It may come as no surprise to many that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Even more unsurprising to some might be the racial disparities in our prison system (black men are more likely to be sent to prison than white men in this country).
But what did seem to shock many, including myself, was a study done by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee finding that Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate of black males in the country, with 13 percent incarcerated. That is nearly double the country’s rate and can be summed up with just one major Wisconsin city: Milwaukee.
Before even getting to the huge problem in our home state of Wisconsin, the issues with racial disparities in American prisons in general need also be addressed. Michelle Alexander, a law professor at The Ohio State University, recently wrote a book called “The New Jim Crow.” In her book, Alexander presents a powerful and troubling thesis: “The American prison system is ‘The New Jim Crow,’ a racial caste system making use of the “War on Drugs” to incarcerate and keep social, political and economic control over black, and to a lesser degree, Latino men.” While Alexander does have her critics, her findings are not easily dismissible. While some may dismiss her theory as overly zealous, who can answer the question of why, despite there being very little difference in illegal drug use between races, has there been almost 20 to 50 percent more black men incarcerated on drug charges in some states? Perhaps it’s linked to poverty, or certain neighborhoods? Some point to the unnecessary and odd difference in sentencing of powder cocaine versus crack cocaine. These drugs are essentially the same and do the same amount of damage to the users. The kicker? Users of crack cocaine are generally black, while users of powder cocaine are primarily white. Crack cocaine offenses, starting in the 1980s, have been given much more severe punishment than powder cocaine offenses, making the racial disparities even stronger. Why are we punishing differently for the same type of drug? And what can be done about all this? While keeping drugs off the streets is important, how necessary is it to send a man to jail for mere possession of marijuana? Take a walk through University of Wisconsin-Madison campus neighborhoods, and I guarantee you will find at least a thousand more to send to jail with that logic (Not to mention they will mostly be white kids, as UW is lacking in diversity, but that’s a whole other issue).
So while the American prison system’s incarceration disparities are troubling in themselves, where are we to go now with the unwelcoming reputation of being the number one state to incarcerate black males? The UW-Milwaukee study done by Lois Quinn found that 49 percent of black men in Wisconsin have spent time in prison by the time they have reached their thirties. Similar to Alexander’s thesis in “The New Jim Crow,” Quinn believes it has to do primarily with the increased focus on the “War on Drugs,” which has created new prisons, mandatory sentencing guidelines and a push toward prison rather than treatment as a direct response to drug offenses. Quinn also points to racial segregation, poor job opportunities in Milwaukee and Milwaukee’s intense drug policing system. While Minnesota keeps their incarceration rates down by creating drug treatment options as the “first response” for drug offenses, Wisconsin’s policy uses stop-and-frisk tactics, even stopping cars for minor traffic offenses in order to ultimately search for drugs. Add to this all the problems faced by black men after they leave prison, such as the near impossibility of finding a job as a felon and consequently ending up back in prison, and we have ourselves a real circular issue that should alarm us.
Something has to change. I don’t claim to be an expert on drug policy, but it shouldn’t take an expert to realize our current system isn’t working. United States Attorney General Eric Holder realizes the huge problem with America’s prison system and is endorsing a proposal that reduces sentencing for those convicted of drug offenses. Holder is also pushing for an end to the mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. This would greatly decrease the prison population and though it is only a start, it is an important one. In Wisconsin specifically, we have our own changes to make. A group of Wisconsin journalists have started “Project Milwaukee” in response to the racial issues in Wisconsin. This project includes in-depth reporting on vital issues in the region, including racial disparities in incarceration. While getting the information out there is a huge step, much more needs to be done. For instance, we might look into Minnesota’s treatment approach for drug offenses. Not only would this keep incarceration rates lower, saving money, it would provide an opportunity for first-time offenders to get the help they need without labeling them a as felon and basically assuring they will never find a job and remain in poverty (where drugs are rampant), or go back to prison. Whether or not “The New Jim Crow,” holds any merit, the issue is there in the numbers from the UWM study—numbers that are utterly unacceptable.
Haleigh is a senior majoring in political science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
