Examining Incarceration Rates & Youth Gang Policies in the USA

This essay examines the high incarceration rates in the United States, noting that the USA accounts for over 25% of the world's prison population. It attributes this to tough-on-crime policies, particularly the war on drugs, underinvestment in education, and excessively harsh sentencing. The essay also discusses policies and programs for reducing youth gang membership, including community assessments, family strengthening programs, gang suppression policies, and school interventions. It emphasizes addressing root causes, strengthening family bonds, and creating supportive environments to prevent youth from joining gangs. The essay concludes by advocating for comprehensive strategies that target both individual and systemic factors contributing to crime and gang involvement.

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31 May 31, 2018
The incarceration rate in the USA
It is estimated that more than 25% of the prisoners in the world comes from the United
States of America. This percentage represents over 2.2 million people which are the highest rate
in the world, making the USA the country with the highest population of prisoners in the world
(Jarrett para 2). Besides the number of people in prisons, it is estimated that about 70 million
people in the country have some form of criminal record.
For a country with less than 5% of the world to have the highest number of prisoners at
over 25%, there must be a number of underlying reasons. I think one of the major reasons for
increased incarceration rates is the tough-on-crime policies. It is estimated that the war on drugs
has led to an increase of the prison population by over 500%. This percentage represents the
number of people found in passion, distribution or usage of drugs. Additionally, the increase has
also been as a result of violent crimes, this too can be linked to drugs. For example, with the
stringent laws on drugs, the cost of drugs has also gone up making violence as the only means of
drug acquisition by addicts. Lack of investment in education is also a major cause; prisoners are
not equipped with any skills to lead better lives after leaving prisoners which makes more likely
to commit a crime. The underfunded education system and lack of jobs have been a major cause
of poverty and increase in crime (Jarrett para 4). The increase is also a result of derogatory
sentences where a great number are given sentences that are not commensurate with their

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actions. This is what makes country’s criminal justice system different from other countries.
Other differences include the fact that judges do not frame issues, they do not justify their
decisions and do not review complaints (Maxeiner para 6-12).
Policies and programs for reducing youth Gang membership
Youth are motivated by different factors to join gangs; some of these motivating factors
include the presence of family members or friends in the gangs, access to money, drugs, alcohol
and for protection (Henslin et al 152).
Community assessments; In order to effectively deal with the problem of gang
involvement, the focus should be on communities. Carrying out community assessments can help
in getting to the root causes of gang involvement. Community assessment programs can help in
the identification of risk factors, help in the location of youth gangs and identification of youths
more likely to join gangs. Because of the uniqueness that exists among communities, each
community must devise its own strategies to guide in strategic planning and data collection.
Family strengthening programs; Researchers have associated childhood aggression and
antisocial behavior as a factor for gang involvement(Rita et al 8). Family-centered programs
should put families at the center of gang membership prevention by focusing on the
identification of such behaviors in their onset. In addition, these programs should focus on
establishing effective family functioning characterized by consistent discipline, high monitoring,
and effective family bonds. A strengthened family bond can prevent the likely hood of youth
involvement in groups. For families living in high-risk vicinities, such programs can facilitate the
creation of social support networks which can be an effective strategy towards gang membership
prevention (Rita et al 8). Through such programs, families would stand a better chance of

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knowing who their children’s friends are, family backgrounds and be able to closely monitor
their children.
Gang suppression policies; Gang suppression targets both known and suspected members
of a gang. Gang suppression would require the formation of gang suppression or anti-gang squad
whose role would include targeting suspected gang members until they are arrested and seeking
out gangsters and gangs. Gang suppression policies would also strengthen community-based
interventions (Totten and Douglas p8).
School interventions; Gang problems can actually emanate from schools. An active role
in schools can help play a role in preventing youths from joining gangs. School intervention
would require schools to assess gang problems and put in place strategies to address risk factors
that may lead students to join gangs. Research has shown that gang membership among youths is
partly contributed by fear in schools. Schools can, therefore, intervene by creating a conducive
learning environment to reduce the risk of gang joining (Rita et al p5).

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Works Cited
Henslin, James M., et al. Sociology: A down to earth approach. Pearson Higher Education AU,
2015.
Valerie, Jarrett. "Why Are Incarceration Rates In The US So High Relative To Other Countries?". Forbes, 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/07/01/why-are-incarceration-rates-in-the-us-so-high-relative-to-
other-countries/#4c337085f836. Accessed 1 June 2018.
Maxeiner, James. "What America Can Learn From Germany's Justice System". The Atlantic,
2012, https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/what-america-can-learn-
from-germanys-justice-system/258208/?utm_source=twb,Accessed 31 May 2018.
Ritter, Nancy, Thomas R. Simon, and Reshmar R. Mahendra. "Changing course: Keeping kids
out of gangs."NIJ Journal 273.2014 (2014): 16-27.
Totten, Mark Douglas. Promising practices for addressing youth involvement in gangs. The
government of British Columbia, 2008.