User:M4andrews/sandbox

Mass Incarceration as a Dynamic Social Problem

Crime rates in low-income areas are much higher than in middle to high class income areas. Incarceration rates in low-income areas are much higher than in wealthier areas as a result of these high crime rates. When the incarcerated or criminal is a youth, there is a significant impact on the individual and rippling effects on entire communities. Social capital is lost when an individual is incarcerated. How much social capital is lost is hard to accurately estimate, however Aizer and Doyle found a strong positive correlation between lower income as an adult if an individual is incarcerated in their youth in comparison to those who are not incarcerated. 63 percent to 66 percent of those involved in crimes are under the age of thirty. This silent majority loses the capability to invest in themselves, and in turn contribute to their communities. Their children and families become susceptible to financial burden preventing them from escaping low-income communities. This contributes to the recurring cycle of poverty that is positively correlated with incarceration. Poverty rates have not been curbed despite steady economic growth. Poverty is not the sole dependent variable for increasing incarceration rates. Mass incarceration leads to more incarceration by putting families and communities at a dynamic social disadvantage.