{"id":6903,"date":"2023-11-03T15:59:48","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T19:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/?p=6903"},"modified":"2023-11-03T15:59:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T19:59:48","slug":"behind-the-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/2023\/11\/03\/behind-the-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind The System"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the documentary 13th, it\u2019s revealed the uncomfortable truths challenging the narrative of some minorities, and it urges us to acknowledge the racial disparities and injustice inherent in the system. It calls for the urgent need for reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The American criminal justice system has been the focus of much criticism due to its connection with issues of race, justice, and mass incarceration. In the 1980s and 1990s, the &#8220;War on Drugs&#8221; was launched as an effort to combat drug abuse and addiction. However, some argue that it resulted in unintended consequences that disproportionately affected Black Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The War on Drugs, started by President Nixon and then later continued by other presidents like Clinton, introduced policies like mandatory minimum sentences and &#8220;three-strikes&#8221; laws, which led to a surge in the prison population. This increase was particularly pronounced in minority communities. Critics suggest that the intent behind these policies might not have been solely about reducing drug-related crimes but may have also perpetuated systemic racism that started after slavery abolition but allowed for the involuntary servitude of individuals (African Americans) as a punishment for a crime, penalized poverty, and maintained social control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact of these policies has been profound, with families torn apart and entire communities devastated. This has created a cycle of crime and incarceration. Private prison corporations have also played a role, as their financial interests often conflict with the goals of justice. The more people in prison, the more money these companies make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These concerns challenge the prevailing narrative about the criminal justice system. They call for reevaluating how the United States approaches justice and the need for reform. The system appears deeply flawed, disproportionately affecting communities of color and influenced by financial interests. The call for change advocates for a more just and equitable future that prioritizes rehabilitation and healing over perpetuating a cycle of incarceration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>word count(309)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the documentary 13th, it\u2019s revealed the uncomfortable truths challenging the narrative of some minorities, and it urges us to acknowledge the racial disparities and injustice inherent in the system. It calls for the urgent need for reform. The American &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/2023\/11\/03\/behind-the-system\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18526,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155089],"tags":[561059,561060],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6903"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18526"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6903"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6904,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6903\/revisions\/6904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ch115\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}