Why Mass Incarceration Creates a Greater Impact on the U.S. Economy?

Why Mass Incarceration creates a greater impact on the U.S. Economy?

December 20, 2015

Why Mass Incarceration creates a greater impact on the U.S. Economy?

Introduction

        During the 21st century the criminal justice system created a modern system of mass incarceration. There was huge number of economically disadvantaged citizens to include primarily people of color, men and women who have been legally discriminated against and marginalized. Does mass incarceration and the over criminalization of the criminal justice System create a greater impact on the economy due to these practices?  Many of these policies are contributing to financial burdens and implications to families. For every man or woman who is incarcerated, there are spouses, significant others and children who will suffer social, psychological, financial consequences. Mass incarceration imprison and cripple families in addition the actual offender. Mass incarceration is deeply tied to the U.S. economy as impoverished Americans are more likely to end up in the prison system and the experience continues to breed into poor communities. While minority communities are already disadvantaged, and it’s clear that mass incarceration has further increased those disadvantages, oppressing an already marginalized and economically disadvantaged population particularly the family of those incarcerated are costing citizens specifically, our working middle class families are picking up the tax bill in the amount of $146 billion for the criminal justice system including police, the judiciary court system and corrections and this number continues to surpass previous years  (Brewer & Heitzeg p 638).

Background

What are we to know about mass incarcerations, arrest, convictions, specifically incarceration as drug-related convictions has increased since the 1990’s? Sturr (2006) shared that state prisoners incarcerated for drug-related crimes rose from 21.3% in 1991 to 57.9% in 1997; while 56.3% of federal prisoners are in for drug related crimes. Tough on crime policies have also contributed to the prison boom. Sturr (2006) also states that throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s state and federal government entities adopted mandatory minimums sentences which primarily applies to drug sentences which carries two year minimum no matter how small the amount was, including “three strikes” laws that mandate longer sentences for a third felony conviction (para 4).

Mass incarceration decreases human and social capital, which further decreases the chance of getting out of the cycle of imprisonment. Being incarcerated, for long periods of time, overall decreases the likelihood of gaining work experience and self-sufficiency. The ability to gain social capital is necessary to find employment are costing the U.S. more dollars on the back end. Martenson (2008) stated the ROI (Return of Investment) to the government would be $7.00 return to the system for every $1.00 invested if those formerly incarcerated had the opportunity to secure a family sustaining wage of $24,000 annually within 90 days of being released. Instead we are investing $24-30k per offender annually to incarcerate 67% due to a new crime committed within a year of their release (p 218).

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