion
of the prisoner population.
