Criminal justice Quote by Michelle Alexander
““Saying mass incarceration is an abysmal failure makes sense, though, only if one assumes that the criminal justice system is designed to prevent and control crime. But if mass incarceration is understood as a system of social control - specifically, racial control - then the system is a fantastic success.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, 2010
Mass incarceration appears successful only when viewed as a tool of racial social control rather than crime prevention.
In simple terms: It works as racial control, not crime control.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the true purpose of the system.
Themes
racism
justice
policy
control
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
sociopolitical
critical
When to use this quote
- criminal justice reform
- policy analysis
- activism
- education
- media critique
Key Concepts
social control
systemic oppression
racial hierarchy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing incarceration as control change reform priorities?
- What alternatives address both safety and equity?
A Different Perspective
It ignores the harm to communities and the need for safety.
![“[T]he slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery. —W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America For” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fdb/michelle-alexander-750_slavery_t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-momen_96485.jpg)
