An accessible guide for activists, educators, and all who are
interested in understanding how the prison system oppresses
communities and harms individuals
The United States
incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation. Though home
to 5% of the global population, the United States has nearly 25% of
the world’s prisoners – a total of over 2 million people. This
number continues to steadily rise – over the past 40 years, the
number of people behind bars in the United States has increased by
500%.
Journalist Victoria
Law explains how racism was the catalyst for mass incarceration and
has continued to be its driving force: from the post-Civil War laws
that states passed to imprison former slaves, to the laws passed
under the “War Against Drugs” campaign that disproportionately
imprison Black people. She breaks down these complicated issues into
four main parts:
1. The rise and
cause of mass incarceration
2. Myths about
prison
3. Misconceptions
about incarcerated people
4. How to end mass
incarceration
Through carefully
conducted research and interviews with incarcerated people, Law
identifies the 21 key myths that propel and maintain mass
incarceration, including:
• The system is
broken and we simply need some reforms to fix it
• Incarceration
is necessary to keep our society safe
• Prison is an
effective way to get people into drug treatment
• Private
prison corporations drive mass incarceration
Prisons Make Us
Safer is a necessary guide for all who are interested in learning
about the cause and rise of mass incarceration and how we can
dismantle it.