These statistics cast doubt on the efficiency and efficacy of prisons as the primary solution to a multifaceted crime problem. What may be occurring all too efficiently is the induction of large numbers of Americans, particularly black males, into a culture shaped by prison. Disturbingly, some researchers note a trend of convicted criminals choosing a prison term over probation when they have a choice - at least partly because time spent behind bars is considered a badge of honor in some urban neighborhoods. Scholars estimate 7 percent of African-Americans are thus disenfranchised. In Alabama, nearly a third of black men can't vote because of a prior conviction.
Incarceration is a necessary part of our systems of justice.
But its overuse can undermine justice and perpetuate lives of crime. America is at a point where its leaders should be facing this issue, not acting as if it didn't exist. The Christian Science Publishing Society. All rights reserved.