LAW-2805 Mass Incarceration
Beginning in the 1970s, the rate of imprisonment quadrupled in the United States. The dramatic rise was partly a response to increasing violent crime, which spiked in the 1980s and 1990s. However, increases in violence cannot fully explain America's reliance on harsh punishment. Incarceration rates continued to rise even as crime declined in the 1990s and 2000s. Today, mass incarceration in the United States is widely acknowledged as a criminal justice failure that disproportionately impacts poor people and communities of color. This course explores the historical rise of mass incarceration, its racialization, and its relationship with violence. We focus in particular on the power of prosecutors in the criminal justice system. Course readings, podcasts, and in-class simulations will seek to complete your understanding of criminal justice in America and draw attention to possible reforms.