Summary
Angela Yvonne Davis was born in Alabama in1944. She is a renowned educator, author, and social activist in the United States of America. Davis devoted most of her time to championing for different social causes as manifested by her participation in activities of the Black Panther Movement and Civil Rights Movement. Davis has a particular interest in inmates; therefore, she has been instrumental in promoting prisoners’ rights. She founded and worked with Critical Resistance, an organization that takes care of the affairs of detainees, particularly attempting to eliminate the prison-industrial complex. Angela’s views and activities are sometimes considered extreme, and she has been prosecuted and jailed once for a murder and kidnapping that was carried out by the Soledad Brothers. Miss Davis has also authored several books discussing the issues of inmates and prisons in general. This paper critiques Davis’s book Are Prisons Obsolete.
The book Are Prisons Obsolete begins by acknowledging the fact that prison populations are growing exponentially (Davis 9). In three decades after the 1960s, the population of inmates increased tenfold and prisons were viewed as places where the misfits in society are dumped. However, the populations of individuals from the African American, Latino, and Native Americans communities that are held in correctional facilities are disproportionate (Davis 12). The author suggests that Americans assume that the more the numbers of people in prisons, the safer the general population in its pursuit of economic and social prosperity. However, prisons are a reflection of the challenges that confront contemporary societies, especially those emanating from racism and capitalism. Ironically, some people prefer to live in prisons because they are unable to access basic needs. In response to the ever-increasing prison populations, the costs of running prisons have also increased (Davis 17). The existence of prisons in contemporary societies has been compared to the slave trade and the possession of slaves. Particularly, the author claims that the attitudes that people currently have towards offenders and inmates will be repulsive to people in the future like in the case of the slave trade (Davis 19). Correctional facilities have been exploited by businesspeople as there are unique products and services specifically designed for detainees. Furthermore, there are private prisons that admit incarcerated people at a fee. Prisons upset the gender balance of populations, and they are also made up of unbalanced populations, which inform the rampant cases sexual abuse.
Analysis
Before I experienced the effects of crime, I used to sympathize with the homeless and destitute individuals. In spite of the numerous challenges that confront individuals that make up this demographic, most of them engage in criminal activities. I thought that the law enforcement officials should respect the rights of all individuals, especially those that were considered misfits in society. Following a burglary incident in which I lost most of my valuable items, my attitudes towards criminals, and disadvantaged individuals changed. While the circumstances or situations of some of these people result from historical injustices, some had chosen this life and everything associated including crime, directly and indirectly. Even the choice to engage in crime is a conscious decision regardless of the circumstances. Besides, some people engage in crime for survival purposes, and they rarely hurt people. However, most wrongdoers go beyond satisfying their basic needs. They also pose a grave danger to the lives of other human beings as well as their properties. Some academicians claim that these types of criminals have superimposed mental illnesses. It is doubtful that such individuals would benefit from the addition of positive institutions as the existing ones do not make a difference in their lives. Moreover, positive and rehabilitative institutions cannot resolve the issues of crime and mental illness. Ideally, individuals should be consciously committed to bettering lives by exploiting available opportunities, such as pursuing education and avoiding drug and substance abuse. However if people continue to break the set laws and regulations, correctional facilities will still play crucial roles in contemporary societies. Offering criminals the benefit of a doubt and second chances without conditions, such as punishments for the wrongs they have committed, will only endanger the well-being and harmony of the society. In most instances, the thought of incarceration has deterred most people from engaging in criminal activities.
Works Cited
Davis, Angela, Y. Are Prisons Obsolete? New York: Seven Stories Press, 2003. Print.
