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Mass incarceration has been a hot topic in the United States over the last 20 years. Appropriately ebbing and flowing as a major social problem in the criminal justice and public policy realm. What has seemingly escaped the climatic conversation is the perpetual damage of putting so many people in prison.
The black infants are the true anonymous casualties of mass incarceration. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. There is much fallout from that fact, however, the disproportionality of black males and females that are locked up is especially gripping. (1)
What’s happening is black mothers and fathers are being separated from their families and forced to live with the impact of having an overarching presence of the criminal justice system impact their daily lives. These stressors and other conditions impact the family, much as slavery did. It is another setting that ultimately serves to destroy the black family dynamic by taking out one of the primary caregivers or providers.
Impact of Structural Racism
Of course, the obvious answer is that they should not commit a crime. However, one can not make such a statement without considering the impact of structural racism on a family’s ability to meet basic needs like food, housing, transportation, and clothing for life. Structural racism is criminal to black people; it has no end. Racism of this structural type has and will continue to kill off generations of black and brown human beings. It is the longest-running campaign of genocide; considering the deaths of many infants have been declared even before they are born.
The stress black families have usually reflects the complexity of the social problems of the day. I do not believe we are on course to see any dramatic changes in our dominant race/non-dominant race society soon. I believe we are recognizing now, that things are getting worse. It is quite possible the lives of many black men and women in the United States will intersect with the criminal justice system – JAIL or PRISON for some reason. At which point, a lifetime of disparities in education, income, and health care, causing severe trauma that lingers throughout the lifespan, will be illuminated.
Impact on Mental Health
The additive of poor long term health and mental health outcomes makes things worse. The adults involved will have overwhelming stress against this potential incarceration backdrop. How are the children supposed to survive? The U.S. incarceration rate is currently 500% higher than it was 40 years ago. (1)
It is plain to see that when a man or woman is sent to prison, there is a physical and psychological struggle to be endured by their family somewhere, biological or not. Separation for unknown lengths of time has immeasurable and detrimental effects on all involved.
It is well documented. The literature, current data, and information on the toxic stress placed upon unborn and infant black children in the setting of an imprisoned family member or kinship connection is astounding.
Unified Conclusion
It is unjust to ignore the disenfranchisement of the most vulnerable of us; the risks for black babies include death. To combat this persistent problem, lawmakers must attack structural racism in all its forms—including mass incarceration. (1)
*Endnote:
- Connor Maxwell and Danyelle Solomon, “Mass Incarceration, Stress, and Black Infant Mortality” (Washington: Center for American Progress, 2018), available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2018/06/05/451647/mass-incarceration-stress-black-infant-mortality/