The Punishment Of Crimes In America
To what extent do the punishment (or lack thereof) of crimes in America reflect America’s ethical/moral values?
The relationship between America's overall integrity or moral versus the extent of punishment on crime in America remains vague. Therefore, Americas ethical and moral principles and how they reflect the severeness of crime retribution in our country varies. If one was to consider the incarceration rate on minorities then it is undeniably arguable that America's morals are greatly reflective on our idea of rightful punishment on specific violations. However, if one was to financially consider how our morals reflect our degree of discipline on specific violations, a potentially contradictory argument is provoked.
Alice Goffman is
a firm arguer for how America's ethics are reflected in our amount of incarcerations. According to Alice Goffman over the past 40 years, our incarceration rate has excelled by 700 percent. The reason for this extreme increase in incarceration is evident in the types of people that are being incarcerated. Typically these people are of poor communities or of minority. The fact that the majority of the population that makes up our prisons is of african-american or latino descent is reflective of America's morals. The fact that most of these crimes that make up the majority of the population are but minor infractions is an even greater reflection of not just america's moral but our ethics as well. Alice Goffman refers to a young boy named Chuck who was charged with assault because he got into a simple schoolyard fight. Chuck was forced to go on the run after the court mandated his arrest because he couldn't pay the court fees. Assume Chuck lived in a wealthier neighborhood and perhaps wasn't of minority; This typical school yard fight would have stayed on campus. Unfortunately for Chuck and many of americans the “fairness” that is supposed to be evident in our reason for arrest is irrelevant. The extent to which we punish certain crimes should not at all be determinant by our wealth or race. This disappointing conclusion is a mere example of how america's poor morals and ethics reflect our crime retribution in America. Our still relevant capability to stereotype people or discriminate based on race or wealth alters our vision in a way that makes it harder for us to determine what we value and demonstrate it.
It is evident that our ethics are reflected in the type of people and crimes we are incarcerating but financially our ethics lack. Americas ethic and morals are highly influenced by money. The FDA is a prime example. Tyson chicken is extremely bad for consumer health because the produce is farmed inhumanely and fed harsh chemicals which we then digest. The reason why it continues to reign as america's number one poultry provider resides simply in the fact that our government is making money off of it. According to source E, it costs us $60 billion a year on resources in state and federal prisons. This is a $48 billion increase that occurred within the last 20 years. If America is so dependent on paper, why are we sending people to prison for petty crimes when it’s only costing us more money? This is where America's ethics start to contradict the extent to which we punish certain crimes. In conclusion, the relationship between America’s principles and the extent of crime retribution in America remains undeterminable and highly influenced by the factor being considered. Americas ethics are highly evident in the amount of minoritys and lower class incarcerations that occur but are questionable when considering the financial toll increasing the incarceration rate has on our economy.
The relationship between America's overall integrity or moral versus the extent of punishment on crime in America remains vague. Therefore, Americas ethical and moral principles and how they reflect the severeness of crime retribution in our country varies. If one was to consider the incarceration rate on minorities then it is undeniably arguable that America's morals are greatly reflective on our idea of rightful punishment on specific violations. However, if one was to financially consider how our morals reflect our degree of discipline on specific violations, a potentially contradictory argument is provoked.
Alice Goffman is
a firm arguer for how America's ethics are reflected in our amount of incarcerations. According to Alice Goffman over the past 40 years, our incarceration rate has excelled by 700 percent. The reason for this extreme increase in incarceration is evident in the types of people that are being incarcerated. Typically these people are of poor communities or of minority. The fact that the majority of the population that makes up our prisons is of african-american or latino descent is reflective of America's morals. The fact that most of these crimes that make up the majority of the population are but minor infractions is an even greater reflection of not just america's moral but our ethics as well. Alice Goffman refers to a young boy named Chuck who was charged with assault because he got into a simple schoolyard fight. Chuck was forced to go on the run after the court mandated his arrest because he couldn't pay the court fees. Assume Chuck lived in a wealthier neighborhood and perhaps wasn't of minority; This typical school yard fight would have stayed on campus. Unfortunately for Chuck and many of americans the “fairness” that is supposed to be evident in our reason for arrest is irrelevant. The extent to which we punish certain crimes should not at all be determinant by our wealth or race. This disappointing conclusion is a mere example of how america's poor morals and ethics reflect our crime retribution in America. Our still relevant capability to stereotype people or discriminate based on race or wealth alters our vision in a way that makes it harder for us to determine what we value and demonstrate it.
It is evident that our ethics are reflected in the type of people and crimes we are incarcerating but financially our ethics lack. Americas ethic and morals are highly influenced by money. The FDA is a prime example. Tyson chicken is extremely bad for consumer health because the produce is farmed inhumanely and fed harsh chemicals which we then digest. The reason why it continues to reign as america's number one poultry provider resides simply in the fact that our government is making money off of it. According to source E, it costs us $60 billion a year on resources in state and federal prisons. This is a $48 billion increase that occurred within the last 20 years. If America is so dependent on paper, why are we sending people to prison for petty crimes when it’s only costing us more money? This is where America's ethics start to contradict the extent to which we punish certain crimes. In conclusion, the relationship between America’s principles and the extent of crime retribution in America remains undeterminable and highly influenced by the factor being considered. Americas ethics are highly evident in the amount of minoritys and lower class incarcerations that occur but are questionable when considering the financial toll increasing the incarceration rate has on our economy.