Michelle Alexander: Is Mass Incarceration the New Jim Crow?

[stymie662]

Beautiful and brilliant...

[Levicobx]

The main thing young black men learn in prison is to be violent. The violent behavior is indoctrinated by years of being abused, neglected, and subjected to violence in prison. After release, the young black men become role models and mentors for peers seeking to enter the “thug life”. It’s a kind of "cultural pollution" that molds young black men into thugs willing to shoot at the slightest provocation. The question is how do we stop the violence?

[kp23princess]

White Collar Crimes cost our country 500 billion dollars last year vs Street Crimes only 2 billion. Over 113,000 people died in reference to corporate crime last year vs. street crimes only 17,000. but society put more focus on street crimes because the people who commit street crimes are usually LOWER CLASS, MINORITIES, people who come from POVERTY. vs the people who commit WHITE COLLAR CRIMES are high class, middle class citizen.....and this is unjust! The Criminal Justice System is Racist~

[realmzlin417]

i'm embarrassed by all these racists!! or people who claim not to be racist but try to act like this isnt true!!

these are the kinds of injustices i am going to school for to fight against!!!

[TheMaslead]

wow,shes sooooooooo pretty omg...

[Shepherdesscb]

Understand that what she in essence speaking about is the root causes of what we see around us. All the drugs and guns tend to mysteriously end up in our neighborhoods, Our chlideren are no different from the Columbine kids, You give kids guns they will play deadly games. You combine the dispair, poverty, and the promotion of negative ideas, and examples through music industry moguels who, I add, are making millions on the same dispair and suffering, and you have what M A is pointing out!

[PatentRob]

I respect Michelle Alexander's scholarship and education, but what the he ll is she talking about? In my neighborhood I am surrounded by thugs. I have witnessed in the eighties and nineties what dope and thugs have done to the Black community. Now we have an elitist, whiny law professor saying forget all the dead bodies, ruined communities, crack babies, etc. and give these thugs a break. Yea, no respect for Black life. This is a lady who as never lived in the 'hood. Foolishness!!!

[mrblackalchemist]

@PatentRob The problem Rob is black leaders and so called scholars are totally against PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Blacks are never to be held accountable, in their minds the white racist system is to blame. Please!!! Most blacks in prison are guilty and most of their victims were black, does not sound racist to me.

[genious4real]

@mrblackalchemist No wonder I keep getting asked to come to these forums!!!! the major issue is not that blacks don't commit crimes; the issue is that whites don't go to prison in the numbers that they commit crimes themselves! most drug users in america are white and the prisons don't reflect that! THE AVERAGE WHITE FELON GETS HIRED BEFORE BLACKS WITH NO RECORD! THE AVERAGE WHITE GETS PROBATION FOR WHAT BLACKS GO TO PRISON FOR! google it if you have the courage! IT'S THERE.

[ashken79]

A scholar who is also an activist is by definition biased and un-objective...You can be one or the other but not both simultaneously!

[superpencil007]

See:

"Arrest of George W. Bush, soon"

[TheRevolutionaryX]

This is the Racist Elite last stand. After this, they are out of tricks of racial control. There is something wrong with the prisons being filled with black and brown men. Trying to keep the minorities in check. Well Michelle and others have started an anti-prison movement that is punitive enough as it is. The United Nations even charged this country for it's criminal justice practices.

[gbshalev]

This woman has a low IQ. Her complaints about "voting rights" and "employment discrimination" does not touch the essential issue of the fact that young black men disproportionately commit more crime, rape and murder.

[BamaBoy205SR]

@gbshalev a response from an over privileged caucasoid Hmmm ashkeNazi i see

do you know how many african americans died to save you from your germen brothers

[TheRevolutionaryX]

@gbshalev

Typical out of touch white supremist. Your IQ is low for making so foolish statements. I challenge you to read her book and see the convincing evidence that the war on drugs only targets poor communities of color (black n brown) and ignore the drug activities going on in White Suburbs and rural areas and also white frat houses. Racial profiling only minorities and completely ignoring white crimes like they dont commit crimes?  Are you kidding me?

[MaximusRelaximus]

@TheRevolutionaryX what's a "supremist?" lol. first of all, arrest rates are perfectly consistent with the rates at which crimes are being committed. victim surveys, hospital records, and other data all back this up; it's not just arrest statistics. as to black/white drug dealers, the black inner-city dealers do it out in the open, so of course they will be caught more. suburban deals go down in people's houses. plus, they're not shooting each other constantly over "turf." whiny excuses

[TheRevolutionaryX]

@MaximusRelaximus

Provide Data and proof dumbass. I wont take any word from you as truth. And for the record I know that but I wonder is it set up that way.  This failed war on drugs is modern day slavery for minorities. It is a business and black and brown people are the commodity.

[MaximusRelaximus]

@TheRevolutionaryX Being called a "dumbass" by an illiterate, delusional retard such as yourself is high praise, so thank you very much! Citing known facts which simply confirm obvious reality does not make me a "supremist" (to use your Retardese).

And no, I'm not going to waste my time doing what you're obviously too lazy/stupid/ignorant/delusiona­l to do yourself. Do your own research. Oh yeah, I forgot--you can't because, as demonstrated, you're illiterate. My bad.

[TheRevolutionaryX]

@MaximusRelaximus

Actually jackass, if you are going to debate you bring facts. I read the book of Michelle Alexander and know what Im talking about. Obviously you come with this prejudice bigoted mindset from jumpstreet so it is really no point in talking to a closed minded ass clown. I have researched and know the so-called war on drugs is solely directed at Blacks n Latinos while whites in this country always get a free pass no matter what their crimes are. Case closed

[DivinelyMochaDipped]

@MaximusRelaximus "the black inner-city dealers do it out in the open, so of course they will be caught more. suburban deals go down in people's houses."<---soooo... even though the constitution says "equal treatment under law" the difference between how the crimes are committed justifies the disregard to this section of the constitution? or would u just say that the constitution does not apply to black inner-city males? They're scum right?

[MaximusRelaximus]

@DivinelyMochaDipped sooo...why am I typing this again when you just cited it? "...they will be caught more."

Really at a loss as to how you make the leap from such a simple observation of obvious reality to some sort of comment on the degree of offense.

"It's more visible so it is seen more." Is that simple enough for you? Doubtful.

[DivinelyMochaDipped]

@MaximusRelaximus

Nah, u're running away from the question b/c u know ur defending racist construct. i should make it simpler for YOU. I'm simply asking you since the Constitution says EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER LAW, and you used the "blacks do it outside, whites do it inside" to make it seem as though thats REALLY why the disproportion is as high as it is...so im asking you, do those conditions justify the fact that blacks and whites can commit the same crime and only blacks go to jail for it?

[MaximusRelaximus]

@DivinelyMochaDipped Yeah, you're right: It ISN'T much more difficult to see through walls than it is to see transactions going on out in the open in the middle of the street, therefore, that can't possibly have anything to do with anything. What was I thinking???

...wow. Moving on, now. (Yes, "running away," that's it. LOL)

[SuperZeitGeist1]

This video just proves that this country and all of its laws are very racist and you are not trully free in this country at all....You know in other countries prison is where society sends its failures but in this country society itself is failing.

[avichein]

Around the four minute mark she says that those conviceted of a drug felony are never eligible for foodstamps. This statement is skewed. The truth is that only those convicted of selling drugs, and not just using it, are not eliglble. (i found similar faulty reasoning.)

What they are telling you is don't sell drugs!

[TheAfroQween]

@avichein the bottom line still remains the same- it's legal discrimination.

[scohazz7174]

Her book is definitely eye-opening. I fully recommend it. The New Jim Crow is a must-read for anyone interested in the state of the black man.

[foreheadboy]

quote " Is Mass Incarceration the New Jim Crow? "

Well if it's not Jim Crow.....how come there are so many blacks in prison over bullshit?

And how come there are so many prisons all of a sudden.Is it because someone wants to continue cheap labor?

She is right Zocalo.....she is damn right.When it comes to blacks....it seem like blacks need to shut up and move on with their life.Well...we want to ...but there's one problem.....we're still in a criminal system.

[Vajrasiddha]

Expected to do?

Extreme violent crimes. After all, I'm not going to starve to death. The System wants crime so I give them what they want.

Give me Liberty or give me Death.