The Problem of Mass Incarceration in the United States and Colombia
Mass incarceration refers to the unique way countries lock up vast populations in state and federal prisons, as well as local jails (Geraldo, 2012). The rate of incarceration in the United States is approximately 10 times higher than in other countries, including Colombia. A 2014 report by the National Academy of Science revealed that more than half of the people who are incarcerated in the United States are African Americans and Hispanics. U.S and Colombia have high rates of incarceration majorly because of institutional justice. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to compare and contrast the causes and consequences of mass incarceration in the United States and Columbia.
In both the United States and Colombia, incarceration is one of the most used forms of rehabilitation and punishment, especially in felony offenses. The issue of mass incarceration in Columbia and the United States has nothing to do with the increase in crime commissions. The best explanation as to why there is a constant rise in the number of people who are being incarcerated in both countries is that legislators are making policies that increase imprisonment as a response to crime (The National Academies Press, 2014). Punitive policies are currently being implemented to reduce the crime rate in both countries. The National Academy of Sciences (2014) asserts that the incremental deterrent effects of harsh policies, including increased lengths of prison sentences, have led to an increased rate of incarceration.
In contrast, The United States has a higher rate of mass incarceration than Colombia due to injustice. Mass incarceration is caused by the corruption of police officers who often target minority races and ethnic groups in the U.S such as Hispanics and blacks. Corrupt police officers stop and search presumptively innocent people to find evidence of vices. According to Jonathan Blanks (2018), police officers disproportionately arrest African Americans and use questionable methods to stop and search people from minority races. Besides, in the U.S corrupt police officers often lie or manipulate innocent blacks and Hispanics who are reluctant to give consent to search their cars or person (Blanks, 2018). Cases have also been reported where police officers are paid to plant evident on innocent African Americans which leads to their incarceration.
Mass incarceration is an era that is marked by significant encroachment on the rights and freedoms of racial minority groups, most notably blacks and Hispanics. African Americans and Hispanics represent only 17% of the total American population. However, they constitute the highest number of people who are accused of committing violent crimes, wrongfully convicted, and sentenced to incarceration without the possibility of parole (Sampson & Janet, 2007). Moreover, blacks also comprise of the great majority of more than 1800 additional innocent defendants who are framed of crimes, convicted, and sentenced for crimes they did not commit (The National Academies Press, 2014). The graph below demonstrates the rate of incarceration in the United States.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2018), only 15% of murders committed by African Americans have black victims, but 31% of innocent African Americans exonerees were accused and convicted of killing white people. Furthermore, the statistics revealed that innocent black defendants are about 22% more likely to be convicted because of police misconduct than where white defendants are involved. Most of the mass incarceration of African Americans and other minority races are caused by racial discrimination, institutional discrimination, unconscious bias, and explicit racism (National Registry of Exonerations, 2017).
Conversely, the rate of mass incarceration in Colombia is fairly balanced across all the races present in the country. Mass incarceration affects the Colombian society as a whole and not minority races in the country (Geraldo, 2012). If one visits a Colombian prison, they will find an almost equal balance in representation of all races. This means that racial profiling in sentencing is not as high in Colombia as it is in the United States. Therefore, it is easier for Colombia to implement other forms of punishment than the United States since it has a lower rate of racial disparities in sentencing.
The consequences of mass incarceration are similar in both Canada and the United States. Mass incarceration is harmful not only for prisoners, but also for families, children, and communities in both countries. More than 54% of inmates are parents of minor children (Geraldo, 2012). As sentencing laws are now more aimed at incarceration rather than rehabilitation and community service, most children are separated from their families for long periods of time. According to a 2018 report by Child Trends, 1 out of 14 children experiences parental incarceration (Geraldo, 2012). Innocent children are more gravely impacted when incarceration disrupts nurturing relationships.
Moreover, communities with high rates of mass incarceration lose human capital as families are torn apart, institutions are weakened, and people are displaced. Besides, communities experience a change in parenting patterns, community norms, and employment opportunities. All these factors increase societal poverty and reduce the opportunities for self-efficacy. Such social issues are ignored when conducting public policy debates on using incarceration as a criminal justice reform. After incarceration, released prisoners have a hard time integrating in communities and often resort to drug and substance abuse.
From the foregoing, it is vividly clear that mass incarceration is an important area of concern in Colombia and the United States. However, the rate of mass incarceration in the United States is higher than in Colombia. This is majorly because of racial disparities, sentencing policies, and police misconduct. Therefore, as a recommendation, both countries should change their sentencing, prison, and social policies to reduce the countries’ reliance on incarceration. Secondly, other forms of punishment such as community service, rehabilitation, and payment of fines should be encouraged. Lastly, racial equality should be promoted to reduce the increasing number of people who are wrongfully incarcerated because of their skin color.
References
Blanks, J. (2018). Beyond mass incarceration. Washington, DC: CATO Institute.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2018). The relationship between federal imprisonment and race in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/
Geraldo F. (2012). Race, ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice in Colombia. London: Palgrave Macmillan
National Registry of Exonerations. (2017). Race and wrongful convictions in the United States. California: Newkirk Center for Science and Society. Retrieved from http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Documents/Race_and_Wrongful_Convict ions.pdf
Sampson, R. J., & Janet, L. (2007). “Racial and ethnic disparities in crime and criminal justice in the United States.” Crime and Justice. 21: 311-374. Retrieved from http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3226952
The National Academies Press. (2014). The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring causes and consequences. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/18613/chapter/5