What she was saying in the video actually makes since when you actually look at the situation at hand. The fact that these privately owned prison actually are profiting from the fact that prisons are full is a serious problem in its own rights. I actually disagree with any privately owned institution, due to the fact that you can not care for the inmates while worrying about trying to make money. I personally think that the prison systems should be ran by the state that it is located and governed by federal laws to secure that inmates are treated fairly and provided for better. In doing this I believe that the number of reaccuring violaters will continue to decline. Its not hard to figure out that if you pay to help better an inmate instead of trying to demoralize that person, then when they get out they are more likely to susceed than to become a repeat offender. Instead the system is not providing substancial funding to actually rehibilate our inmates. An example of this you take two teenagers from the same high school with student one you spend 3 days a week 30 mins each day and you take student b but with hem you spend 2 hours a day and 4 days a week. Who do you believe will fair better in school and later on after they get out.
To hear that the United states have 2.2 million people imprisoned it makes you think. Is the United states really dangerous? Do people kill here just to kill? Or are we just incarcerating people for “petty” crimes? China has a bigger population than the United states and have less people incarcerated. So why is that? As stated in the video the reason why so many Americans are now locked up is because of the tough on crimes policy. We never use to lock people up for such things as we like to call “petty” crimes. But now we lock them up without hesitation. For example cops were sending 18 and 19 year olds to prison for smoking a blunt. Although drugs should not be used at all. Why send a young adult to jail for smoking one blunt, and even worse why send him to jail if it is there first time getting in trouble. It shows that if a person gets sent to jail once and are released they are more likely to go back to jail a second time. As stated in the video another reason why people were getting sent to jail at a fast paced was because of a rule called the three strike rule. This is where people would get sent to jail after committing three crimes no matter how small they are. Just think of all the smalls crimes in america that people may commit daily. I think it is ridiculous to send people to prison for committing small crimes. Another major cause of people going to prison is parole. Many people may think parole is better than prison. Which in a sense may be good to people. But the rules and regulations that you must follow in order not to violate your parole is insane and almost impossible for some not to do. So hearing the 2.2 million people in the United States is incarcerated is really crazy. But after seeing why they are it is sadly believable. Latte456
Its shocking that the United States has the most incarcerated people in the world when our population is less than some countries in the world. I couldn't believe that there is an extra 4.7 million people either on parole or on probation. The fact that 1 and every 35 people is in jail, on probation or on parole is alarming and shows that something needs to be changed. With our crime rate being average with most of the world that alone tells you that our courts system may be at fault for the mass incarceration as well as the tough on crime policies. I think that the sentences should be reduced on less serious crimes so our increation population can go down. The three strikes laws don't make sense when it comes to petty crimes, although I see the advantages on more serious crimes. Compared to other countries Americans are convicted more and serve longer time which I think is unfair especially for similar crimes.The war on drugs and the anit-drug abuse act cause sentencing to be longer for little amounts of drugs. The differences be between drugs gets you longer time which have been known to target certain races. Drug addiction and mental health play a major factor in mass incarcerations, instead of arresting the ones with mental health and drug problems treatment and programs set up to help them would be more beneficial than locking them away. Especially considering have of the population incarcerated suffers from mental health issues. Its sad that most these people will be back incarcerated instead of receiving help. Felony offenders often have a rough time after incarartion, which I think programs would benefit them to once they served their time in prison or jail,but there is no question that mass incarceration is a big problem in the United States NightTrain456
After watching this video and hearing that one in thirty five men were somehow involved in the prison system shocked me. Also hearing that now at least one in three black males will go to prison was also shocking and horrifying. How can black males feel safe knowing that they have at least a thirty three percent chance to go to jail. When seeing the statistic that only six percent of Germans get convicted and over seventy percent of Americans get convicted has me wondering why are we so tough on certain crimes such as drugs, when some of them may actually have more good use than bad use. Hearing that black men are twelve times more likely to go to prison for a drug time than white males is something that we as a country need to change. We also need to have the number of people who are incarcerated with mental health problem to decrease. Finding out that half of the people who are incarcerated with mental health problems is ridiculous. Why would we not try to help these people? Why lock them up when they need to be treated for some type of problem? If these people never get the proper help they need in prison, then when they are released the only thing they know how to do is rob or steal or they may go back to using drugs. Also if we start having longer jail sentences then criminals who get into the prison system at the age of eighteen may not get out til they are in their forties. Once they get out it is going to be hard for them to find a good job or to be able to live a good life. This may cause them to go back to doing what they got into prison for in the first place. Illini456
In my opinion mass incarceration is a huge in our country but in most cases there is good reason. I think the difference in the amount of people incarcerated in the US vs. other countries has a lot to do with the difference in laws in those other countries vs. our country. There are so many people that are in prison or jail for what I would consider less severe crimes but maybe received a longer sentence due to past crimes they may have committed. The past crimes may also not of been so severe but I feel that repeat offenders should get longer sentences because they obviously didn’t learn the first, second, or third time. I do feel that the war on drugs made our prison population sky rocket. As the woman said in the video “our prison population is higher than any other county in the world.” It is much higher than it is in China and as we all know China is much bigger than we are however the punishment for crimes in China is more severe which probably detours the crime a little more. Race also plays a role in our over populated prisons. I feel that the reason for there being more African American or Mexican people incarcerated partially has to do with the areas in which they reside and being mostly the same race therefore there is limited numbers of other races in those areas to be arrested. In my opinion, our prisons and jails populations grew when we had the war on drugs. Due to the war on drugs we convicted many people for small amounts of drugs. By doing this it made our population in the prisons and jails rise. To this day there are many people with health issues that are going untreated. Therefore, these people are living with these mental or physical problems going untreated. Unfortunately, this makes these people become worse. Thunder456
First off, I thought it was shocking that in the U.S 2.2 million people are incarcerated in prisons and there are millions more on probation or parole. It is also sad that this means 1 in 35 American adults are caught up in some way in the prison system. I would like to also say that we are the one country with the most people in prisons today but our crime rate has decreased a lot from the past years which makes me believe at this point we lock people up like it’s a game there are so many people there that probably don’t need to be there but can’t get let out because they are making the prisons so much money by being there. I also think it’s odd that our prisons say they are so low funded but they have the most people in them and get paid for every prisoner in them so I’m confused as to how our prisons can say they are underfunded, and treat inmates with such disrespect and don’t get them decent beds or food. It is pathetic that after you add up all the people that are incarcerated with the people that are on probation, and parole the numbers go from the 2.2 million to 6.9 million people. How is the united states putting this many people away and everyone is ok with this some citizens are even the ones saying oh this kid put graffiti on a wall he deserves jail time like why does the U.S think putting this many people away for stupid stuff is just ok to do? I understand if some of the people in there are murderers and thieves or repeated offenders of something yes they need to be in there but people locked up for petty crimes is ridiculous our government needs to step up and get the people in jail that don’t need to be there out before we run out of room in all of our jails or we run out of people to lock up to begin with. CarlBaconWho456
I agree with the majority of what you have said. Although there are a few of your last points that I am going to have to disagree. You worded that we need to get people out that don't need to be in there. Sadly, we aren't capable of that. We don't have the money, time and not always the law is going to agree to pass that. You also said that that we are going to run out of room and people to lock up if we don't stop incarcerating people the way we have been. I have to disagree with you. At one point in the United states we were building four new prisons each month, so we will never run out of room. And unfortunately, we will never run out of people to lock up. There are too many people that commit serious crimes, and there are too many people that commit petty ones. Rugby_456
It is completely shocking that the United States has more then any other country in the world has 2.2 million people in prison. Honestly, it's terrible to hear that about our country. It also saddened me and shocked me to hear about that 50 percent of the prisoners suffer with mental health and instead of getting help just cycle through the system over and over again. You would think that instead of letting them keep cycling through that they would be offered to get them help. As far as the reasoning of so many people being in prison and the length of time they have to serve just for a drug offense is ridiculous in my opinion. Like Doc. White said in class, how does the government find it out okay to have people serve such lengthy terms for drug abuse. The statistics being pointed out that 1.3 African Americans will end up in jail or prison, I don't see or agree with how it can be said, like she said in the video, how is it our country suppose to be free, but they have these statistics. The whole video was just mind blowing, and honestly sad to hear. Hopefully the government and us as a society can change these statistics. Foxracing456
It is crazy that our criminal rate is on the same rate as other counties but we are putting people on probation and parole, and putting a whole lot more people in jail then they are. There is something wrong with that correlation, this means that somewhere we are getting so caught up on taking people down rather than building them up. I also think the fact that the reason for a lot of black males being incarcerated is due to racial profiling in the courts and streets. I don't think the color of anyone's skin shouldn't be judged the crime should be punished due to the extent, and intensions of the individual. The lady also explained that people are even being incarcerated for a long period of time for petty crimes. This is because of the three strike regulations held in the court. I don't really disagree with this because if your going to risk breaking the law three times then obviously you like going to jail. Personally if I went to jail I'd learn from that experience but we are all different. I don't even think its the least bit fair that meatal ill people are even held with criminals it's like we aren't taking into consideration that they committed the crime that got them in jail due to their mental illness. This can even increase whatever that mental illness may be by being treated as a prisoner rather than a patient. I think people should be tested for mental illnesses when entering incarceration, and if they are positive sent to a facility for treatment or a hospital. I think our main goal should be education, success, and growth. We should strive to snatch up doctor, nurses, firefighters, and etc. Show those children how to take the thing they love to do and turn them into successful careers, such as owning their own business. She also should have mentioned how we are like the slowest country when it comes to education some countries don t even have summer break. We should take the money out of the jails put it towards more productive schools, and after school programs, and fun teenage engaging activities. Children should be taught to explore and I think field trips out of the country expands a child's mind. It is all sorts of things we could to attract youth but instead America is building up the prisons, jails, probation, and parole. McBrightyalife456
After watching this video and hearing that the United States is the World’s biggest jailer with 2.2 million people incarcerated and with 4.7 million people who are on probation and parole makes me think what kind of imprisonment system we have here. China’s population is four times that of the U.S and I can’t believe that we have more people incarcerated than them. Our country’s laws are different from other countries, and I believe that is why we have more people who are in jail and prison because of some policies that have been passed that do not require a person to be locked up. Considering that in Germany only six percent of convicted people get locked up versus seventy percent in the U.S. I think that the U.S incarceration rate is so high because of the so called three-strikes laws and giving tough punishment for those people who commit petty crimes. I would think that we have more people in jail and prison because of some repeat offenders who never learn their lesson the first time, those people who got out and back in the system because of health issue and mental illness that never resolve that cause them to do the same thing, and those who got convicted and served having a hard time to find a new home and work because of their record might do the same thing they got them in the system. The fact that blows my mind is that 1 in 35 Americans get caught up in the prison system but the worst is for those people of color, that 1 in 3 black men who were born today will go to jail or prison later in their life. Is it because of the place where there born and raised? Their family backgrounds? The background of the city where they are living? In my opinion private prisons need to be gone, we could use the funding to build more buildings and areas for inmates other than paying private prisons with government and tax payers money. -M.Scott456
After watching that video and seeing the statistics of different was very surprising. What was very disturbing to me is when she said “ 1 out of every 3 african american male will go to jail or prison in some point of their life”. It was disturbing to me because why is the system so harsh on color people. Another thing that was so sickening is that 2.2 million people are imprisoned in the US. This is terrible knowing we are the largest jail in the world. In this all comes from how people are getting arrested for petty crimes. It also get to me that why give someone so much time in jail for a petty crime instead of trying to help them ? We shouldn’t be giving people all that time instead we should trying to help them get them in rehab so they won’t make that same mistake again. Yes, i do agree if someone do a serious crime they deserve what they get. I believe we need to make a change because it’s going to get worse then this. Another thing that was disturbing is the private own prisons. I think they should be ran by the state because they really don’t care for them prisoners all they worried about is making money. It’s people with mental health problems and other things and they not even taken care of. Prisons have to do better and stop treating these prisoners like animals , they are human just like yeah and still have rights as well. Lastly, other countries have different laws they abide by but what got to me was how German only 6% of people get locked up and in our country 70% of people get locked up. With those numbers it shows that we are just incarcerating people up for petty crimes. To conclude, watching this video was shocking I learned things I never knew and I think we need to make a change before it’s too late. savage456
That’s crazy to think about how many people are locked up in prison and the fact that there is more on probation or parole. To think that many or most people are locked up due to drug related charges and not heinous crimes is outrageous. Our justice system needs to help people more than hurt them. Life is precious and should not be wasted by spending most if not all of it in prison. A lot of these people who are in prison and eventually (if) they get out, they repeat their “criminal” behavior and go right back. I’m sure money and profit play a huge role in prisons but it would make more sense to use the profit to try and help people with rehabilitations and possible drug treatments so they won’t be in the same situation that they are in. There’s usually an underlying cause for repeat drug offenders and it seems like a lot of people who are locked up today are suffering from some sort of mental illness that is not being treated correctly. I don’t necessarily think medication is the answer either. I personally think that if our justice system or even society cared a little more about mental illness instead of brushing it off like it’s nothing, then there wouldn’t be as many people incarcerated as there is now. Sadly, I don’t see there being much of a change that would occur, it probably will only get worse because states and people are so money hungry it’s not even funny. -PizzaLover456
The big number that mainly people look is 2.3 million. 2.3 million people are incarcerated. But there is a much bigger picture to look at overall. Parole, probation and incarcerated together amounts to 6.9 million people. That is beyond absurd. Look around you at Illinois Central College; 1 out of 35 of the African American males are going to be incarcerated. Isn't that outrageous? In 1986 the anti drug abuse act says that 5 grams of crack will give an individual 5 years of prison without parole. What is crazy though, 500 grams of cocaine will give another individual the same sentence. The thing of it is, cocaine is mainly used by white people; as crack is used by black. White people use drugs at the same rate as black people. Over all though, a black man is 12x more likely to go to prison than a white man on drug offenses. Why? It is wrong.
Half of the people in prison have mental issues. 10-25% of those mental issues are serious. But instead of us helping the individuals with those issues, they will cycle through the system over and over again. They will get out, get put back in, and continue it. There is a lot wrong corrections, we just need to figure out how to fix it. And if we even can. Rugby_456
The first thing that truly stood out to me was the fact that in the United States there are 2.2 million people incarcerated in prisons today and also there are millions on probation or parole. To imagine this number of people locked up or on the streets but still have to follow guidelines in order to live a somewhat normal life. The statistic for this is 1 in 35 American citizens are in the prison system. Even though our crime rates have decreased we are still the largest country with prisons. One main reason as to why we have so many prisons is because now a days we lock people up for petty crimes just to the money and there are prisons that are overcrowded just for the money. Now prisons claim to not have enough money in order to properly fund for the prisoners which makes no sense at all because when people are sent to prison that makes the prison money so my question would be why are prisons supposedly low funded but overcrowded? Inmates do not receive proper medical treatments, dentist health, food, beds, basic items such a toiletries and we continue to overcrowd them which is insane because they are treated like animals. The war on drugs is sending a lot of people to prison and they are serving the same time as murderers and rapists which is not fair for someone just selling a product or even using a product focusing on helping those that have the problem with drugs would reduce prison capacity by a lot. swaggyy456
After watching this video, everything makes sense. Having 6.9 million people on probation, prole, and in prison is outrageous. One out of thirty-five people caught up in the prison system is crazy to think, but I can guarantee that at least 50 percent of the 6.9 million people are people who were released, but then came back. Also with 50 percent of them having a mental illness, and 10-25 percent mental illness is serious like schizophrenia. If they actually got those people some help and put them in some sort of mental illness center; the population of prisons would go down. Those people need some real and serious medical attention and just for them to watch them rot without helping them really upsets me. Those people need help and the state or whoever needs to do something about getting them help. Their mental illness could have caused them to do the crime because I know there are some people with split personalities and does not remembering doing such a crime and are locked away because of it, but then never receive any help. I don’t agree with that one out of three African Americans will go to jail in their lifetime. How can they know when they will feel safe. Skin color should play a role when sentencing someone. It should be based off the crime only with some other factors. Not their skin color. Why are we so hard on drugs? Why do we lock people away for 15-20 years for marijuana? Drugs will be legal in all states before when know it. Changes need to be made or everyone will end up in prison or on probation and parole. It is never too late to make a change, but this situation needs one and needs one fast.-Bears456
Some of these facts that are stated in this video are absolutely outrageous. To actually hear that fifty percent of our nation's inmates suffer from some sort of mental illness is wild, hearing that ten to twenty five percent of inmates suffer from severe mental disorders, that could be potentially dangerous, is also mind blowing. I think that if our country offered more accessible treatment for people with mental illnesses, or jails/ prisons gave inmates the treatment they need, I could guarantee our prison populations would begin to decrease. It's just fact that a lot of criminal offenders suffer from some sort of mental illness and it's honestly just sad that they're not offered any type of help that could reduce their chances of re offending in the future. It's almost as if these people are practically doomed to get sucked into a cycle of committing crimes, getting locked up, being released, and offending again. People with mental illnesses are not lost causes or hopeless cases. If they were given medication or some type of therapy while they're incarcerated they're less likely to get released and offend again. Another thing from the video that caught me off guard is the fact that you'll get the same amount of jail time with a small amount of crack as someone with a large amount of powder cocaine would. Like they said in the video, African Americans are more likely to be in possession of rock cocaine, I don't really agree with them. I think rock cocaine is more common in poorer communities. People might say it's more common for African Americans to be in possession of it but I think with racial profiling they're just more likely to get caught or arrested for it. This video was definitely interesting to watch.
The information on this video was kid of heavy for me, because hearing that the US makes so many arrests and about half of those prisoners suffer from mental illnesses. I feel like instead of housing them in prison they should house them in a mental illness facility simply because they can be a potential threat to themselves, other inmates, and staff in a prison. They need to be placed somewhere they can get the proper treatment and care. Another thing I did not like to hear while watching this video was the fact that we are over filling prisons with people with petty drugs charges and the majority of those people are African American men. The US is tougher on drug crimes then any other crimes it seems like because the sentence them more for it and that is added to the cost of housing these inmates meaning that money is coming from taxpayers pockets. TJGirl456
It's insane that we have a higher incarceration rate than china which has 4 times the amount of people that we do I mean how is that even possible? I think the biggest problem here is the prison sentences that are way to long. It's like what Instructor White said with the tripod of deterrence and how prison sentence is the least important when it comes to punishing criminals. It does not take 10 years in prison to show someone that dealing drugs is bad. Obviously the murderers, rapists, etc. need to be locked up for a long time if not for life but for a lot of these crimes the sentencing time is to much. Another thing that I think needs to be done is the removal of all privately owned prisons. I just have a problem with people making money off of others imprisonment. A lot of stuff needs changing in this system and it's good that Youtube channels like this are spreading word about the issues of America's mass incarceration. Hope that more people see this video. -CoffeeAddict456
With a three strike rule in play it is very easy to screw up. Personally knowing someone who already has two strikes against him is not that hard to believe that is one of the reasons for the mass incarceration. For example his first major crime was his first felony. Now for his second strike was because he was on "parole" got into a single vehicle accident while his license was suspended boom second strike. He didn't harm anybody but himself. So needless to say he is treading on very thin ice. If we are going to have a three strike rule I think it should be for the same type of crime not something petty. I know at this moment what would have happened if he hit another vehicle and killed the other driver? yes that is serious but we need to look at the facts not the what ifs' . Also allot of the colored drug charges is profiling it really is if Johnny got busted for the same amount of pot that Demarcus did, we all know that Demarcus is going to spend some time in jail while Johnny gets off with a fine. As the private owned prisons go I think they should follow the same rules and regulations as the state prisons due but their excuse is because they are understaffed. We need to look at how much money is going through the systems and look at the care that is being giving. Poop on toilet paper gets treated better than some of the inmates. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~
2.3 million incarcerated people is a large amount, however, the United States of America is a large country. It stands to reason, then, that we would have more prisoners than the EU or other countries. I agree that it is stupid to incarcerate people for possession charges, at least possession of low amounts. It makes much more sense to rehabilitate these drug users than to jail them. A drug user is a drug user, whether out here or behind bars. They'll find a way to get high. Even after leaving prison, they're likely to continue using drugs. Quite often, they'll leave prison, having gone cold turkey, essentially, or using low doses and then when they're released, they go back to their usual dosage. Their body has started to get over the drug and move on and when they reintroduce the drug back in the same dosage as before, they overdose. If they don't manage to overdose, they go back to the same ways of acquiring currency in order to purchase drugs. Whether that be prostitution, stealing, dealing, etc. Private prisons had a role in lobbying to bring in the "Tough on Crime" laws. They're the reason we have such high populations of prisoners, but so low crime rates. The fact that roughly fifty percent of inmates suffer from mental illness is also an adding factor to the incarceration rate. These inmates don't get the help they need in prison, so when they do eventually get out, they commit the exact same crimes that they were imprisoned for. The whole situation overall is designed so that prisoners keep coming back. If prisoners keep coming back, these private prisons continue to make more and more money. The entire situation is deplorable and needs to change. Society's attitude that lets this happen needs to change.
To know and realize that the United states have "2 million people imprisoned" it makes you think about what this world is really like in our criminal justice system. we have more prisoners than in any other country in the world and our systems in prison are unlike anything before. it wouldn't matter if you have a fair amount of guards and inmates there is still going to be dirty cops and guards that let inmates do and say whatever they want so they can get hurt. The system is so messed up because they can do drugs and drink and among other things and no one is going to be worried or upset about it. They make gangs and racial groups that can end up fighting each other but the guards have no say in anything because the gangs and groups are so in deep there is no stopping them. They get a better life than homeless people they have abed they have food and warm clothes they get taken care of more than most families in the world and thats why sometimes you have repeat offenders that keep coming back is because they have no other place to go that is better than their lives condition is prison. People behind bars now will either be in there for life or will be back more than once.
When hearing that the United States has 2 million people imprisoned, it's kind of a shock. We see ourselves as a free country as if we all live in unison. Obviously we know that this is not how the America we live in works. The absurd amount out of the 2 million people incarcerated, a huge amount are locked up for drug charges. I am all for locking up people who are making and selling heavy drugs such as Meth, Cocaine, Pills, etc. What I refuse to do is believe that it is okay to lock up people for nearly their whole life over some weed. A drug that grows in the ground and is less deadly than any other drug or even alcohol. What makes it worse is that we have "three strike policies" in some states, which puts people who just want to smoke some weed in prison for life. This puts a huge burden on our corrections department, as we have people we are paying millions of dollars to keep, when they could have easily been functioning members of society. We are hurting ourselves by locking away everyone, and not rehabilitating people back into working class. America needs to worry more about making people right again, not just throwing the key away. LowAndSlow456
Watching these videos I find it very interesting when we have 2.2 million people behind bars, and millions more that are out in this functioning world on probation and parole. From this video if we were to count the incarcerated, probation, and parole bodies that are involved in the system it can add up to 6.9 million people which by that number I am at shock for. It amazes me and makes me wonder at the same time exactly how can we keep these number from doubling over the years since it would be 1 in every 35 adults being in our system. 1 out of 3 African American males will go through a prison or jail system and that makes me think back to how yes they could have it harder than anyone else. But for the lady to say our rates are pretty much at par with any other country is interesting too , but that's because we also have a tough on crime rates. We are making people serving longer sentences on petty crimes or we have people still locked up to this day because we had a three strike law that said if you commit a crime of any sort that you're placed with no other chances of committing a crime again. The average sentence in the U.S. is three years which is three times longer than Germany. We also have a harsh drug law which if you look at crack it was used more by black people vs cocaine which was used more by white people but the sentencing was not fair. Even though the law was relaxed, white men are less than likely to be locked up on drug cases vs black men. We have many mentally ill people that keep getting them selves in the revolving door method. If you end yourself in prison, you lose the help when it comes to employment, housing and education which that's how we keep seeing them get themselves back into the system because they have no help with getting back on their feet when they are released to the outside world. unknownzeeha456
What she was saying in the video actually makes since when you actually look at the situation at hand. The fact that these privately owned prison actually are profiting from the fact that prisons are full is a serious problem in its own rights. I actually disagree with any privately owned institution, due to the fact that you can not care for the inmates while worrying about trying to make money. I personally think that the prison systems should be ran by the state that it is located and governed by federal laws to secure that inmates are treated fairly and provided for better. In doing this I believe that the number of reaccuring violaters will continue to decline. Its not hard to figure out that if you pay to help better an inmate instead of trying to demoralize that person, then when they get out they are more likely to susceed than to become a repeat offender. Instead the system is not providing substancial funding to actually rehibilate our inmates. An example of this you take two teenagers from the same high school with student one you spend 3 days a week 30 mins each day and you take student b but with hem you spend 2 hours a day and 4 days a week. Who do you believe will fair better in school and later on after they get out.
ReplyDeleteCountry456
To hear that the United states have 2.2 million people imprisoned it makes you think. Is the United states really dangerous? Do people kill here just to kill? Or are we just incarcerating people for “petty” crimes? China has a bigger population than the United states and have less people incarcerated. So why is that? As stated in the video the reason why so many Americans are now locked up is because of the tough on crimes policy. We never use to lock people up for such things as we like to call “petty” crimes. But now we lock them up without hesitation. For example cops were sending 18 and 19 year olds to prison for smoking a blunt. Although drugs should not be used at all. Why send a young adult to jail for smoking one blunt, and even worse why send him to jail if it is there first time getting in trouble. It shows that if a person gets sent to jail once and are released they are more likely to go back to jail a second time. As stated in the video another reason why people were getting sent to jail at a fast paced was because of a rule called the three strike rule. This is where people would get sent to jail after committing three crimes no matter how small they are. Just think of all the smalls crimes in america that people may commit daily. I think it is ridiculous to send people to prison for committing small crimes. Another major cause of people going to prison is parole. Many people may think parole is better than prison. Which in a sense may be good to people. But the rules and regulations that you must follow in order not to violate your parole is insane and almost impossible for some not to do. So hearing the 2.2 million people in the United States is incarcerated is really crazy. But after seeing why they are it is sadly believable. Latte456
ReplyDeleteIts shocking that the United States has the most incarcerated people in the world when our population is less than some countries in the world. I couldn't believe that there is an extra 4.7 million people either on parole or on probation. The fact that 1 and every 35 people is in jail, on probation or on parole is alarming and shows that something needs to be changed. With our crime rate being average with most of the world that alone tells you that our courts system may be at fault for the mass incarceration as well as the tough on crime policies. I think that the sentences should be reduced on less serious crimes so our increation population can go down. The three strikes laws don't make sense when it comes to petty crimes, although I see the advantages on more serious crimes. Compared to other countries Americans are convicted more and serve longer time which I think is unfair especially for similar crimes.The war on drugs and the anit-drug abuse act cause sentencing to be longer for little amounts of drugs. The differences be between drugs gets you longer time which have been known to target certain races. Drug addiction and mental health play a major factor in mass incarcerations, instead of arresting the ones with mental health and drug problems treatment and programs set up to help them would be more beneficial than locking them away. Especially considering have of the population incarcerated suffers from mental health issues. Its sad that most these people will be back incarcerated instead of receiving help. Felony offenders often have a rough time after incarartion, which I think programs would benefit them to once they served their time in prison or jail,but there is no question that mass incarceration is a big problem in the United States
ReplyDeleteNightTrain456
After watching this video and hearing that one in thirty five men were somehow involved in the prison system shocked me. Also hearing that now at least one in three black males will go to prison was also shocking and horrifying. How can black males feel safe knowing that they have at least a thirty three percent chance to go to jail. When seeing the statistic that only six percent of Germans get convicted and over seventy percent of Americans get convicted has me wondering why are we so tough on certain crimes such as drugs, when some of them may actually have more good use than bad use. Hearing that black men are twelve times more likely to go to prison for a drug time than white males is something that we as a country need to change. We also need to have the number of people who are incarcerated with mental health problem to decrease. Finding out that half of the people who are incarcerated with mental health problems is ridiculous. Why would we not try to help these people? Why lock them up when they need to be treated for some type of problem? If these people never get the proper help they need in prison, then when they are released the only thing they know how to do is rob or steal or they may go back to using drugs. Also if we start having longer jail sentences then criminals who get into the prison system at the age of eighteen may not get out til they are in their forties. Once they get out it is going to be hard for them to find a good job or to be able to live a good life. This may cause them to go back to doing what they got into prison for in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIllini456
In my opinion mass incarceration is a huge in our country but in most cases there is good reason. I think the difference in the amount of people incarcerated in the US vs. other countries has a lot to do with the difference in laws in those other countries vs. our country. There are so many people that are in prison or jail for what I would consider less severe crimes but maybe received a longer sentence due to past crimes they may have committed. The past crimes may also not of been so severe but I feel that repeat offenders should get longer sentences because they obviously didn’t learn the first, second, or third time. I do feel that the war on drugs made our prison population sky rocket. As the woman said in the video “our prison population is higher than any other county in the world.” It is much higher than it is in China and as we all know China is much bigger than we are however the punishment for crimes in China is more severe which probably detours the crime a little more. Race also plays a role in our over populated prisons. I feel that the reason for there being more African American or Mexican people incarcerated partially has to do with the areas in which they reside and being mostly the same race therefore there is limited numbers of other races in those areas to be arrested.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, our prisons and jails populations grew when we had the war on drugs. Due to the war on drugs we convicted many people for small amounts of drugs. By doing this it made our population in the prisons and jails rise. To this day there are many people with health issues that are going untreated. Therefore, these people are living with these mental or physical problems going untreated. Unfortunately, this makes these people become worse.
Thunder456
First off, I thought it was shocking that in the U.S 2.2 million people are incarcerated in prisons and there are millions more on probation or parole. It is also sad that this means 1 in 35 American adults are caught up in some way in the prison system. I would like to also say that we are the one country with the most people in prisons today but our crime rate has decreased a lot from the past years which makes me believe at this point we lock people up like it’s a game there are so many people there that probably don’t need to be there but can’t get let out because they are making the prisons so much money by being there. I also think it’s odd that our prisons say they are so low funded but they have the most people in them and get paid for every prisoner in them so I’m confused as to how our prisons can say they are underfunded, and treat inmates with such disrespect and don’t get them decent beds or food. It is pathetic that after you add up all the people that are incarcerated with the people that are on probation, and parole the numbers go from the 2.2 million to 6.9 million people. How is the united states putting this many people away and everyone is ok with this some citizens are even the ones saying oh this kid put graffiti on a wall he deserves jail time like why does the U.S think putting this many people away for stupid stuff is just ok to do? I understand if some of the people in there are murderers and thieves or repeated offenders of something yes they need to be in there but people locked up for petty crimes is ridiculous our government needs to step up and get the people in jail that don’t need to be there out before we run out of room in all of our jails or we run out of people to lock up to begin with.
ReplyDeleteCarlBaconWho456
I agree with the majority of what you have said. Although there are a few of your last points that I am going to have to disagree. You worded that we need to get people out that don't need to be in there. Sadly, we aren't capable of that. We don't have the money, time and not always the law is going to agree to pass that. You also said that that we are going to run out of room and people to lock up if we don't stop incarcerating people the way we have been. I have to disagree with you. At one point in the United states we were building four new prisons each month, so we will never run out of room. And unfortunately, we will never run out of people to lock up. There are too many people that commit serious crimes, and there are too many people that commit petty ones. Rugby_456
DeleteIt is completely shocking that the United States has more then any other country in the world has 2.2 million people in prison. Honestly, it's terrible to hear that about our country. It also saddened me and shocked me to hear about that 50 percent of the prisoners suffer with mental health and instead of getting help just cycle through the system over and over again. You would think that instead of letting them keep cycling through that they would be offered to get them help. As far as the reasoning of so many people being in prison and the length of time they have to serve just for a drug offense is ridiculous in my opinion. Like Doc. White said in class, how does the government find it out okay to have people serve such lengthy terms for drug abuse. The statistics being pointed out that 1.3 African Americans will end up in jail or prison, I don't see or agree with how it can be said, like she said in the video, how is it our country suppose to be free, but they have these statistics. The whole video was just mind blowing, and honestly sad to hear. Hopefully the government and us as a society can change these statistics. Foxracing456
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy that our criminal rate is on the same rate as other counties but we are putting people on probation and parole, and putting a whole lot more people in jail then they are. There is something wrong with that correlation, this means that somewhere we are getting so caught up on taking people down rather than building them up. I also think the fact that the reason for a lot of black males being incarcerated is due to racial profiling in the courts and streets. I don't think the color of anyone's skin shouldn't be judged the crime should be punished due to the extent, and intensions of the individual. The lady also explained that people are even being incarcerated for a long period of time for petty crimes. This is because of the three strike regulations held in the court. I don't really disagree with this because if your going to risk breaking the law three times then obviously you like going to jail. Personally if I went to jail I'd learn from that experience but we are all different. I don't even think its the least bit fair that meatal ill people are even held with criminals it's like we aren't taking into consideration that they committed the crime that got them in jail due to their mental illness. This can even increase whatever that mental illness may be by being treated as a prisoner rather than a patient. I think people should be tested for mental illnesses when entering incarceration, and if they are positive sent to a facility for treatment or a hospital. I think our main goal should be education, success, and growth. We should strive to snatch up doctor, nurses, firefighters, and etc. Show those children how to take the thing they love to do and turn them into successful careers, such as owning their own business. She also should have mentioned how we are like the slowest country when it comes to education some countries don t even have summer break. We should take the money out of the jails put it towards more productive schools, and after school programs, and fun teenage engaging activities. Children should be taught to explore and I think field trips out of the country expands a child's mind. It is all sorts of things we could to attract youth but instead America is building up the prisons, jails, probation, and parole. McBrightyalife456
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video and hearing that the United States is the World’s biggest jailer with 2.2 million people incarcerated and with 4.7 million people who are on probation and parole makes me think what kind of imprisonment system we have here. China’s population is four times that of the U.S and I can’t believe that we have more people incarcerated than them. Our country’s laws are different from other countries, and I believe that is why we have more people who are in jail and prison because of some policies that have been passed that do not require a person to be locked up. Considering that in Germany only six percent of convicted people get locked up versus seventy percent in the U.S. I think that the U.S incarceration rate is so high because of the so called three-strikes laws and giving tough punishment for those people who commit petty crimes. I would think that we have more people in jail and prison because of some repeat offenders who never learn their lesson the first time, those people who got out and back in the system because of health issue and mental illness that never resolve that cause them to do the same thing, and those who got convicted and served having a hard time to find a new home and work because of their record might do the same thing they got them in the system. The fact that blows my mind is that 1 in 35 Americans get caught up in the prison system but the worst is for those people of color, that 1 in 3 black men who were born today will go to jail or prison later in their life. Is it because of the place where there born and raised? Their family backgrounds? The background of the city where they are living? In my opinion private prisons need to be gone, we could use the funding to build more buildings and areas for inmates other than paying private prisons with government and tax payers money. -M.Scott456
ReplyDeleteAfter watching that video and seeing the statistics of different was very surprising. What was very disturbing to me is when she said “ 1 out of every 3 african american male will go to jail or prison in some point of their life”. It was disturbing to me because why is the system so harsh on color people. Another thing that was so sickening is that 2.2 million people are imprisoned in the US. This is terrible knowing we are the largest jail in the world. In this all comes from how people are getting arrested for petty crimes. It also get to me that why give someone so much time in jail for a petty crime instead of trying to help them ? We shouldn’t be giving people all that time instead we should trying to help them get them in rehab so they won’t make that same mistake again. Yes, i do agree if someone do a serious crime they deserve what they get. I believe we need to make a change because it’s going to get worse then this. Another thing that was disturbing is the private own prisons. I think they should be ran by the state because they really don’t care for them prisoners all they worried about is making money. It’s people with mental health problems and other things and they not even taken care of. Prisons have to do better and stop treating these prisoners like animals , they are human just like yeah and still have rights as well. Lastly, other countries have different laws they abide by but what got to me was how German only 6% of people get locked up and in our country 70% of people get locked up. With those numbers it shows that we are just incarcerating people up for petty crimes. To conclude, watching this video was shocking I learned things I never knew and I think we need to make a change before it’s too late. savage456
ReplyDeleteThat’s crazy to think about how many people are locked up in prison and the fact that there is more on probation or parole. To think that many or most people are locked up due to drug related charges and not heinous crimes is outrageous. Our justice system needs to help people more than hurt them. Life is precious and should not be wasted by spending most if not all of it in prison. A lot of these people who are in prison and eventually (if) they get out, they repeat their “criminal” behavior and go right back. I’m sure money and profit play a huge role in prisons but it would make more sense to use the profit to try and help people with rehabilitations and possible drug treatments so they won’t be in the same situation that they are in. There’s usually an underlying cause for repeat drug offenders and it seems like a lot of people who are locked up today are suffering from some sort of mental illness that is not being treated correctly. I don’t necessarily think medication is the answer either. I personally think that if our justice system or even society cared a little more about mental illness instead of brushing it off like it’s nothing, then there wouldn’t be as many people incarcerated as there is now. Sadly, I don’t see there being much of a change that would occur, it probably will only get worse because states and people are so money hungry it’s not even funny.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover456
The big number that mainly people look is 2.3 million. 2.3 million people are incarcerated. But there is a much bigger picture to look at overall. Parole, probation and incarcerated together amounts to 6.9 million people. That is beyond absurd. Look around you at Illinois Central College; 1 out of 35 of the African American males are going to be incarcerated. Isn't that outrageous? In 1986 the anti drug abuse act says that 5 grams of crack will give an individual 5 years of prison without parole. What is crazy though, 500 grams of cocaine will give another individual the same sentence. The thing of it is, cocaine is mainly used by white people; as crack is used by black. White people use drugs at the same rate as black people. Over all though, a black man is 12x more likely to go to prison than a white man on drug offenses. Why? It is wrong.
ReplyDeleteHalf of the people in prison have mental issues. 10-25% of those mental issues are serious. But instead of us helping the individuals with those issues, they will cycle through the system over and over again. They will get out, get put back in, and continue it. There is a lot wrong corrections, we just need to figure out how to fix it. And if we even can. Rugby_456
The first thing that truly stood out to me was the fact that in the United States there are 2.2 million people incarcerated in prisons today and also there are millions on probation or parole. To imagine this number of people locked up or on the streets but still have to follow guidelines in order to live a somewhat normal life. The statistic for this is 1 in 35 American citizens are in the prison system. Even though our crime rates have decreased we are still the largest country with prisons. One main reason as to why we have so many prisons is because now a days we lock people up for petty crimes just to the money and there are prisons that are overcrowded just for the money. Now prisons claim to not have enough money in order to properly fund for the prisoners which makes no sense at all because when people are sent to prison that makes the prison money so my question would be why are prisons supposedly low funded but overcrowded? Inmates do not receive proper medical treatments, dentist health, food, beds, basic items such a toiletries and we continue to overcrowd them which is insane because they are treated like animals. The war on drugs is sending a lot of people to prison and they are serving the same time as murderers and rapists which is not fair for someone just selling a product or even using a product focusing on helping those that have the problem with drugs would reduce prison capacity by a lot.
ReplyDeleteswaggyy456
After watching this video, everything makes sense. Having 6.9 million people on probation, prole, and in prison is outrageous. One out of thirty-five people caught up in the prison system is crazy to think, but I can guarantee that at least 50 percent of the 6.9 million people are people who were released, but then came back. Also with 50 percent of them having a mental illness, and 10-25 percent mental illness is serious like schizophrenia. If they actually got those people some help and put them in some sort of mental illness center; the population of prisons would go down. Those people need some real and serious medical attention and just for them to watch them rot without helping them really upsets me. Those people need help and the state or whoever needs to do something about getting them help. Their mental illness could have caused them to do the crime because I know there are some people with split personalities and does not remembering doing such a crime and are locked away because of it, but then never receive any help. I don’t agree with that one out of three African Americans will go to jail in their lifetime. How can they know when they will feel safe. Skin color should play a role when sentencing someone. It should be based off the crime only with some other factors. Not their skin color. Why are we so hard on drugs? Why do we lock people away for 15-20 years for marijuana? Drugs will be legal in all states before when know it. Changes need to be made or everyone will end up in prison or on probation and parole. It is never too late to make a change, but this situation needs one and needs one fast.-Bears456
ReplyDeleteSome of these facts that are stated in this video are absolutely outrageous. To actually hear that fifty percent of our nation's inmates suffer from some sort of mental illness is wild, hearing that ten to twenty five percent of inmates suffer from severe mental disorders, that could be potentially dangerous, is also mind blowing. I think that if our country offered more accessible treatment for people with mental illnesses, or jails/ prisons gave inmates the treatment they need, I could guarantee our prison populations would begin to decrease. It's just fact that a lot of criminal offenders suffer from some sort of mental illness and it's honestly just sad that they're not offered any type of help that could reduce their chances of re offending in the future. It's almost as if these people are practically doomed to get sucked into a cycle of committing crimes, getting locked up, being released, and offending again. People with mental illnesses are not lost causes or hopeless cases. If they were given medication or some type of therapy while they're incarcerated they're less likely to get released and offend again. Another thing from the video that caught me off guard is the fact that you'll get the same amount of jail time with a small amount of crack as someone with a large amount of powder cocaine would. Like they said in the video, African Americans are more likely to be in possession of rock cocaine, I don't really agree with them. I think rock cocaine is more common in poorer communities. People might say it's more common for African Americans to be in possession of it but I think with racial profiling they're just more likely to get caught or arrested for it. This video was definitely interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteXielxs456
The information on this video was kid of heavy for me, because hearing that the US makes so many arrests and about half of those prisoners suffer from mental illnesses. I feel like instead of housing them in prison they should house them in a mental illness facility simply because they can be a potential threat to themselves, other inmates, and staff in a prison. They need to be placed somewhere they can get the proper treatment and care. Another thing I did not like to hear while watching this video was the fact that we are over filling prisons with people with petty drugs charges and the majority of those people are African American men. The US is tougher on drug crimes then any other crimes it seems like because the sentence them more for it and that is added to the cost of housing these inmates meaning that money is coming from taxpayers pockets.
ReplyDeleteTJGirl456
It's insane that we have a higher incarceration rate than china which has 4 times the amount of people that we do I mean how is that even possible? I think the biggest problem here is the prison sentences that are way to long. It's like what Instructor White said with the tripod of deterrence and how prison sentence is the least important when it comes to punishing criminals. It does not take 10 years in prison to show someone that dealing drugs is bad. Obviously the murderers, rapists, etc. need to be locked up for a long time if not for life but for a lot of these crimes the sentencing time is to much. Another thing that I think needs to be done is the removal of all privately owned prisons. I just have a problem with people making money off of others imprisonment. A lot of stuff needs changing in this system and it's good that Youtube channels like this are spreading word about the issues of America's mass incarceration. Hope that more people see this video.
ReplyDelete-CoffeeAddict456
With a three strike rule in play it is very easy to screw up. Personally knowing someone who already has two strikes against him is not that hard to believe that is one of the reasons for the mass incarceration. For example his first major crime was his first felony. Now for his second strike was because he was on "parole" got into a single vehicle accident while his license was suspended boom second strike. He didn't harm anybody but himself. So needless to say he is treading on very thin ice. If we are going to have a three strike rule I think it should be for the same type of crime not something petty. I know at this moment what would have happened if he hit another vehicle and killed the other driver? yes that is serious but we need to look at the facts not the what ifs' . Also allot of the colored drug charges is profiling it really is if Johnny got busted for the same amount of pot that Demarcus did, we all know that Demarcus is going to spend some time in jail while Johnny gets off with a fine. As the private owned prisons go I think they should follow the same rules and regulations as the state prisons due but their excuse is because they are understaffed. We need to look at how much money is going through the systems and look at the care that is being giving. Poop on toilet paper gets treated better than some of the inmates. ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~
ReplyDelete2.3 million incarcerated people is a large amount, however, the United States of America is a large country. It stands to reason, then, that we would have more prisoners than the EU or other countries. I agree that it is stupid to incarcerate people for possession charges, at least possession of low amounts. It makes much more sense to rehabilitate these drug users than to jail them. A drug user is a drug user, whether out here or behind bars. They'll find a way to get high. Even after leaving prison, they're likely to continue using drugs. Quite often, they'll leave prison, having gone cold turkey, essentially, or using low doses and then when they're released, they go back to their usual dosage. Their body has started to get over the drug and move on and when they reintroduce the drug back in the same dosage as before, they overdose. If they don't manage to overdose, they go back to the same ways of acquiring currency in order to purchase drugs. Whether that be prostitution, stealing, dealing, etc. Private prisons had a role in lobbying to bring in the "Tough on Crime" laws. They're the reason we have such high populations of prisoners, but so low crime rates. The fact that roughly fifty percent of inmates suffer from mental illness is also an adding factor to the incarceration rate. These inmates don't get the help they need in prison, so when they do eventually get out, they commit the exact same crimes that they were imprisoned for. The whole situation overall is designed so that prisoners keep coming back. If prisoners keep coming back, these private prisons continue to make more and more money. The entire situation is deplorable and needs to change. Society's attitude that lets this happen needs to change.
ReplyDelete-TheTurk456
To know and realize that the United states have "2 million people imprisoned" it makes you think about what this world is really like in our criminal justice system. we have more prisoners than in any other country in the world and our systems in prison are unlike anything before. it wouldn't matter if you have a fair amount of guards and inmates there is still going to be dirty cops and guards that let inmates do and say whatever they want so they can get hurt. The system is so messed up because they can do drugs and drink and among other things and no one is going to be worried or upset about it. They make gangs and racial groups that can end up fighting each other but the guards have no say in anything because the gangs and groups are so in deep there is no stopping them. They get a better life than homeless people they have abed they have food and warm clothes they get taken care of more than most families in the world and thats why sometimes you have repeat offenders that keep coming back is because they have no other place to go that is better than their lives condition is prison. People behind bars now will either be in there for life or will be back more than once.
ReplyDeleteshark456
When hearing that the United States has 2 million people imprisoned, it's kind of a shock. We see ourselves as a free country as if we all live in unison. Obviously we know that this is not how the America we live in works. The absurd amount out of the 2 million people incarcerated, a huge amount are locked up for drug charges. I am all for locking up people who are making and selling heavy drugs such as Meth, Cocaine, Pills, etc. What I refuse to do is believe that it is okay to lock up people for nearly their whole life over some weed. A drug that grows in the ground and is less deadly than any other drug or even alcohol. What makes it worse is that we have "three strike policies" in some states, which puts people who just want to smoke some weed in prison for life. This puts a huge burden on our corrections department, as we have people we are paying millions of dollars to keep, when they could have easily been functioning members of society. We are hurting ourselves by locking away everyone, and not rehabilitating people back into working class. America needs to worry more about making people right again, not just throwing the key away.
ReplyDeleteLowAndSlow456
Watching these videos I find it very interesting when we have 2.2 million people behind bars, and millions more that are out in this functioning world on probation and parole. From this video if we were to count the incarcerated, probation, and parole bodies that are involved in the system it can add up to 6.9 million people which by that number I am at shock for. It amazes me and makes me wonder at the same time exactly how can we keep these number from doubling over the years since it would be 1 in every 35 adults being in our system. 1 out of 3 African American males will go through a prison or jail system and that makes me think back to how yes they could have it harder than anyone else. But for the lady to say our rates are pretty much at par with any other country is interesting too , but that's because we also have a tough on crime rates. We are making people serving longer sentences on petty crimes or we have people still locked up to this day because we had a three strike law that said if you commit a crime of any sort that you're placed with no other chances of committing a crime again. The average sentence in the U.S. is three years which is three times longer than Germany. We also have a harsh drug law which if you look at crack it was used more by black people vs cocaine which was used more by white people but the sentencing was not fair. Even though the law was relaxed, white men are less than likely to be locked up on drug cases vs black men. We have many mentally ill people that keep getting them selves in the revolving door method. If you end yourself in prison, you lose the help when it comes to employment, housing and education which that's how we keep seeing them get themselves back into the system because they have no help with getting back on their feet when they are released to the outside world.
ReplyDeleteunknownzeeha456