The Leading Factors of Incarceration
Incarceration rates have spread dramatically around the United States, causing people to wonder what are the root causes of these massive incarceration rates. The rate of imprisonment in the United States has quadrupled during the last decades. Incarcerations are caused by the conditions people are up brought, if they lived in poverty or if they lived in wealth. The addiction someone may have that have caused them to be incarcerated, by the terrible actions drugs made them do. Many prisoners face having mental and physical illness, that enables to think about the consequences their illegal action may have. In prison, inmates face an endless amount challenges that affect their ability to become productive members of society. The leading factors of incarceration are drawn from the minority class, poorly educated, drug and alcohol addictions and the mental and physical illnesses inmates may have comprised.
The United States prison population is generated by a largely portion from disadvantaged backgrounds mostly men and usually being part of the minority class or poorly educated. The lack of education, drives people to commit crimes, because they were not full educated to take on the society, they were brought into. Statistics have shown that one out of every ten young males high school dropouts end in low skilled jobs or even end up incarcerated. Incarnations rates are significantly higher for prisoners previously living in low income households. Families whose annual income is summed up to less than $15,000 a year, incarceration rates are three times higher than those who family’s income is greater than $75,000. Badger claims “Primarily, it can be extremely difficult to find a steady job after dropping out of school. Due to the lack of job experience, as well as the lack of academic skills, over half of high school dropouts are unemployed” (Badger). Incarcerated individuals who come from a poorly educated background are more prone to committed crimes due to the lack of money they are acquiring, probably because it’s hard to get jobs or the jobs they attained pay mediocrely, making it complicated to make ends meet, oppose to those who come from a higher paying family background because either they don’t have to face the struggles of not having enough money to sustain themselves. Badger claims “These disproportionate impacts extend to their children: As of 2009, 62 percent of black children under 17, whose parents had not completed high school, have had a parent in prison” (Badger). Families who come from a not educated background suffer from being incarcerated or have had someone they loved incarcerated. Poorly educated and minority families are usually at a disadvantage, when it comes to the rates of incarceration demonstrates to them.
In prison, prisoners face challenges that affect their ability to become productive members of society. Inmates that come from lower class lack the proper preparation, usually enabled by the thought of how their life will be. Badger claimed “Black men younger than 35 without a high school degree are now more likely in America to be imprisoned than employed in the labor market” (Badger). Crime tends to concentrate in disadvantaged areas, due to the crimes committed are from people who don’t have an education nor they have a better economic lifestyle. People who come from a poverty environment or very low incomes areas have higher criminal rates. Clear examined “Incarceration is concentrated in communities of disadvantage, especially communities of color. Because residential housing is segregated and incarceration is concentrated among poor black men, incarceration is a particularly dominant characteristic of a small number of urban, impoverished neighborhoods” (Clear). People who live in violent areas, are more likely to to follow the steps of the area they are living in. Living an area where the vast majority of the people have pervious criminal backgrounds can persuade people to go on and commit crimes and grow addictions.
Drug and alcohol are one of the main factors of incarceration rates being so high. Criminals usually commit crimes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Crimes and imprisonment rates have to do with primarily the usage of drugs or the selling of illegal substances. The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Affirmed, “Data from a national study in five major American cities shows that at the time of arrest, 63% to 83% of arrestees had drugs in their system, with marijuana and cocaine being the most common” (The Center for Prisoner Health and Human). Individuals when intoxicated, by the use of drugs and alcohol are more likely to commit a crime, because they are not aware of the repercussions their actions may cause. People who are using illegal substances or who sell illegal substances, only worry about there usage rather than the consequences their actions may have on the long run. The Center for Prisoner Health and Human claimed, “Policies related to the War on Drugs have caused the number of people arrested, convicted, and incarcerated for drug-related crime to increase drastically. Incarcerated for drug offenses has increased to 489,000” (The Center for Prisoner Health and Human). Incarceration is intended to be a deterrent to individuals who may be considering or have committed a crime. Drugs have showed to be the number one fear, the usage and selling of drugs has been elevating over the years, the usage of illegal substance has corrupted individuals and has left them facing the consequences of becoming prisoners of their own mistakes.
Inmates commit crimes because they often have mental or physical illness, which have not been seen nor treated. Studies have shown that at “least half of prisoners have some mental health concerns, about 10 percent to 25 percent of U.S. prisoners suffer from serious mental illnesses, such as major affective disorders or schizophrenia (Incarceration & Homelessness). Inmates don’t seek medical attention and are not aware of the seriousness of there illness, or are to afraid to admit that they need medical attention. American Psychological Association claimed “That compares with an average rate of about 5 percent for serious mental illness in the U.S. population in general. Dependence on drugs, alcohol or both is also common among prisoners” (American Psychological Association). People with mental or physical illness relay on illegal substances to find a temporary cure to the torments. Statistics have demonstrated that people with mental illness are more prone to attempting to commit crimes or commit them, because they are blinded by the situation they are facing. Criminals who have mental illness are clouded by the way they function, or affect the stability they may have. Western claimed “Mental health issues are prevalent among incarcerated populations. Nearly one million adults with a serious mental illness are booked into jails annually” (Western). People who are booked and have a mental illness can change their behavior patterns dramatically causing them to perform actions, that can cause them to get incarcerated due to their unpredictable mental patterns they may have.
There are many factors that lead to major increases incarceration rates. Incarceration has to do with many factor that causes the instability if an individual.