PHE 525 9-1 Discussion- The Problem with Mass Incarceration in the United States.docx
1. Part 1
Mechanisms of Inequity: According to Cox (2018), the United States has engaged in a mass
incarceration experiment for the past forty years. The incarceration rate was generally steady
until the middle of the 1970s when it dramatically climbed (Cox, 2018). This societal
mechanism has allowed deep racism to grow over the past 40 years. While there may have been
some truth to the claim that black people have been charged with more crimes over the past 40
years, racism and other prejudices have grown in proportion to the fact that they are imprisoned
differently than white people would have been.
The Inequalities of Systemic Racism: Racism and segregation are major problems since there
is a belief and bias that African Americans commit more crimes and illegal activities and are
therefore unfixable. If a group believes itself to be criminal, it behaves collectively by that
conviction. Many African Americans were represented in the War on Drugs campaign as drug
dealers and drug addicts. It's important to note that many of these initiatives during this
period focused on low-income neighborhoods, many of which were African Americans. These
lectures, movies, and rhetoric laid the foundation for prejudice and stereotypes against Black
people. To understand how mass incarceration took place, it is crucial to recognize this change in
perspective. Society makes it more difficult by enacting laws and policies like "tough on crime"
tactics to reduce crime. This prejudice has also led to the creation of numerous "colorblind" laws
that surreptitiously discriminate against minorities.
Part 2
Organizational Level: Our country still has mass incarceration and racism because the prison
system is a significant state funding source. African Americans are brutalized in the legal and
prison systems, and the government profits from their detention (Handa, 2020).
2. Community Level: Due to a history of enslavement, African Americans experience prejudice
based on the color of their skin. Poverty and the widespread discrimination most white
Americans hold that "African Americans are horrible people, or do strange things" provide
obstacles to health equity.
Societal Level: It is challenging to control judgment biases when the facts are in our minds,
which makes criminal justice reform challenging. “Black people are disproportionately stopped
on the street by police, while white people are much more likely to call the police for
help” (Sawyer, 2020).
Part 3
Health in All Policies: The CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016)
states, "Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a collaborative strategy that integrates and articulates
health issues into policymaking across sectors to enhance health, communities, and people's
lives. The public's opinion of African Americans can be altered by making them happier,
healthier, and more mentally optimistic. The population and the public's perception can be
changed by developing educational programs for children and adults.
Advocacy and Social Stratification: It is fundamental to keep planning health advocacy
endeavors and supporting alliances of African American communities because it will enhance
their overall health. As one's health is further improved, development comes with an alternate
persona, different light, and world, with more optimism and the possibility to believe in
"beneficial things." As positivity rises, so do health, prosperity, status, and good health.
3. References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, June 9). Health in All Policies (HiAP).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from
https://www.cdc.gov/policy/hiap/index.html
Cox, R. (2018, June 1). Mass Incarceration, Racial Disparities in Health, and Successful Aging.
EBSCO site. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from
https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUm
c2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3D%3D
Coates, T.-N. (2022, July 13). THE BLACK FAMILY IN THE AGE OF MASS
INCARCERATION. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/10/the-black-family-in-the-age-of-
mass-incarceration/403246/
Handa, L. (2020, August 12). Racism, Police Violence, and Mass Incarceration: the legacies of
slavery and segregation in the United States. LSE Human Rights. Retrieved August 4,
2022, from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/humanrights/2020/08/12/racism-police-violence-and-
mass-incarceration-the-legacies-of-slavery-and-segregation-in-the-united-states/
Sawyer, W. (2020, June 27). Visualizing the racial disparities in mass incarceration. Prison
Policy Initiative. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/07/27/disparities/