For our second action project in our Policy class, we each had to pick a monopoly to explore and create an infograph based on it. I decided to study the mass incarceration of black men within the United States. I was drawn to this topic after reading Michelle Alexander’s book “The New Jim Crow,” that examines the impact of prison time on black men and shows how they impose the same restrictions and disadvantages as Jim Crow did from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. Today’s prison system is corrupt and, beyond that, not changing behaviors, but perpetuating them.
My infograph shows the large number of black men who are affected by the U.S.’s overzealous imprisoning behaviors and a glimmer of hope for our future with the rate of imprisonment decreasing. In addition to creating the infograph, I also sent it to an organization called The Sentencing Project for use if they so choose. The research and process of making the infograph was difficult but rewarding. See it below!
Here is the response I received from The Sentencing Project when I offered them my infograph
