Here are some links in response to The Myth of Mass Incarceration in the Wall Street Journal. Certainly proponents of decarceration state statistics in ways that most clearly make their point, so I’m not terribly surprised to find Latzer giving statistics in a way that makes the issue appear smaller.
Ultimately, though, I think it responds to a complex problem by simply pretending it doesn’t exist. There can and should be discussions about the extent of the problems and what solutions would be most effective, but I don’t think it’s very helpful to just say there is no problem.
- First, a couple direct rebuttals to the WSJ article.
Is mass incarceration a myth?
No, mass incarceration isn’t a myth - Some graphs presenting the statistics from the other perspective
States of Incarceration: The Global Context - A historical and personal look at mass incarceration. Long article, so points I and II especially.
The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration - A couple articles from different perspectives agreeing that it’s not just a drug crime, violent criminals would need to be included to significantly decarcerate.
Unlock ‘Em Up?
How to Cut the Prison Population by 50 Percent - Even if it’s true that the rates of incarceration weren’t an issue, there are several other issues related to incarceration (and African-Americans in particular), such as:
- In many states, a felony conviction bars you from voting for a long time after release; in some cases, for life.
Felony Disenfranchisement: A Primer (PDF) - Tenants can be evicted from public housing for an accusation of drug crime.
Ending Drug-Related Evictions in Public Housing (PDF) - Many ex-convicts find it difficult to find work.
Ban the Box - What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?
- In many states, a felony conviction bars you from voting for a long time after release; in some cases, for life.