Community service Quote by Michelle Alexander
““The percentage of drug arrests that result in prison sentences (rather than dismissal, community service, or probation) has quadrupled, resulting in a prison-building boom the likes of which the world has never seen. In two short decades, between 1980 and 2000, the number of people incarcerated in our nation's prisons and jails soared from roughly 300,000 to more than 2 million. By the end of 2007, more than 7 million Americans - or one in every 31 adults - were behind bars, on probation, or on parole.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, 2010
Mass incarceration has exploded, driven by harsh drug policies, creating a massive prison system and affecting millions of Americans.
In simple terms: Drug policies caused a huge rise in U.S. imprisonment.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge punitive drug laws.
Themes
justice
policy
race
incarceration
inequality
Mood
critical
urgent
somber
Type
political
informational
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- legal advocacy
- community organizing
- education
- voting
Key Concepts
systemic racism
mass incarceration
criminal justice reform
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities reduce reliance on incarceration?
- What alternatives to imprisonment exist?
A Different Perspective
Punitive policies often ignore root causes of addiction.
![“[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)
