Incarceration Rates and Sentencing Policies Throughout the United States

Discussion with Nazgol Ghandnoosh on the high rates of incarceration and state differentials of incarceration throughout the United States and their causes, including the “war on drugs”. We discuss racial disparity in arrests and sentences, private prisons and legislative and executive encroachment on the judicial function by the imposition of mandatory sentences. We also discuss the impact of prosecutorial power and plea bargains. Additionally, we discuss the collateral effects of convictions, including disenfranchisement, denial of housing and other benefits and discrimination in employment. We also discuss alternatives to incarceration, including LEAD programs and restorative justice and the need for a criminal justice system focused on rehabilitation rather than retribution.

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