Blog Post 2: Getting Started
Getting Started
It is apparent to me that the current state of incarceration in the United States is not exemplary of progress towards a "more perfect Union".
Looking into any basic statistics (1, 2) about the prison system in the United States it becomes apparent that this is not a phenomena that impacts all types of people equally.
To be open, some positions I hold are:
1. Crime is not an inherent part of a society or component to "human nature". Crime is a social phenomena. Social phenomena are inherently linked to the material conditions of a society.
2. No person should be stripped of their human rights and dignity.
3. The current form of punitive justice is not the way to rehabilitate our neighbors, family and friends into society. To Angela Davis' question, yes.
I never expect my students to hold my own beliefs about the world. So, given my positions, my purpose in this inquiry is to find sources that allow the students to come to their own conclusions about the state of crime and incarceration in the country.
My goal is spend this opportunity finding sources to give my students the tools that can can help them make sense of these troubling facts and speculate as to possible alternatives to the current system of (in)justice.
An assumption will be using for this project is that crime is an economic issue. Economics is the social science studying the scarce allocation of resources. Crime does not exist in a vacuum devoid of context. The context in which crime operates in the United States is capitalism.
By saying it is both a social issue and economic issue (both not immutable realms) means that this does not have to be the way the world is. The challenge for me and my students, is to understand why this is the case now and what can be done.
Hey Max,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read or heard of "Pushout" by Monique W. Morris? I haven't had the time to dig into it yet, but I bought it for the purpose of reading about it prior to working in majority African American schools. It's basically about the school to prison pipeline (specifically for black girls). I think based on your topic, and the picture that you included showcasing that pipeline, you might be interested! That is if you haven't already read it. I believe there is also a documentary about it too! I heard about the book from K (@k_law_creates on TikTok and IG), an awesome activist that speaks a lot about the black experience and breaking down white supremacy.
I know the book doesn't inherently help your students, but I think it's an important read/watch for all of us! Your post just reminded me of it.
Great topic! And I like the focus of finding sources that allow your students to come to their on conclusion!
(Link to a "mini-documentary" for Pushout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kse-llLZ0k )
Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check them out!
DeleteHi Max!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating topic. With the inclusion of more police presence in schools, many educators are worried about the increased criminalization of young people. Perhaps the increased number of police officers in lower-income, highly diverse schools could be something of interest to you as well? I'm super excited to read your findings on this topic, and I think it'll be super eye-opening for all of us
Great point! I do wonder about the willingness to pay a cop 100k rather than two teachers/staff in a school and the actual impact each option would have. I'm wondering if there is anything written about the infringement on rights of students in school settings by those in-school cops too (just personal interest, don't want to spread my blog too thin ha)
DeleteHi Max! I think this is a great topic and one that would probably really interest many students. I think it's good that you are writing about this because I feel like we don't talk about these questions or ideas in schools too often (if at all). I honestly don't know too much about your topic other than the school to prison pipeline. So, I am super excited to read more and use some of the information you find in my classroom one day.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about this topic! Crime IS a social issue and an economic issue--so is racism, sexism, homophobia... the list goes on. I have a few books off the top of my head I think you would be interested in reading:
ReplyDeleteThe Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs. The title says pretty much what you need to know. It's written by Peace's former college roommate, and talks about how Peace struggled to straddle the line between his "two worlds"--those of urban Newark and the campus of Yale University.
Evicted by Matthew Desmond. This one's written about Milwaukee. Desmond tracks eight families who are struggling with paying rent (amid other financial concerns). It definitely relates to your point that the context in which crime operates in the United States is capitalism.
https://www.amazon.com/Short-Tragic-Life-Robert-Peace/dp/1476731918
https://www.amazon.com/Evicted-Poverty-Profit-American-City/dp/0553447459/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1664207068&sr=1-1
Max, your topic selection has sparked much interest and resource sharing among your peers. In addition you may want to check out Duverney's The 13th. I appreciate your desire to be socratic in presenting several resources and having your students come to their own conclusions. I'm looking forward to seeing what you gather here for your students to read/view.
ReplyDeleteThe 13th (available on Netflix and YouTube)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_(film)