Dear Future President,

An issue that should be discussed is mass incarceration because it is a problem which affects the country. Out of all the countries, the U.S. has the most prisons as a solution to punish those who commit serious crimes and offences. The “war on crime” and “war on drugs” caused more people to be sent to jail with many minorities or poor people being affected. Ethnic groups like African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be criminalized with almost 40% of African Americans imprisoned when they only make up about 13% of the U.S. population, and 37% of Latinos confined in federal prisons when they consist of only 13% of the U.S. population. The increase of mass incarceration doesn’t help the rate of crime go down for the U.S.

In an area where the majorities are Latinos, this damages my community because it destroys families and causes problems for them. When many people are incarcerated, it can lead to their children being raised without parents or a guardian which negatively impacts the child’s development and behavior in school. The crimes like drug possession can put a person in jail for years which is a harsh punishment. After doing the time, they are usually sent back and will have a harder time getting loans, jobs, renting an apartment and other things.

From,

Thita S.