carceral system

Introduction
Whether or not you know someone who has spent time in the carceral system, the system still impacts your daily life. If you are pro-prison, a prison abolitionist, or somewhere in between, you are still impacted. Incarcerating people directly relates to well-being (governmental (local/state/federal), economic (financial), political, social, environmental, healthcare (physical/mental), educational, etc.) of the U.S. I have found a few short videos that should provide you with basic information on the carceral system. Please note: that some of the videos are older and may not reflect the current lexicon.
The History of Mass Incarceration
Equal Justice Initiative. (2015, July 7). Slavery to Mass Incarceration. YouTube. [Video]. https://youtu.be/r4e_djVSag4
The Impact of Mass Incarceration
vlogbrothers. (2014, April 4). Mass Incarceration in the US. YouTube. [Video]. https://youtu.be/NaPBcUUqbew
The 1994 Crime Bill & Mandatory Sentencing
NBC News. (2019, August 13). What Is The 1994 Crime Bill? YouTube. [Video]. https://youtu.be/0DcN6wNKxZA
Criminal Justice Reform
Recently, there has been a great deal of bipartisan support for criminal justice reform. Former President Trump initiated the First Step Act to reduce federal sentences and improve prison conditions. Texas has made progress on bail reform, prosecuting sex trafficking survivors, and on police body cameras.
PBS News Hour. (2021, April 21). What is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act? Breaking down the bill and opposition. YouTube. [Video]. https://youtu.be/UCqNUbWUBpQ

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. (2021, May 31). 2021 Bills that are still moving or have become law. https://www.texascjc.org/blog/2021-bills-are-still-moving-or-have-become-law (Links to an external site.)
Discussion Overview
The carceral system is too expansive to cover on a micro-level in just one discussion. I usually select an issue or a pending legal case for the class to discuss. For this discussion, I would like for you to select a criminal justice-related issue that you are concerned about (or that interests you) and create an infographic or TikTok video. (I borrowed this activity from Dr. Rachel Ellis, please see the citation below.) With varied topics, we should all learn something new about the carceral system. I have included a data piece to challenge you to view data as a tool to back up your viewpoint with numbers. When data is leveraged with public policy, it can become a powerful tool to address sustainable societal issues. You may visit the tweet from Dr. Ellis for examples. The 300-word limit will not apply to this discussion, however, your infographic or TikTok video will still be grading using the rubric.
Your infographic or TikTok video must include the following items:
Your name
Title of criminal justice-related issue
Facts about the topic illustrated in at least 3 data points (statistics) about the topic
Succinctly describe the larger societal implications of the topic
2 possible solutions to the problem
Include at least 2 cited sources. Due to space limitations, you may only be able to list the names of the sources in the infographic or TikTok video. You must add the entire cited source to the discussion thread to receive credit.
Upload (attach) the PDF version of your criminal justice-related infographic or the link to your TikTok video to the discussion. Please let me know if you have difficulty converting your work into a PDF document or uploading your infographic.
Your infographic/TikTok video and data must be a criminal justice-related issue. If you create a TikTok video then you must include captions.

Free Resources
Canva (I used the free version to create a few of the 3 Things to Know for each chapter.)
Possible Topics:
Incarcerated parents and the impact on children and families
Cities that reduce the police budget
Qualified immunity for law enforcement
The cost of phone calls on family members of the incarcerated
Mental health (while incarcerated, the number of incarcerated individuals with undiagnosed mental health concerns, mental health concerns as a precursor to incarceration)
Juvenile justice (sentencing, living conditions, education, etc.)
Individuals shackled while giving birth
Media influence on the carceral system
Carceral system disparities in race and income
Disabled and incarcerated
Bail reform
Solitary confinement
Using public funds to pay for law enforcement misconduct cases
The case to increase law enforcement salary
ICE detention
Women in prison (abuse/lack of healthcare/disparities in resources)
Incarcerated during Covid
LGBTQ+ justice
Women incarcerated with men
Probation violations
Incarceration and functional literacy
Incarcerating sex trafficking survivors
Private & public prisons
Citation:
Ellis, Rachel [@RachelEllisPhD]. “I asked the students in my undergraduate Corrections class to create infographics. Here are some of the many incredible submissions on important issues related to punishment in the US criminal justice system. (Shared with permission)” Twitter, 17 May 2021, https://twitter.com/rachelellisphd/status/1394276276853166082?s=21 (Links to an external site.)
Required Reading
Kolowich Cox, L. (n.d.). How to Create an Infographic in Under an Hour. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/create-infographics-with-free-powerpoint-templates (Links to an external site.) (There is a video attached to the article.)
Murray, S. (2018, April 23). Using data science to improve public policy. MIT News. https://news.mit.edu/2018/using-data-science-improve-public-policy-hackathon-0423 (Links to an external site.)
Young, A. & Zahuranec, A. (2020, June 20). How Data Can Map and Make Racial Inequality More Visible (If Done Responsibly). Medium. https://medium.com/data-stewards-network/how-data-can-map-and-make-racial-inequality-more-visible-if-done-responsibly-9074ed84e2bf (Links to an external site.)
Suggested Reading
Mclaughlin, D. (2020, June 11). What Conservative Law-Enforcement Reforms Should Look Like. National Review. https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/06/what-conservative-law-enforcement-reforms-should-look-like/ (Links to an external site.)
Nellis, A. (2016, June 14). The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. The Sentencing Project. https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/ (Links to an external site.)
Ofer, U. (2019, June 4). How the 1994 Crime Bill Fed the Mass Incarceration Crisis. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/how-1994-crime-bill-fed-mass-incarceration-crisis (Links to an external site.)
Sawyer, W. & Wagner, P. (2020, March 24). Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html (Links to an external site.)
Teles, S. M. & Dagan, D. (2016, Spring). Conservatives and Criminal Justice. National Affairs. https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/conservatives-and-criminal-justice (Links to an external site.)
Wilson Gilmore, R. & Kilgore, J. (2019, June 19). The Case for Abolition. The Marshall Project. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2019/06/19/the-case-for-abolition

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