Watching the video he gave me some facts but majority of the information I already knew. I know that more African Americans are incarcerated then Whites. I don't believe it is right that so many African Americans do not have jobs but there could be several reasons for that, Felonies, background and even race which is not right at all but it does happen. Education is so important and to get to where you want to be in life you have to have some type of experience or even a degree in professional jobs nowadays, which is understanding. The community someone grew up in should not matter it can be considered but never the main reason someone gets the job or not. I also see where he is coming from with the parolees getting hired on somewhere after prison its just that too many hiring managers see job applications turned in with the felony question marked yes and without question do not hire the ex felon. It is very hard for felons to get jobs in the U.S. I can definitely see Australia's prison incarceration being much lower then the U.S. Its hard to believe that the prison ratio in the U.S for African Americans and whites is 7:1. All men should be more focused on education and bettering their lives, it would be the right thing to do. GEMINI789
GEMINI789, I totally agree with your post! I mean it's been drilled into our heads since kindergarten that education is everything and that you can't get a good job without it. Granted the fact that not a lot of people can afford higher education and such but there are plenty of grants out there, so there's really no excuse. I couldn't agree more with the felons not being hired statement, honestly it's like the government pins you after you do the crime and time, although one should know not to commit the felony in the first place. But then you have places like Illinois where you litter a cigarette butt and get caught 3 times, it's a felony. Like come on, the felonies should be categorized better in my opinion. Great post though! GreenOnions789
I totally agree with both of you, I think everyone has the same point of view about the education but what i think is that sometimes education is not everything to get a job i mean getting higher education is good thing but whats really important is your skill you have the education but you don't have skills that just like waste of your education in that field. Many of the prisoners have good skills like cooking, sales, etc but the only problem is that they don't have enough education and they are criminals. MOSTWANTED789
This clip has told me some facts that I did not know and some I did. Hearing that minority communities where African Americans that have up to a high school education are the target for the criminal justice system just doesn’t seem fair to me. Also hearing that the face of the government has become “ubiquitous” to these communities doesn’t seem fair to me either. The law enforcement team automatically suspects African American people to be doing something wrong even when they may not be just because a majority of our incarcerated persons are African Americans. The fact that parolees with felonies on their record get no job after being imprisoned makes sense, but that also, doesn’t seem fair. Truthfully, not everyone that comes out of prison comes out bettering themselves, sometimes they go back to doing exactly what they went in there for, but not all of them. The people that do try and better themselves can’t even confidently apply for a job because they already know what the answer is. They basically get no second chance. I think it would be helpful if someone of higher authority, preferably police officers working in the prisons who see the prison mates daily should help those who he/she has seen a difference in get a job or some type of work after their time has been served. 612BIRD789
You are right about the unfairness that African Americans face when confronted by the criminal justice system. The People who get locked up for a long time get used to being in prison following the strict rules and guidelines set forth by the corrections system. It becomes hard for former felons to apply for a job and you are right about having to say that you were in prison and the likelihood of getting a job would be very difficult. Thank you 612BIRD789 for the great comment. Arnis789
@612BIRD789 I agree that african americans are sometimes unfairly judged in our society, that they are always up to no good. I suppose its just since the majority of prisoners are of african american descent.. I do also agree with you that it seems unfair to hand someone a job right out of prison, when there are millions without work in america. I think prisons have to do a better job with programs such as community service, rehabilitation efforts such as workforce training, something to get these inmates back on track. Heisenburg789
Watching the video, I learned a few new things like the ratio of whites to blacks incarcerated. I do believe however that as a person of a certain race, if you feel that you're "doomed" because your part of that specific race then you should want to do something to raise yourself above that. Statistics show that African Americans are more likely to be incarcerated and discriminated against, so why not work harder to not be part of that statistic. I also believe that part of the prison system should be reintegration into society. For example, you have a person who's spent the last twenty years of their life behind bars and their sentence is almost over, we just release them back into society. It's like fostering a pet for it's whole life, you decide you're tired of it and you just release it into the wild, it starves, it doesn't know how to survive on it's own and it just lays around decomposing and a target for prey. This is equivalent to releasing someone from jail and not teaching them how to use more modern technology so they can apply for jobs, how to become a provider for the family they left back home and mentor to the kids who look up to the "stars" on tv thinking that selling drugs, not going to school and all of the other nonsense is cool. I mean honestly, if were gonna spend the money to rehabilitate then why not reintegrate and maybe, just maybe they won't end up back in the system. Granted it takes them wanting the help and the help being there to help. I believe this is why most of the prison boom is happening. GreenOnions789
I see exactly your view on how people should be taken care of as far as re-integration into society. Being in the same routine daily for a long time coined the term "institutionalized" when people were paroled from prison and introduced back into society. I would venture to say to have two parts of a sentence. The first part would be for the time to be served and the other part for a period of breaking the routine and cycle of prison life. This could help give a better chance to move forward, but also should have the formula for one to succeed positively in society. Tackleberry789
I completely agree with you. I believe that every person should not feel doomed because of their race. I feel that if you don't want to feel doomed than you have to not be a part of the statistic. We also have to focus on keeping people out of prison by doing things such as teaching how to be a mentor. TrucksAreGreat789
The video definitely helped me out a lot in understanding the some of the situations and facts surrounding the corrections system here in the United States. Bruce Western's discussion about racial inequality within the prison population here in the U.S. was not a total surprise for me, but knowing about Australia having the same ratio of their prison population was something new to me. It is hard for former prisoners to apply for a job just because of the outweighed number between felons and those who have no records of criminal activities. Education plays a big role on the rise of incarcerations. The less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, but just because someone is highly educated does not mean they will not break the law. Education and employment gives a better opportunity at giving someone a steady life. I'm grateful to have a corrections system to house violent inmates who would ravage society in the blink of an eye, but the non-violent offenders get mixed up in the system and it is hard to keep everyone who commits a crime of different degrees in one place. Arnis789
I agree with your statement "the less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, that is definitely true due to boredom I believe. If you are book smart good chance you have decent common sense. Good to have an education and good career later in life. Gemini789
I also agree that the non-violent offenders should be housed or have some type of different degree of punishment for their crime. I am not quite sure how that would work, but hopefully I can learn through getting my own education and possibly helping out with this problem in the future. It would be tough to be in prison for a "white-collar" crime and be next to someone that has raped and killed several people. It would be great to see a better system for the people of our country. xsjado789
I agree with your comments, " It is hard for former prisoners to apply for a job just because of the outweighed number between felons and those who have no records of criminal activities. Education plays a big role on the rise of incarcerations. The less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, but just because someone is highly educated does not mean they will not break the law. " Different crimes get different sentences. Unfortunately there is no separation of types of crimes when you go to prison. I have no idea if this would have a better outcome of recidivism, if by chance a crime's severity would be considered in the punitive sentence and rehabilitation. Tackleberry789
I watched the video and heard the word "indigenous people" (referring to aborigines). I believe that despite the ratios of black , white, hispanic, etc., I truly believe we need to stop looking at just color of someone and start looking at the background and cultural upbringing of those incarcerated. Many young children are automatically shown how to behave in life from their surroundings and environment. It's not a choice for children to be around drugs and alcohol and being left to roam the streets doing whatever comes their way. I can tell several true stories from my own life contacts of people who have made something of themselves and those who have ended up in prison. Your life is what you make it when you become and adult. Look up Steve Osunsami on ABC news. He is a prime example of how upbringing and parental involvement make an direct influence to succeed or fail. What many don't know is that Steve grew up in the Warner homes project in Peoria, IL when all around him were drugs, prostitution, and crime ridden neighbor hood. His parents and his own drive got him to where he is today. I have had two uncles that were incarcerated and all they could do is odd jobs and the other was a trucker until the days they died. I do know at a prison in Illinois where a man got his bachelor's degree in prison and now works in the same prison he was incarcerated at with a very lucrative pay check counseling inmates in the direction after their sentence is completed. I know a man that has a bachelors degree in history from his prison sentence and still has not found a job eight years later. I think confidence through mentoring and time in a positive environment would help tremendously. It's sad that most prison degrees cannot guarantee employment. Basically it's all about breaking the chains that bind you (cycles, behavior, and environment) that hold you back. What helps are the tools and knowledge to unlock it all.
612Bird789 I do agree with lot of what you are saying. unfortunately if the corrections officers could help a person when they leave the facility, they cannot. Officers are not allowed from policy and professional standards to have an relations, communications, relationships, or any social aspect with former inmates. They cannot even be a reference on a job application. many officers and inmates have a working relationship within the walls of the facility because they have to deal with each other in a forced environment. Let's face it, they are in the same place day in and day out. Neither would have met probably unless it was for the facility.
After watching this video what is said isn’t really surprising. Bruce Western talks on some important fact on the US prison systems with mass incarceration and racial inequality being the biggest problem they are facing. He even tells us how Australia’s prisons on a small scale are seeing the same results when it comes to racial inequalities with facts like the black to white ratio are about seven or eight to one. Where are the other Races and cultural background in the video, and why don’t we bring up races and cultural as a hole not just white and blacks? My thoughts are that this is not only just about race, but social and economic. What’s easier? Living off the government, or working for living? Some people think is socially acceptable to live off what they are being handed and not work hard for what they have. Lastly, economically there aren’t enough jobs for everyone. When there are no jobs, people turn to crime. REDWINE789
REDWINE789 I completely agree with you. Why only mention two races when there are a bunch of different ones in prison along with white and blacks. I also agree that there aren't enough jobs for every one and people really do turn to crime but, as sad as it is, sometimes that's the only option some people have. 612BIRD789
I agree with you guys that what was said in the video wasn't surprising at all. Your right @redwine789 like why don't they bring up other races besides African Americans. I dislike the fact that everything that goes on is always whites vs African American people. When there's others out there that also commit crimes you know. @612BIRD789 there's jobs out there it's just some people don't have enough education to get a job no one wants to hire someone that can't read or write. We need to find a solution that'll help keep people in school so that they could get a descent job. And just maybe the crime rate would go down. We need to invest in education. BLUE789
In this video I learned a few new things as far as the ratio of whites to minorties African American are incarecerated in the United states and in Australia. When Bruce Western start to talk about the racial inequality within the prison population here in the U.S. it didn't surprise me at all. As far as him taking about Australia having the same ratio was something new to me because I never actually took the time out to look at other country stats. The fact that African Americans that live in a poor community or have lack of education are most likely to be incarcerated doesn't surprise me at all. I don't believe it's fair but when you look at it in a different perspective I can believe it. With the lack of education where will you get a job? No where and once they can't get a job it'll lead to them most likely committing a crime. I know that every African American person isn't the same but majority rules and that majority pretty much mess it up for the others. BLUE789
Watching this video I think that there is no difference between white or black prisoners. Some African American can’t complete their education because they drop out from high school. But it’s not their fault, parents at home need to keep track of their children, where they at ,what are they doing. Because if parents know about their children they can explain things to their kids if they are doing something wrong. And some just don’t care about education and they don’t know that education is most important thing if you don’t a good life and earn respect in society. And when he talks about the employment I think it’s not fair at all that the prisoners who get out most of them don’t have jobs at all. But I think that they all should have a job. If they don’t have a job they need money, food and shelter to survive and as we all know that a human can do anything for those three things. They want to have a better life too so at least we need to gave them a chance to be a better otherwise they would hurt us and society just because they don’t have job, food and shelter, they will kill people, still things and many bad things. So it’s our responsibilities too to give them a chance to be a better person. And that’s how we can reduce the crime from our society and make this country much better than it is right now. MOSTWANTED789
I agree with this post 100%. It starts at home. You should try your hardest to keep up with your children. Teach them when they are young how the world is and maybe they won't do things that would land them in prison or even dead trying make it. Put them in school activities or church activities anything to teach them that there is a right and wrong way to live, and if u want to survive out here in the world you have to follow and obey the law of the land and the laws of God! MotherOf4789
This was an interesting video. I believe that the study that Bruce Western did on prisons was that of an unbiased and educational approach (from a sociological viewpoint) . I also believe, like many of my classmates have also stated, that getting an education or GED is one of the many keys to success for our prisons here in the United States. Unfortunately it seems that this is not happening, whether it is due to lack of funding or lack of interest of the inmates. I also can see how people could fall victim to an unbreakable cycle. Prison, to some, may be what they know and what they are used to, and, like in the video, these people that continue the cycle of getting locked up, let out, locked up become familiar with the system and maybe even become comfortable with that life style. It could be that these repeat offenders just need some type of routine and guidance that they are not getting for some reason. So their routine life becomes crime, court, and jail; then repeat. It seems that in any country that the more education one has the less likely they are to be incarcerated. xsjado789
From watching this video I was shocked at the ratio of those that are incarcerated. I never knew how much of a large gap there is between the African American population and the White population. I feel that getting an education is so important to becoming a new person after prison or becoming someone that does not end up in prison. If you are uneducated than it will be hard to find a job in today's economy and if you can't find a job than many people are forced into crime or they have too much time on their hands that then forces them into crime. A big part of the culture that is bringing up prisoner is the lack of a mentor or a parental figure. I was blessed to have both a dad and a mom. I don't know if I would be an upstanding citizen if I didn't have one of them. Everyone needs someone to show them right from wrong. I know a large amount of people that have parents in jail and have said that it is probably where they will end up. If we can keep people out of jail now then it will carry on into the future. TrucksAreGreat789
After viewing this video clip from Bruce Western, He presented a lot of valid points in the incarceration and criminalization of blacks vs whites. Western estimates that the ratio of black to white prisoners is 7/8 to 1, a number that is far too much. He also brings up the point that criminals once released out of prison have a hard time finding a job because of their criminal record, forcing them to make money the only way they can such as selling drugs, theft and even prostitution. I liked the point that he brought up when he states that the prisons need not more court supervision but a source of structure such as employment. It doesnt seem fair to give parolees just out of prison a job just as a handout, when there are millions of people, that aren't criminals still unemployed in the United States. A number that I found astonishing was that the United States has a 5 times higher prison rate when compared to australia.. what is it about us americans that make us more susceptible to crime? Heisenburg789
I totally agree with your statement. I think the thing with America is that we tend to believe that incarceration is the only option that we have to resort to in order to fight crime. This in some cases may be true but not in all. I believe that if we were to actually sit down and come up with other ways of trying to minimize the problems we are having in this country, I honestly think we would be successful KingMinaj789
By watching this video i learned a lot on things i didn't know before and some things i did know somethings about. When we were in kindergarten they constentley drilled it into our heads that education was everything. After watching this experiment be done i can't believe how unbiased it was with all the data collected. I also don't believe that there is no difference between white and black inmates in prisons and jails all over the United States and surrounding countries. ButterCup789
Honestly, I cannot say I am surprised by the information that Prof. Western provided in the video. I’ve seen more than enough people go through everything he has explained as to why more African Americans are incarcerated than any other race. I firmly believe that if given the chance, the numbers of those incarcerated would be decreased significantly. It does hurt to know that there are 5 times more people incarcerated here in the U.S. then there is in Australia. It seems to me like; we are basically just locking people up for any apparent reason. In addition to that, it’s apparent that things will not change anytime soon, especially if law enforcement continues to pursue those individuals with petty, nonviolent crimes. If there was something that you guys think would help decrease the population of those minorities who are the majority in incarceration, what would they be and why? KingMinaj789
Although it is sad to say but the information in the interview is true. As a African American I do know a lot of people in jail family and friends of my family. Growing up in a poor neighborhood is part of the reason blacks think they have to seal drugs or rob others to get ahead in life which leads to incarceration. Once a person is sent to prison and tagged with a felony they are automatically labeled as a bad person or gangsta. This makes it hard for them once they do their time and set free to survive in the world. If they have children and family to take care of and no one is giving them a second chance they feel cornered, and they turn back to what they know. Even with going back to school. Financial Aid won't give you money of you have a drug case, but you see a person willing to do better go back to school and that felony is once again thrown in their face. As a African American mother raising four African American boys into man I take things like this to heart. I vow to teach my sons right from wrong and educate them on how to get ahead in the life the right way, and I believe it starts from the home. You bring a child up the way they should be the best way you can and they will lead by example. MotherOf4789
Bruce Western speaks the truth in his interview. It's sad, but true that more African Americans go to prison than whites. However, even if you add in the other races, such as Hispanics, I believe that they will still be a higher prison population than whites. I believe that this is mostly due to factors such as where they grew up, their social status, as well as their income. Sadly, more Hispanics and African Americans live in poor neighborhoods, and have a lower social status than whites. Western also stated that since the prison boom, social experiences have become different for blacks than it has for whites, because blacks know more people who are incarcerated than whites (usually). This can include family members, such as fathers and mothers. One solution that might help limit the prison population is making sure that everyone is educated, at least with a GED. This might also help prisoners that are released get a job, which will *hopefully* keep them out of prison again. Ocho789
I didnt mean as if should take all guns away from citizens , because i know not everybody is out to get people. What im saying if you can read is if the laws were more stricter than they are now and more under control we wouldnt have 1/2 the people that get killed reasons be because they got shot. And right now in this society most peope that own firearms are YOUNG people in gangs if the gun laws are so strict how are they getting them .? My thing is they shouldnt be abled to. Cashes456
Watching the video he gave me some facts but majority of the information I already knew. I know that more African Americans are incarcerated then Whites. I don't believe it is right that so many African Americans do not have jobs but there could be several reasons for that, Felonies, background and even race which is not right at all but it does happen. Education is so important and to get to where you want to be in life you have to have some type of experience or even a degree in professional jobs nowadays, which is understanding. The community someone grew up in should not matter it can be considered but never the main reason someone gets the job or not. I also see where he is coming from with the parolees getting hired on somewhere after prison its just that too many hiring managers see job applications turned in with the felony question marked yes and without question do not hire the ex felon. It is very hard for felons to get jobs in the U.S. I can definitely see Australia's prison incarceration being much lower then the U.S. Its hard to believe that the prison ratio in the U.S for African Americans and whites is 7:1. All men should be more focused on education and bettering their lives, it would be the right thing to do. GEMINI789
ReplyDeleteGEMINI789, I totally agree with your post! I mean it's been drilled into our heads since kindergarten that education is everything and that you can't get a good job without it. Granted the fact that not a lot of people can afford higher education and such but there are plenty of grants out there, so there's really no excuse. I couldn't agree more with the felons not being hired statement, honestly it's like the government pins you after you do the crime and time, although one should know not to commit the felony in the first place. But then you have places like Illinois where you litter a cigarette butt and get caught 3 times, it's a felony. Like come on, the felonies should be categorized better in my opinion. Great post though! GreenOnions789
DeleteI totally agree with both of you, I think everyone has the same point of view about the education but what i think is that sometimes education is not everything to get a job i mean getting higher education is good thing but whats really important is your skill you have the education but you don't have skills that just like waste of your education in that field. Many of the prisoners have good skills like cooking, sales, etc but the only problem is that they don't have enough education and they are criminals. MOSTWANTED789
DeleteThis clip has told me some facts that I did not know and some I did. Hearing that minority communities where African Americans that have up to a high school education are the target for the criminal justice system just doesn’t seem fair to me. Also hearing that the face of the government has become “ubiquitous” to these communities doesn’t seem fair to me either. The law enforcement team automatically suspects African American people to be doing something wrong even when they may not be just because a majority of our incarcerated persons are African Americans. The fact that parolees with felonies on their record get no job after being imprisoned makes sense, but that also, doesn’t seem fair. Truthfully, not everyone that comes out of prison comes out bettering themselves, sometimes they go back to doing exactly what they went in there for, but not all of them. The people that do try and better themselves can’t even confidently apply for a job because they already know what the answer is. They basically get no second chance. I think it would be helpful if someone of higher authority, preferably police officers working in the prisons who see the prison mates daily should help those who he/she has seen a difference in get a job or some type of work after their time has been served. 612BIRD789
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the unfairness that African Americans face when confronted by the criminal justice system. The People who get locked up for a long time get used to being in prison following the strict rules and guidelines set forth by the corrections system. It becomes hard for former felons to apply for a job and you are right about having to say that you were in prison and the likelihood of getting a job would be very difficult. Thank you 612BIRD789 for the great comment. Arnis789
Delete@612BIRD789 I agree that african americans are sometimes unfairly judged in our society, that they are always up to no good. I suppose its just since the majority of prisoners are of african american descent.. I do also agree with you that it seems unfair to hand someone a job right out of prison, when there are millions without work in america. I think prisons have to do a better job with programs such as community service, rehabilitation efforts such as workforce training, something to get these inmates back on track. Heisenburg789
DeleteWatching the video, I learned a few new things like the ratio of whites to blacks incarcerated. I do believe however that as a person of a certain race, if you feel that you're "doomed" because your part of that specific race then you should want to do something to raise yourself above that. Statistics show that African Americans are more likely to be incarcerated and discriminated against, so why not work harder to not be part of that statistic. I also believe that part of the prison system should be reintegration into society. For example, you have a person who's spent the last twenty years of their life behind bars and their sentence is almost over, we just release them back into society. It's like fostering a pet for it's whole life, you decide you're tired of it and you just release it into the wild, it starves, it doesn't know how to survive on it's own and it just lays around decomposing and a target for prey. This is equivalent to releasing someone from jail and not teaching them how to use more modern technology so they can apply for jobs, how to become a provider for the family they left back home and mentor to the kids who look up to the "stars" on tv thinking that selling drugs, not going to school and all of the other nonsense is cool. I mean honestly, if were gonna spend the money to rehabilitate then why not reintegrate and maybe, just maybe they won't end up back in the system. Granted it takes them wanting the help and the help being there to help. I believe this is why most of the prison boom is happening. GreenOnions789
ReplyDeleteI see exactly your view on how people should be taken care of as far as re-integration into society. Being in the same routine daily for a long time coined the term "institutionalized" when people were paroled from prison and introduced back into society. I would venture to say to have two parts of a sentence. The first part would be for the time to be served and the other part for a period of breaking the routine and cycle of prison life. This could help give a better chance to move forward, but also should have the formula for one to succeed positively in society. Tackleberry789
DeleteI completely agree with you. I believe that every person should not feel doomed because of their race. I feel that if you don't want to feel doomed than you have to not be a part of the statistic. We also have to focus on keeping people out of prison by doing things such as teaching how to be a mentor. TrucksAreGreat789
DeleteThe video definitely helped me out a lot in understanding the some of the situations and facts surrounding the corrections system here in the United States. Bruce Western's discussion about racial inequality within the prison population here in the U.S. was not a total surprise for me, but knowing about Australia having the same ratio of their prison population was something new to me. It is hard for former prisoners to apply for a job just because of the outweighed number between felons and those who have no records of criminal activities. Education plays a big role on the rise of incarcerations. The less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, but just because someone is highly educated does not mean they will not break the law. Education and employment gives a better opportunity at giving someone a steady life. I'm grateful to have a corrections system to house violent inmates who would ravage society in the blink of an eye, but the non-violent offenders get mixed up in the system and it is hard to keep everyone who commits a crime of different degrees in one place. Arnis789
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement "the less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, that is definitely true due to boredom I believe. If you are book smart good chance you have decent common sense. Good to have an education and good career later in life. Gemini789
DeleteI also agree that the non-violent offenders should be housed or have some type of different degree of punishment for their crime. I am not quite sure how that would work, but hopefully I can learn through getting my own education and possibly helping out with this problem in the future. It would be tough to be in prison for a "white-collar" crime and be next to someone that has raped and killed several people. It would be great to see a better system for the people of our country. xsjado789
DeleteI agree with your comments, " It is hard for former prisoners to apply for a job just because of the outweighed number between felons and those who have no records of criminal activities. Education plays a big role on the rise of incarcerations. The less education one has gives arise to the possibility of being involved with criminal acts, but just because someone is highly educated does not mean they will not break the law. " Different crimes get different sentences. Unfortunately there is no separation of types of crimes when you go to prison. I have no idea if this would have a better outcome of recidivism, if by chance a crime's severity would be considered in the punitive sentence and rehabilitation. Tackleberry789
DeleteI watched the video and heard the word "indigenous people" (referring to aborigines). I believe that despite the ratios of black , white, hispanic, etc., I truly believe we need to stop looking at just color of someone and start looking at the background and cultural upbringing of those incarcerated. Many young children are automatically shown how to behave in life from their surroundings and environment. It's not a choice for children to be around drugs and alcohol and being left to roam the streets doing whatever comes their way. I can tell several true stories from my own life contacts of people who have made something of themselves and those who have ended up in prison. Your life is what you make it when you become and adult. Look up Steve Osunsami on ABC news. He is a prime example of how upbringing and parental involvement make an direct influence to succeed or fail. What many don't know is that Steve grew up in the Warner homes project in Peoria, IL when all around him were drugs, prostitution, and crime ridden neighbor hood. His parents and his own drive got him to where he is today. I have had two uncles that were incarcerated and all they could do is odd jobs and the other was a trucker until the days they died. I do know at a prison in Illinois where a man got his bachelor's degree in prison and now works in the same prison he was incarcerated at with a very lucrative pay check counseling inmates in the direction after their sentence is completed. I know a man that has a bachelors degree in history from his prison sentence and still has not found a job eight years later. I think confidence through mentoring and time in a positive environment would help tremendously. It's sad that most prison degrees cannot guarantee employment. Basically it's all about breaking the chains that bind you (cycles, behavior, and environment) that hold you back. What helps are the tools and knowledge to unlock it all.
ReplyDelete612Bird789 I do agree with lot of what you are saying. unfortunately if the corrections officers could help a person when they leave the facility, they cannot. Officers are not allowed from policy and professional standards to have an relations, communications, relationships, or any social aspect with former inmates. They cannot even be a reference on a job application. many officers and inmates have a working relationship within the walls of the facility because they have to deal with each other in a forced environment. Let's face it, they are in the same place day in and day out. Neither would have met probably unless it was for the facility.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video what is said isn’t really surprising. Bruce Western talks on some important fact on the US prison systems with mass incarceration and racial inequality being the biggest problem they are facing. He even tells us how Australia’s prisons on a small scale are seeing the same results when it comes to racial inequalities with facts like the black to white ratio are about seven or eight to one. Where are the other Races and cultural background in the video, and why don’t we bring up races and cultural as a hole not just white and blacks? My thoughts are that this is not only just about race, but social and economic. What’s easier? Living off the government, or working for living? Some people think is socially acceptable to live off what they are being handed and not work hard for what they have. Lastly, economically there aren’t enough jobs for everyone. When there are no jobs, people turn to crime. REDWINE789
ReplyDeleteREDWINE789 I completely agree with you. Why only mention two races when there are a bunch of different ones in prison along with white and blacks. I also agree that there aren't enough jobs for every one and people really do turn to crime but, as sad as it is, sometimes that's the only option some people have. 612BIRD789
DeleteI agree with you guys that what was said in the video wasn't surprising at all. Your right @redwine789 like why don't they bring up other races besides African Americans. I dislike the fact that everything that goes on is always whites vs African American people. When there's others out there that also commit crimes you know. @612BIRD789 there's jobs out there it's just some people don't have enough education to get a job no one wants to hire someone that can't read or write. We need to find a solution that'll help keep people in school so that they could get a descent job. And just maybe the crime rate would go down. We need to invest in education. BLUE789
DeleteIn this video I learned a few new things as far as the ratio of whites to minorties African American are incarecerated in the United states and in Australia. When Bruce Western start to talk about the racial inequality within the prison population here in the U.S. it didn't surprise me at all. As far as him taking about Australia having the same ratio was something new to me because I never actually took the time out to look at other country stats. The fact that African Americans that live in a poor community or have lack of education are most likely to be incarcerated doesn't surprise me at all. I don't believe it's fair but when you look at it in a different perspective I can believe it. With the lack of education where will you get a job? No where and once they can't get a job it'll lead to them most likely committing a crime.
ReplyDeleteI know that every African American person isn't the same but majority rules and that majority pretty much mess it up for the others. BLUE789
Watching this video I think that there is no difference between white or black prisoners. Some African American can’t complete their education because they drop out from high school. But it’s not their fault, parents at home need to keep track of their children, where they at ,what are they doing. Because if parents know about their children they can explain things to their kids if they are doing something wrong. And some just don’t care about education and they don’t know that education is most important thing if you don’t a good life and earn respect in society. And when he talks about the employment I think it’s not fair at all that the prisoners who get out most of them don’t have jobs at all. But I think that they all should have a job. If they don’t have a job they need money, food and shelter to survive and as we all know that a human can do anything for those three things. They want to have a better life too so at least we need to gave them a chance to be a better otherwise they would hurt us and society just because they don’t have job, food and shelter, they will kill people, still things and many bad things. So it’s our responsibilities too to give them a chance to be a better person. And that’s how we can reduce the crime from our society and make this country much better than it is right now. MOSTWANTED789
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post 100%. It starts at home. You should try your hardest to keep up with your children. Teach them when they are young how the world is and maybe they won't do things that would land them in prison or even dead trying make it. Put them in school activities or church activities anything to teach them that there is a right and wrong way to live, and if u want to survive out here in the world you have to follow and obey the law of the land and the laws of God! MotherOf4789
DeleteThis was an interesting video. I believe that the study that Bruce Western did on prisons was that of an unbiased and educational approach (from a sociological viewpoint) . I also believe, like many of my classmates have also stated, that getting an education or GED is one of the many keys to success for our prisons here in the United States. Unfortunately it seems that this is not happening, whether it is due to lack of funding or lack of interest of the inmates. I also can see how people could fall victim to an unbreakable cycle. Prison, to some, may be what they know and what they are used to, and, like in the video, these people that continue the cycle of getting locked up, let out, locked up become familiar with the system and maybe even become comfortable with that life style. It could be that these repeat offenders just need some type of routine and guidance that they are not getting for some reason. So their routine life becomes crime, court, and jail; then repeat. It seems that in any country that the more education one has the less likely they are to be incarcerated. xsjado789
ReplyDeleteFrom watching this video I was shocked at the ratio of those that are incarcerated. I never knew how much of a large gap there is between the African American population and the White population. I feel that getting an education is so important to becoming a new person after prison or becoming someone that does not end up in prison. If you are uneducated than it will be hard to find a job in today's economy and if you can't find a job than many people are forced into crime or they have too much time on their hands that then forces them into crime. A big part of the culture that is bringing up prisoner is the lack of a mentor or a parental figure. I was blessed to have both a dad and a mom. I don't know if I would be an upstanding citizen if I didn't have one of them. Everyone needs someone to show them right from wrong. I know a large amount of people that have parents in jail and have said that it is probably where they will end up. If we can keep people out of jail now then it will carry on into the future. TrucksAreGreat789
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing this video clip from Bruce Western, He presented a lot of valid points in the incarceration and criminalization of blacks vs whites. Western estimates that the ratio of black to white prisoners is 7/8 to 1, a number that is far too much. He also brings up the point that criminals once released out of prison have a hard time finding a job because of their criminal record, forcing them to make money the only way they can such as selling drugs, theft and even prostitution. I liked the point that he brought up when he states that the prisons need not more court supervision but a source of structure such as employment. It doesnt seem fair to give parolees just out of prison a job just as a handout, when there are millions of people, that aren't criminals still unemployed in the United States. A number that I found astonishing was that the United States has a 5 times higher prison rate when compared to australia.. what is it about us americans that make us more susceptible to crime? Heisenburg789
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your statement. I think the thing with America is that we tend to believe that incarceration is the only option that we have to resort to in order to fight crime. This in some cases may be true but not in all. I believe that if we were to actually sit down and come up with other ways of trying to minimize the problems we are having in this country, I honestly think we would be successful KingMinaj789
DeleteBy watching this video i learned a lot on things i didn't know before and some things i did know somethings about. When we were in kindergarten they constentley drilled it into our heads that education was everything. After watching this experiment be done i can't believe how unbiased it was with all the data collected. I also don't believe that there is no difference between white and black inmates in prisons and jails all over the United States and surrounding countries. ButterCup789
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I cannot say I am surprised by the information that Prof. Western provided in the video. I’ve seen more than enough people go through everything he has explained as to why more African Americans are incarcerated than any other race. I firmly believe that if given the chance, the numbers of those incarcerated would be decreased significantly. It does hurt to know that there are 5 times more people incarcerated here in the U.S. then there is in Australia. It seems to me like; we are basically just locking people up for any apparent reason. In addition to that, it’s apparent that things will not change anytime soon, especially if law enforcement continues to pursue those individuals with petty, nonviolent crimes. If there was something that you guys think would help decrease the population of those minorities who are the majority in incarceration, what would they be and why? KingMinaj789
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is sad to say but the information in the interview is true. As a African American I do know a lot of people in jail family and friends of my family. Growing up in a poor neighborhood is part of the reason blacks think they have to seal drugs or rob others to get ahead in life which leads to incarceration. Once a person is sent to prison and tagged with a felony they are automatically labeled as a bad person or gangsta. This makes it hard for them once they do their time and set free to survive in the world. If they have children and family to take care of and no one is giving them a second chance they feel cornered, and they turn back to what they know. Even with going back to school. Financial Aid won't give you money of you have a drug case, but you see a person willing to do better go back to school and that felony is once again thrown in their face. As a African American mother raising four African American boys into man I take things like this to heart. I vow to teach my sons right from wrong and educate them on how to get ahead in the life the right way, and I believe it starts from the home. You bring a child up the way they should be the best way you can and they will lead by example. MotherOf4789
ReplyDeleteBruce Western speaks the truth in his interview. It's sad, but true that more African Americans go to prison than whites. However, even if you add in the other races, such as Hispanics, I believe that they will still be a higher prison population than whites. I believe that this is mostly due to factors such as where they grew up, their social status, as well as their income. Sadly, more Hispanics and African Americans live in poor neighborhoods, and have a lower social status than whites. Western also stated that since the prison boom, social experiences have become different for blacks than it has for whites, because blacks know more people who are incarcerated than whites (usually). This can include family members, such as fathers and mothers. One solution that might help limit the prison population is making sure that everyone is educated, at least with a GED. This might also help prisoners that are released get a job, which will *hopefully* keep them out of prison again. Ocho789
ReplyDeleteTo LA456 ,EMS-Tactics456,thatguy456, & marsh456
ReplyDeleteI didnt mean as if should take all guns away from citizens , because i know not everybody is out to get people. What im saying if you can read is if the laws were more stricter than they are now and more under control we wouldnt have 1/2 the people that get killed reasons be because they got shot. And right now in this society most peope that own firearms are YOUNG people in gangs if the gun laws are so strict how are they getting them .? My thing is they shouldnt be abled to. Cashes456