Critical Race Theory and Incarceration in the U.S.

Critical Race Theory

Framework examining the intersection of race and law.

Mainstream criminology

Traditional criminology focusing on crime without race context.

Conflict criminology

Study of crime through the lens of social conflict.

National Research Council, 2014

Published findings on crime and justice in America.

Incarceration statistics

U.S. prison population increased from 500,000 to 2.2 million.

Global prison population

U.S. holds nearly 25% of world's prisoners.

Correctional supervision

7% of U.S. adults under correctional supervision.

Correction spending

$81 billion spent on U.S. corrections in 2012.

Education spending comparison

Prison spending increased triple compared to education.

Violent crime rate

U.S. violent crime fell 20% since 1991.

Racial incarceration rates

African Americans incarcerated 5 times more than whites.

Imprisonment of women

African American women imprisoned at double the rate of whites.

Prison population decline

40% decline if minorities incarcerated like whites.

The New Jim Crow

Book by Michelle Alexander on racial discrimination.

Invisible punishment

Consequences of incarceration affecting reintegration into society.

Birdcage metaphor

Illustrates interconnected systems of racial oppression.

Mandatory minimum sentences

Fixed prison terms limiting judicial discretion.

Community-based prevention

Shifting resources to local substance abuse treatment.

Youth development interventions

Programs promoting positive development for at-risk youth.

Racial inequity policies

Addressing systemic biases in the justice system.

Barriers to reintegration

Invisible punishments hindering life after incarceration.

Functionalism

Analyzes crime's role in societal stability (Durkheim).

Strain theory

Crime results from societal pressure (Robert Merton).

Marxist criminology

Focuses on class struggle and capitalism's role in crime.

Feminist criminology

Examines crime through gendered perspectives.

Critical Race Theorist

Scholars analyzing law's impact on racial minorities.