Mass Incarceration Is Defined As The Substantial Increase

Mass incarceration is defined as the substantial increase in the number of Americans, particularly men of color, imprisoned within the last forty years. Despite its intentions to serve justice, the system is flawed; the physical freedom, possessions, and educational/career opportunities for inmates are limited during and after imprisonment. Lockeian ideology provides insight into how our criminal justice system has come to operate in this way. In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Locke outlines two different types of slavery: justified and unjustified. His definition of justified slavery, which is critical to this paper, states that if a lawful conqueror is defending his or herself against an aggressor and wins, he or she has a†¦show more content†¦Following release, they lose the right to vote, access to public housing, eligibility for federal grants and loans, and a wide span of career options. While people of any race can be incarcerated, there is a dispr oportionate impact on low-income communities of color. Additionally, while mass incarceration is not an inherited status, children of inmates are three times more likely than other children to have a run-in with the law (Conway Jones 2014). In essence, given that mass incarceration exhibits many of the same characteristics and impacts as American slavery, it appears to be an extension of the previous system. Understandably, the correlation between American slavery and mass incarceration might seem uncanny because prisoners are not owned by anyone else. However, slaves and prisoners experience a similar loss of liberties and possessions, which is the defining characteristic of enslavement. Locke’s distinction between unjustified and justified slavery helps to solidify the interrelationship between American slavery and present-day mass incarceration. Locke’s account of unjustified slavery explains historical slavery in the United States of America. In the Second Treatis e of Government, Locke explains the contradiction between slavery and the preservation of property (i.e. life, liberty, and possessions). He clearly states that no one can choose to enslave oneself because of theShow MoreRelatedThe Moral And Ethical Treatment Of Being Respected And Treated Humanely1702 Words   |  7 PagesDignity is often defined as an individual’s deservedness to be respected and treated humanely, as an individual possessing worthiness at the most general level. From my perspective, dignity is the nourishment and affirmation of one’s self-worth; in other words, fuel that every human possesses and should have preserved to remain fully human. However, prominent 19th century social reformers like Jeremy Bentham were critical of the notion that prisoners ought to possess declared rights. 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