The Rates Of African American Male Incarceration

The Rates Of African American Male Incarceration This paper is going to provide an understanding about how and why African American males are incarcerated at higher rates than any other race and how it is growing. It will also show racial disparities on sentencing, crimes and overall treatment. You will have a better understanding of how the family structure has been destroyed as a result of incarceration creating segregation within the African American race. Drugs and homicide have negatively impacted the African American community as well because of put in prison for drug offenses many times where they become destructive to the point of killing one another. You will see how African American mens plight is not slated for success but failure with life in prison until death. The criminal justice system are building more jails and prisons to house them instead of preventive measures like rehabilitation, job training programs to stay in the community. Introduction and Problem Statement Why are African American Men Incarcerated at Higher Rates Than Hispanics and Caucasians? The American prison and jail system is defined by an entrenched racial disparity in the population of incarcerated people. The national incarceration rate for whites is 412 per 100,000 residents, compared to 2,290 for African Americans and 742 for Hispanics. These figures mean that 2.3% of all African American are incarcerated, compared to 0.4% of whites and 0.7% of Hispanics. While these overall rates of incarceration are all at record high, they fail to reflect the concentrated impact of incarceration among young African American males in particular, men who reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods. One in 9 African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 is currently incarcerated in a prison or jail. Whites are more likely to be incarcerated in local jails than prison. Since jail stays are relatively short compared to prison terms, the collateral consequence of incarceration separation from family, reduced employment prospects are generally less severe than for persons spending a year or more in state prison (Harrison and Beck, 2005). In custody incarceration rate for black males was 4,618 per 100,000. Hispanic males were incarcerated at a rate of 1,747 per 100,000. Compared to the estimated number of black, white and Hispanic males in the U.S. resident population, black males (6 times) and Hispanics males (2 times) were more likely to be held in custody that white males. At midyear 2007 the estimated incarceration rate of white male was 773 per 100,000. African American men are facing so many challenges from family formation, health, lack of education, employment and intimate partner violence (IPV) that it has literally torn down the race according to the experts. Incarceration is the root to all of these problems and things are getting worse: It is noted that incarceration is key piece of the web of entanglement that traps many African American men and women in a life of struggle, poverty, ill health, violence, and limited life chances (Sabol, 2008). African American males have been profiled more than any race in all violations from traffic citations to capital murder cases and drug charges where they are getting more time for crack than powdered cocaine. Most of the African American men that are incarcerated have felony charges. While in prison African American men are contracting HIV/AIDS and dying there upon release bringing it back into their communities and infecting their female partners. Literature Review Based on statistics there is a huge disparity among who is incarcerated according to race. In the U.S. history and globally men are more likely to be incarcerated than women. Of the 2.6 million Americans who are incarcerated, 43% are African American men which account for one million. African Americans comprise nearly two thirds of the male prison population yet they make up 13% of the U.S. male population. African Americans males are incarcerated more than any other race they are so many myths, beliefs and stereotypes that are involved. African Americans do commit certain crimes more than whites. African Americans are more likely to commit homicides and it is the leading cause of death. They also commit the most violent crimes; rape, assault and homicide. While whites commit other types of crime such as financial crimes these are nonviolent but they are more likely to be serial murderers, child molesters, and school shooters. White men who are child molesters according to the analys is serve shorter sentences than crack offenders, who are primarily African American men. Child molesters serve an average of 6 years and 43% of their sentences and for crack cocaine its 11 years which is 80% of the sentence. Racial profiling has been targeted for African Americans and Hispanics in pulling over for no reason to searching private property or car and making an arrest. There are racial disparities where White counterparts receive lighter sentences for same crime than African Americans. Methodology Incarceration has some long term effects that really impact negatively: Nearly 10% of all African American men aged 18-34 are incarcerated in the prison system. This statistic does not include those African American men who are in local jails, either awaiting trial or serving sentences less than 1 year in length, nor does it include those African American under custodial supervision: those on parole or probation. These are young men serving lengthy sentences primarily for drug-related crimes. They enter the state and federal prison system, prisons like Parchman in Mississippi , Angola in Louisiana or Sing Sing in New York, at the prime of their economic and reproductive lives, and when they emerge, they will be behind in these life stages if not aged out of then entirely. When the rest of American young men are finishing school, starting careers, earning seniority at work, and marrying and having children, these men are in prison, their human capital decaying. Across the life course, fully 25%-33% of African American men will be in the criminal justice system (King, 2006). African American and Hispanic are likely to spend a lifetime in prison because they are targeted more and if they are released back into the community they still will not get employment because of being felons. The war on drug was never conquered despite constant efforts and there were racial disparities: Most drug offenders are white. Five times as many whites use drugs as blacks. Yet blacks comprise the great majority of drug offenders sent to prison. The solution to this racial inequity is not to incarcerate more whites, but reduce the use of prison for low-level drug offenders and to increase the availability of substance abuse treatment. Because of their extraordinary rate of incarceration, one in every 20 black men over the age of 18 is in a state or federal prison, compared to one in every 180 whites. African Americans are more likely to receive jail sentences no matter what the crime is and its growing due to drugs, family structure breakdown, racial profiling, and economic loss in the African American community. It seems no matter what the prisons will continue to be largely populated with African American males than whites or Hispanics. Hispanics are incarcerated and targeted in some cases but African American men suffer the most. White men have more drug charges while African American men get longer sentences for crack than powdered cocaine. According to the experts keeping the African American male in jail during their most productive years promotes poverty, HIV (AIDS), breakdown of the family structure, economic loss. The new harsh sentencing guidelines, three-strikes, youre out is another way of segregating African American men because they dont return to the community because of life sentences under particular scenarios. They are warehouse until old age or death. Most of t he African American men have felony convictions and if integrated back into the community are unable to get gainful employment and have no voting privileges. Since 1977, 16 states have implemented reforms to their felony disenfranchisement policies These reforms have resulted in the restoration of voting right to an estimated 621,400 persons By 2004, the total mumber of people disenfranchised due to a felony conviction had risen to 5.3 million Among those disenfranchised, 74% are currently living in the community In 2004 1 in 12 African Americans was disenfranchised becaused of a felony conviction, a rate nearly five times tht of non-African American Voting is the linked with reduced recidivism; one study show that 27 percent on non-voters were rearrested, compared with 12 percent of voters(King, 2006). It seems no matter what the prisons will continue to be largely populated with African American males than whites or Hispanics. Hispanics are incarcerated and targeted in some cases but African American men suffer the most. White men have more drug charges while African American men get longer sentences for crack than powdered cocaine. According to the experts keeping the African American male in jail during their most productive years promotes poverty, HIV (AIDS), breakdown of the family structure, economic loss. The new harsh sentencing guidelines, three-strikes, youre out is another way of segregating African American men because they dont return to the community because of life sentences under particular scenarios. They are warehouse until old age or death. Most of the African American men have felony convictions and if integrated back into the community are unable to get gainful employment and have no voting privileges. Conclusion Finally jails and prisons were designed to dehumanize and convert the population into specimens like a zoo with keepers but dangerous to each other. As a result of the criminal justice system it has created a stereotype that African American males are non productive citizens that cannot do anything right with the odds being stack against them. Unfortunately drugs have only worsened the plight of the African American men because it was too fold either there was a drug addiction or offense or both that causing greater sentencing. Finally every African American born faces a grim reality that instead of going to college and leading a productive life it may only result in becoming incarcerated until death that inevitably places them in a box. Everyone has a responsibility in taking the initiative to promote health and well-being because it will give you a quality of life. Instead of rehabilitation for the African American men its been the goal to build more prisons in creating a domino ef fect that dominate the individual through incarceration. You can treat anyone holistically when there only one path that results in punishment. It takes a community and in some cases a state to raise young men to be successful family oriented regardless of race. Through education and awareness perhaps the trend may be reduced or even stopped. Thus each individual will be judged by their crime, character or lack of character and not the color of his skin.

charant Creon as the Main Character of Antigone Essay -- Antigone ess

Creon as the Main Character of Antigone    Throughout the Greek play Antigone by Sophocles, there exists a dispute as to who should receive the designation of main character. Antigone, the daughter of the cursed King Oedipus, as well as Creon, stately king of Thebes, both appear as the key figures in this historic play. I believe that Creon, king of Thebes, should be considered the main character in this work of Greek theater. Three points can be used to make this argument: Creon suffers greatly, he learns a lesson, and is a tragic hero. Creon, like all main characters in Greek drama, suffers many losses and undergoes emotional pain and anguish. A target of the curse on the House of Oedipus by relation, Creon was already a victim of fate. His destiny has already been predetermined by the curse on the house of Oedipus, so he must either undergo suffering, death, or even both. He loses his future daughter-in-law, Antigone, by initiating her death, his son through suicide, and his wife by suicide as well. Antigone broke a decree of Creon's: not to bury the traitor Polynices. The sister of Polynices, she breaks this new law because she knows that in order to please the gods she must so the right thing and bury Polynices. When she does Creon sentences her to death by sealing her in a cave. After realizing that he has made a critical error, he and his followers unseal the rocky tomb to find that Antigone has taken her own life. Creon's son, Haemon, the to-be husband of Antigone, rushes into the cave in mourning. He attempt s an attack on Creon, but fails to connect with his sword thrust, and in anger and remorse kills himself with his weapon beside his dead love. Creon, overwhelmed with anguish, returns to the castle. But ... ...Gods have attempted to evade their fate, but have never been able to do so. Creon is affected by fate through the curse of Oedipus. The Chorus recites: The stress of a Fate is hard; Nor wealth, nor warfare, nor ward, Nor black ships cleaving the sea Can resist her, or flee. (35). Despite the fact that the play's name stands as Antigone, I believe that Creon should be recognized as the central character in this play. He lives longer, has more lines, stands in the middle of many moral arguments, and doesn't pull a disappearing act in the middle of the play. Provided with this knowledge, maybe a reader will read the play Antigone with a new prospective, and look at the story from both point-of-views. Not placing Antigone as the 'good-guy', and Creon as the 'bad-guy', but thinking of the pair as good people fighting for the right in conflicting situations.   

Ageism: How Children and Teens Are Unfairly Stereotyped

Ageism: How Children and Teens are Unfairly Stereotyped Jazzie Collins Pacific High School Abstract Over the years, children and teens have been portrayed as immature and sometimes even stupid. Many adults think that they are incapable of many things and deserve no respect. However, young people have made many accomplishments in history. They have invented things and some have even become emperors. Kids and teens deserve more respect than they are getting. Children and teens are constantly being degraded as â€Å"stupid† and immature†. They are put down and disrespected just for their age and adults often see them as incapable, weak and silly. In some cases they could be considered right but believing that all children are foolish is completely wrong. â€Å"Children should be seen, not heard,† a phrase often heard in olden times and even sometimes today, is a prime example of ageism. It is degrading to them as human beings. The law enabling citizens in America to have freedom of speech does not exclude children and teenagers. If it did, there would be many things today that we would be without. Many inventions we have now came from the minds of young ones. For example, the earmuffs, a popular and stylish way to protect your ears from the bitter cold of winter, were invented by a 15 year old boy from Maine. The protective winter gear called Wristies was created by a 10 year old girl in the year 1994. There are numerous inventions from the minds of teens and children. Chester Greenwood, living in Farmington, Maine, invented earmuffs at the age of 15. While testing out a new pair of ice skates, he became frustrated with trying to protect his ears from the harsh cold. Feeling very bulky, itchy and, overall uncomfortable, his scarf did no help. So instead, he made two ear-shaped loops from wire and had fur sewn into them by his grandmother. Chester then improved them by adding a steel bar to the top of the separate ear muffs, helping to hold them in place on a person’s head. Afterwards, he had the new and enhanced version of his invention patented. Then, with Greenwood’s Champion Ear Protectors, he established Greenwood’s Ear Protector Factory and made a large fortune supplying ear muffs to U. S. soldiers during World War I. Chester then went on to patent many more inventions. In 1977, Maine’s legislative declared December 21 as â€Å"Chester Greenwood Day† to honor Chester Greenwood as a great contributor to cold weather protection. Another form of winter gear coming from the mind of a child was something called a Wristie. Wristies resemble wrist bands and are designed to worn under a coat and gloves to block out the wind, snow and cold from entering any unprotected gaps. The brain behind these was a 10 year old from Bedford, Massachusetts named Kathryn Gregory. Kathryn invented and trademarked Wristies and, also while a kid inventor, started Wristies Inc. , a company that manufactured and sold Wristies. The young entrepreneur has made deals with the Girl Scouts, Federal Express and McDonalds and in 1997, Kathryn Gregory became the youngest person ever to sell on QVC, the television shopping show. Kathryn Gregory may have been the youngest person to ever appear on QVC, but King tut was the youngest Egyptian pharaoh to ever rule over Egypt in ancient times. When Tutankhamun’s father died, coincidentally right after being forced to step down from his throne, Tutankhamun was made pharaoh at the young age of 9. In that same year, he married his half sister Ankhesenpaaten. King Tut, as he was later known as, then became the youngest ruling Egyptian pharaoh. He is still famous today due mainly to his great wealth and young age of ruling. Adults aren’t always wiser than children and teens. In many households, the child has to take care of their parent or guardians whether it be financially, mentally, physically or sometimes all three. Usually, when the cold or teen is taking care of their parent or guardian financially, it is because the adult either blows all of their money on drugs and alcohol, the adult was laid off their job and has yet to find another or sometimes, the adult is simply incapable of working. In any case, the responsibility is left up to the minor to pay bills and put food on the table. Another kind of situation that is quite common is in households where the parents or single parent has undergone an injury or has acquired some sort of mental disability and are unable to really take care of themselves. It is also present in households where something has happened in the parent or guardian’s life and they’ve slipped into such a depression that they no longer care for anything, leaving their kids to take on the responsibility of caring for not only the adult in the house but also for themselves and each other. They then must make sure things get done such as putting food on the table and making sure the bills are paid. In the movie/novel â€Å"What’s Eating Gilbert Grape†, a young man named Gilbert Grape must take on the responsibility of taking care of his morbidly obese mother and brother, Annie, who is mentally handicapped. Gilbert Grape must also repair their old farmhouse all on his own because of his father’s death. Ever since his father’s death, Gilbert’s mom has been able to do nothing else but eat, leaving her unable to care of neither her children nor herself. A real-life example of a situation of the child having to care for their parent is that of a girl named Rebekah Knerr. Ever since Rebekah Knerr was very a young (around the age of 2), her father has had a mental illness causing him to disappear off to somewhere for long periods of time without telling anyone where he is whenever he gets too stressed. Because of this illness, he will disappear for a few days up to, at the most, 2 weeks. Ever since Rebekah was young, she has had to take care of her dad by going along with him everywhere he goes and making sure he doesn’t wander off. It is a very stressful and aggravating job and requires a great amount of maturity and patience. An amount of maturity and patience teens and children are often underestimated of. When it comes to teens and children, credit it almost never given to the ones who truly deserve and have earned it. It is almost non-existent. But those who look down upon them are fools themselves, because children and teens everywhere show more strength and maturity the adults in their lives. Some kids are young inventors and others are entrepreneurs and created many of the wonderful and handy inventions we have today. There is definitely more to children and teens that meets the adult eye. References Life of King Tut. (2009). Retrieved January 6, 2010, from http://www. king-tut. org. uk/life-of-king-tut/index. htm

The Relationship Between Gravitational Potential Energy,...

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