Shortly before the third Democratic debate, presidential candidate Kamala Harris recently released her full-scale plan for reforming the American justice system. The plan calls for the end of mass incarceration, humane treatment of prisoners, prioritization of populations more prone to incarceration and national policing regulations.

Harris’ proposal has strong potential to encourage bipartisan improvement of prisons and the American justice system as a whole, especially for lower-income and diverse populations.

Currently, American prisons and jails harbor about 2.3 million people, a massive uptick from around 500,000 individuals in 1980. This increase in mass incarceration disproportionately affects minorities; one prime example is that the rate of imprisonment of black Americans is more than five times higher than that of white Americans.

Paula Johnson, a professor of law at Syracuse, said that she believes that people of color are disproportionately affected by these issues.

“At every stage of the criminal process, people of color who are accused of crime are treated more harshly and ultimately receive harsher punishments or sentences when they are convicted of crime,” Johnson said.

Syracuse could benefit from these recommended policies, especially because the city faces a high poverty rate. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s analysis, the city’s poverty rate is around 32.6 percent, almost three times the national average.

Because of these high correlations between both poverty, race and incarceration, Syracuse potentially experiences the effects that biased sentencing, prejudiced policing and other discriminatory practices can have.

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Johnson said that she believes poorer people of color are more likely to be investigated, convicted or punished for crimes as opposed to white, wealthier individuals, who may have resources that soften legal consequences they face.

One aspect of tackling mass incarceration that could be integral to areas like Syracuse is Harris’ strategy to emphasize helping communities affected most heavily by these issues. Harris stresses community-based programs that invest in several areas, including job training, food security, mental health care and education.

This approach addresses that mass incarceration is influenced by several factors that can disproportionately affect those either below the poverty line or within a minority group. If these programs were available to those that need it most, including many in Syracuse, they would resultantly have the same opportunities and chances to succeed as people that are more well-off.

Harris’s proposed uphaul of the criminal justice system would uplift disadvantaged Americans at both the individual and community levels, bringing them even closer to equality in the eyes of the law.

Lauren Spiezia is a sophomore journalism and political science major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at lespiezi@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter @lauren_spiezia.

Published on October 14, 2019 at 1:19 am