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How Does Mass Incarceration Decrease Crime

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In recent discussions of the jail system, a controversial issue has been whether incarceration has helped contribute to the efforts of decreasing crime On the one hand, some argue that mass incarceration is a horrible failure. On the other hand, however, others argue that incarceration brings crime down. In sum, then, the issue is whether mass incarceration is the solution to lowering the crime rate or not. Though many people assume that mass incarceration drops the crime rate, it still does not change how the same criminals that are incarcerated are being released from jail committing the same crimes over and over making it almost impossible to drop the crime rate.
Americans today tend to believe that mass incarceration has not been the …show more content…
However, in recent years the crime rates have increased even with the usage of mass incarceration. Which has led many researchers to seek out information on different methods and techniques that could possibly decrease crime without utilizing mass incarceration. I have always believed that mass incarceration has not accomplished anything when it came to decreasing crime. Prison has basically turned into one big holding cell for convicted criminals that is unwanted by society. The only way mass incarceration will work is if there is some type of program implemented to change the mindset of these criminals before being released from prison. Allegra M. McLeod, of Georgetown University law school asserts, “Over 2 million Americans live caged behind bars, a 550 percent increase in the last 40 years”. (McLeod). Essentially, Allegra M. Mcleod implies that America is one of the very few places where a good majority of their people …show more content…
Some may even go as far as saying that many prison alternatives and mass incarceration have been founded and wanting by the community. “Nearly all of the alternatives being promoted today have been tried and found wanting”. (Donald). Essentially, Heather Mac Donald implies that many prison alternatives have become more common and have been found wanting by many people. Heather Mac Donald, a current journalist, explains that, “The nation’s 20-year crime drop was achieved through a combination of proactive policing and increased incarceration”. (Donald). According to Allegra M. Mcleod, threw the combinations of increased incarceration and proactive policing a crime drop was able to be

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