FRANK Talks: Is Incarceration the Best Approach to Address Criminal Behavior? – Chandler

Is Incarceration the Best Approach to Address Criminal Behavior? 

Julian Kunnie, University of Arizona, Religious Studies/Classics/Africana Studies/Indigenous/Globalization Studies

In 2017, 47,604 people were either incarcerated or under some form of criminal justice supervision in the state of Arizona, with 119 adults/54 minors on death row,  and 2,485 veterans serving prison time. The U.S. represents 5% of the world’s population, yet holds 25% of the world’s prisoners.  We incarcerate people for non-violent and substance abuse-related crimes.  Private-for-profit prisons in Arizona and the country are a lucrative industry, viewed by some as contributing to the rise in incarceration.  What economic, political and social factors play a role in today’s mass incarceration?  Do poverty, race and class contribute to the disproportionate imprisonment of the poor and people of color? Does incarceration rehabilitate people who are incarcerated? Is imprisonment the best solution to address criminal behavior?  Join us for this FRANK Talk on the impact of mass incarceration.