While mass incarceration is a national crisis, it was built locally.
James Forman, Jr.Read
In court, judges tell people that their conviction carries a sentence of years, or probation. The truth is far more terrible. People convicted of crimes often become social outcasts for life, finding it difficult or impossible to rent an apartment, get a job, adopt children, access public benefits, serve on juries, or vote.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the long-term social consequences of criminal convictions beyond legal penalties.
James Forman, Jr. emphasizes that the ramifications of a criminal conviction extend far beyond the courtroom. While judges assign sentences in terms of years or probation, the reality is that convicted individuals often face lifelong repercussions, including societal rejection and barriers to essential opportunities like employment and housing. This illustrates the profound impact of the justice system on people's lives, suggesting that societal responses to crime can be as severe as legal punishments.
Themes
ConvictionSocial ConsequencesJustice SystemCrimeOppression
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about criminal justice reform at a community meeting.
More from James Forman, Jr.
All quotes →African-Americans have always viewed the protection of black lives as a civil rights issue, whether the threat comes from police officers or street criminals. Far from ignoring the issue of crime by blacks against other blacks, African-American officials and their constituents have been consumed by it.
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A black man of my generation born in the late 1960s is more than twice as likely to go to prison in his lifetime then a black man of my father's generation. I was born after the Voting Rights Act, after the Civil Rights Act, after the Fair Housing Act.
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Mass incarceration and its never-ending human toll will be with us until we come to see that no crime justifies permanent civic death.
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The only news most people ever hear about the inner city comes from grim headlines; the only residents they can name are characters on 'The Wire.' Of course, ignorance of a community doesn't stop outsiders from having opinions about it or passing laws that govern it.
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We need to hire more black police officers in this country because these are good jobs, and African Americans should have their fair share of good jobs. But we shouldn't do it because we think that's going to change policing. We have to push for police reform in other ways.
James Forman, Jr.Read
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