TRAVIS AND WESTERN'S CHAPTER ON POVERTY, VIOLENCE. AND BLACK INCARCERATION

What are the main challenges of the criminal justice reform agenda?

Reducing excessive punishment, addressing racial disparities, improving reentry, and dealing with concentrated poverty.

What percentage of U.S. incarceration occurs in prisons?

About 30% of the incarcerated population is held in prisons.

How does the U.S. incarceration rate compare to other countries?

The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, far above any other developed nation.

How do federal sentences compare for Black and white male offenders?

Black men receive sentences 10-20% longer than white men for the same crimes.

What proportion of Black men have served time in prison since the late 1970s?

About 1 in 3 Black men has served time in prison.

What has happened to Black incarceration rates since Reconstruction?

They have drastically increased due to discriminatory laws, policing, and sentencing practices.

How do Black and white youth compare in drug-selling behavior?

White youth sell drugs at equal or higher rates, but Black youth are more likely to be arrested.

What is the penal harm movement?

A movement that pushed for harsher, more punitive prison conditions with little focus on rehabilitation.

How does poverty contribute to incarceration?

Poverty increases exposure to crime, limits legal resources, and heightens surveillance in poor communities.

How does violence affect Black communities in relation to incarceration?

Concentrated violence leads to increased policing and harsher sentencing, reinforcing incarceration cycles.

How do incarceration and poverty reinforce each other?

Prison reduces employment opportunities and destabilizes families, deepening poverty and increasing future justice involvement.

What do the authors say about community disadvantage?

Disadvantaged neighborhoods face high incarceration rates, high violence, and reduced social mobility.

How does mass incarceration affect families?

It destabilizes family structures, increases financial strain, and harms child development.

How does incarceration affect employment?

A criminal record lowers hiring chances and earning potential, making reentry difficult.

What do Travis and Western say is needed for reform?

Investments in communities, reduced reliance on prisons, and policies that support economic and social mobility.