A Skin Color Named Jail

     In America, minorities continue to face "mass incarceration," which is a result of our flawed criminal justice system. This corrupt system currently has put more than 2 million people behind bars. Many think this problem is just associated with the fact that there are a lot of minorities that live in poverty, but the true core issue is racism within our justice system. 

This issue is important to acknowledge right now, especially because we are undergoing presidential elections. This is important to note because each candidate has a different position on criminal justice reform. Having a system that works for all, benefits so many people especially millennials. Among incarcerated Americans, people of color are disproportionately represented: More than 60 percent are ethnic minorities. The increase in disproportionate incarceration over the last thirty years is primarily a result of the "War on Drugs," which impacts minority communities heavily despite consistent reports of similar drug usage amongst other races."(policyinnovations.org)

(U.S Bureau Of Justice Statistics)

    For example:  Recently, a New Orleans man was said to   spend the rest of his life in jail after allegedly shoving “$31 worth of candy bars into his pockets at a Dollar General store.” The man, 34-year-old Jacobia Grimes, is being charged by prosecutors under the state’s “habitual-offender law.” Grimes has five prior convictions for theft. All of Grimes convictions “involved thefts of less than $500.” His last conviction was for stealing “some socks and trousers.”(Thinkprogress.org) Cases like these are becoming very prevalent amongst young Americans.

Jacobia Grimes 

   The U.S. incarceration rate peaked in 2008 when about 1 in 100 US adults were behind bars. Thinking about the various small criminal offenses that some commit that result in going to jail is sad. America has adopted this culture of jailing individuals rather than rehabilitating them. Blacks and Latinos are generally considered to be poorer than whites, they are more likely to rely on court-appointed public defenders, who tend to work for agencies that are underfunded and understaffed. In 2012, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, more than 70 percent of public defender offices reported that they were struggling to come up with the funding needed to provide adequate defense services to poor people."(according to the Huffington Post)

 Today's justice system has proven  to be ineffective;  racist police officers go free, rapists go free and corrupt politicians go free, but, what about when there is a minority or an economically challenged person? They are thrown into jail with no questions asked. This is why we have to push our elected officials to change laws that focus mainly on incarcerating minorities. This would certainly deter a lot of unnecessary arrest. Remember however, a system that works for a few doesn't work for you.