The Impact of Mass Incarceration on Marginalized Communities and Poverty by Crystal Alvarado https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6 en-us 2023-07-03 04:17:00 UTC 2023-07-08 23:04:25 UTC hello@padlet.com Book: Just Mercy: A True Story of The Fight for Justice (Adapted for young adults) crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2636921196 Lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares first-person account of his decades helping marginalized Americans who have been unfairly and harshly punished by the U.S. criminal justice system, which disproportionately targets people of color and poor people.  Just Mercy is the story of Walter McMillian, a Black man who was framed for the murder of a girl named Ronda Morrison, convicted, and sent to death row. 

The book alternates chapters about Walter with his personal reflections on this country’s history with racial disparity and issues around incarceration.

Guiding question: What are some examples that reveal the racial disparity and problems surrounding incarceration in the United States?

]]> 2023-07-03 05:01:28 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2636921196 Article: Mass Incarceration Is a Cruel, Expensive, Ineffective Approach to Addressing Crime crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637647086 The article highlights that mass incarceration disproportionately affects poor black and brown communities, leading to lifelong consequences such as debt, trauma, and limited opportunities.

Guiding question: How does the author argue that America's approach to solving crime through policing and mass incarceration perpetuates racial, social, and economic inequality?]]> 2023-07-04 03:45:48 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637647086 Charts and maps: How America became the world's leader in incarceration. crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637658433 The United States has more people in prison than any other country. This didn't happen suddenly, but rather over many years. It's important to understand that mass incarceration in America was a gradual process, not a single event.

Guiding question: Why does the United States have the highest number of people in prison, and why do many people believe that putting so many people in prison doesn't actually make society safer?]]> 2023-07-04 04:03:25 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637658433 Video: Mass Incarceration, Visualized crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637670965 Sociologist Bruce Western provides insight into the disturbing trend of prison becoming an expected occurrence for certain demographics of young black men. He highlights that this has become a normalized life event, suggesting that it is increasingly seen as an inevitable outcome for this specific group.

Guiding question: Why do some young black men expect to end up in prison, as discussed by sociologist Bruce Western? How does the idea that prison is inevitable affect these individuals and society in general?]]> 2023-07-04 04:21:51 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637670965 Film: True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637690830 "True Justice" is a firsthand account by Bryan Stevenson, who shares his personal experience with the criminal justice system. The documentary exposes a troubling reality: the system tends to favor the wealthy and guilty over the poor and innocent. Through candid interviews with Stevenson's associates, close family members, and clients, the book delves into the burden and challenges of navigating this unjust system. Stevenson's narrative sheds light on the disparities and biases present within the criminal justice system, offering a perspective on the struggles faced by those who are less privileged and marginalized.

Guiding question: What is your understanding of Bryan Stevenson’s statement, “We’re all more than the worst thing
we’ve ever done?"]]> 2023-07-04 04:45:55 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2637690830 Film: 13th crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2638492113 This film explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.

Guiding questions: How do you think media and popular culture representations of Black Americans, particularly black men, have contributed to a dangerous climate of white fear and anxiety? How can we challenge these instances of racism and dehumanization? ]]> 2023-07-05 04:35:37 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2638492113 Book Excerpt: The New Jim Crow - Mapping the Parallels crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2638512360 The excerpt highlights the striking similarities between Jim Crow, a system of racial segregation and discrimination in the United States, and mass incarceration.

Guiding question: What key similarities can be identified between the Jim Crow era and mass incarceration in the United States?]]> 2023-07-05 05:03:32 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2638512360 Video: TedTalk - How Jails Extort the Poor crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639005474 Why do we put people in jail just because they're poor? Right now, there are around 500,000 Americans in jail because they can't pay bail, and even more are locked up because they can't pay their court fines, like for small things like unpaid parking tickets. Salil Dudani tells stories from people who have been in debtors' prison in Ferguson, Missouri, and asks us to consider if there's a better way to treat the poor and marginalized.

Guiding question: How can we change the way we treat the poor and marginalized? Exploring fairer justice alternatives that break the cycle of punishing people based on their financial status.]]> 2023-07-05 21:34:34 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639005474 Article: The Eighth Amendment crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639026513 The 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and also protects the right to fair bail. Bail is the money or property that someone pays to be released from jail before their trial. The 8th Amendment ensures that the bail amount set by the court is not excessive or unfair, and that individuals are not kept in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay bail.

Guiding question: What protections does the 8th Amendment provide in relation to bail and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment?]]> 2023-07-05 23:00:52 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639026513 Article: Before the Law - Story of Kalief Browder crystalalvarado01 https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639031793 Kalief Browder was a teenager who was arrested for stealing a backpack. He spent three years in jail before his trial, and for nearly two years of that time, he was kept alone in a small cell.

Guiding question: How does not being able to pay bail lead to a cycle of going to jail, and what does this mean for the people and communities affected by it?]]> 2023-07-05 23:19:09 UTC https://padlet.com/crystalalvarado01/lpu81a4nxi48iho6/wish/2639031793