THE SOCIAL AND MORAL COST OF MASS INCARCERATION IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES

INTRODUCTION: REFRAMING THE ISSUE OF RACE AND IMPRISONMENT .............. 1272 A. The Distinctive Features of African American Mass Incarceration .......... 1274 1. Total numbers incarcerated. . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ...... .... . . . . . . .. ... . . .. . . . .......... 1274 2. Rate of incarceration . . ... ......... . . . . . ..... . . ............. . . ...... . . . . . . .. . . .... ... .............. 1274 3. The spatial concentration of incarceration . . . . . . . . . ........ ..... .. ....... . . . . ... ...... 127 5 B. The New Direction of Prison Research ........ . . . . . . . . ... ...... . . ........... ........ .. . . . . . . 1276 1. Assessing the harm of mass incarceration v. identifying the cause of racial disparities . ............ ...... . . ... ......... ...... . . .. ......... ........ .... ...... . . ..... .... ...... . .. ........ . 1277 2. Community v. individual as the focus of research . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ........ ...... . . . . . 1279 I . THEORIES OF COMMUNITY HARM .................................................................... 1281 A. Mass Imprisonment Damages Social Networks .... ......... .... . .. ......... .... . . . . . . . . 1281 B. Mass Imprisonment Distorts Social Norms . . . .... ..... . . . .. . . . . . . .. ... ....... . . . . .. . .. . . . 1285 C. Mass Imprisonment Destroys Social Citizenship . . . . . . . . . ..... . .. . ......... . . ... . ... . . . 1291 1. Felon disenfranchisement . .. . . ..... ... ...... . .. . . .. .. ... .. . . . ... . . . . . ... . . . . . .... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1291 2. Labor market exclusion . . . . . . . . . . ................. ...... .. .. . . .... . . .. . ... . . .. . . . ... . . ........ . . . 1293 3. Civic isolation . . .. . . . . . . . . ............ ............... . . . .. . . . ... .. . . . . .. . . . . ..... . . .. ..... . .. . ..... . . . . 1294 I I . THE MORAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNITY HARM ....................................... 1297 A. Moving Beyond the Prison-Crime Nexus .. . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . ...... .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297 B. Mass Imprisonment and Political Subordination ... .. . . . .. ...... ........... . . . . . ...... 1298 C. Rethinking the Just?fications for Punishment . . . ...... . . . ...... . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. .... . . 1300