According to the textbook: Race & Racisms chapter 11: Racism and the Criminal Justice System
What are the collateral consequences of mass incarceration? Provide an example to justify your answer.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Collateral Consequences of Mass Incarceration
Thesis Statement
Mass incarceration in the United States leads to significant collateral consequences that extend far beyond the prison walls, affecting individuals, families, and communities. These consequences include economic disenfranchisement, social stigma, and increased vulnerability to discrimination, which collectively perpetuate cycles of inequality and marginalization.
Understanding Collateral Consequences
Collateral consequences refer to the indirect effects of incarceration that impact individuals who have been incarcerated as well as their families and communities. These consequences arise from various factors, including legal restrictions, social stigmatization, and the economic fallout of having a criminal record.
Key Collateral Consequences
1. Economic Disenfranchisement: Individuals with criminal records often face significant barriers to employment, housing, and education. Many employers conduct background checks and may automatically disqualify candidates with felony convictions. This reduces job opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, leading to economic instability and reliance on public assistance.
2. Social Stigma and Isolation: The label of being an ex-offender carries substantial social stigma, which can lead to isolation from family and community networks. Individuals may be shunned by friends or family members, further exacerbating feelings of loneliness and despair. This stigma can hinder reintegration efforts and deter individuals from seeking support.
3. Impact on Families: Mass incarceration disrupts family structures, often resulting in children being raised without one or both parents. This absence can lead to emotional trauma, economic hardship, and increased risk of involvement in the criminal justice system for the children themselves. The cycle of incarceration is perpetuated as children of incarcerated parents face higher rates of poverty and instability.
4. Community Disinvestment: High rates of incarceration can lead to disinvestment in communities, particularly those predominantly inhabited by people of color. As individuals are removed from their neighborhoods, local businesses suffer from decreased patronage, and community cohesion deteriorates. This can result in increased crime rates and further justification for policing in these areas.
Example: Employment Barriers
One poignant example of collateral consequences is the significant barriers individuals face when seeking employment post-incarceration. Research indicates that individuals with criminal records are often viewed as less desirable candidates, even if they possess the necessary skills for a job (Pager, 2003). A study showed that Black men with criminal records were half as likely to receive callbacks for job interviews compared to their white counterparts without criminal records. This disparity highlights how mass incarceration not only affects those who are imprisoned but also has far-reaching effects on racial inequality in employment opportunities.
Conclusion
The collateral consequences of mass incarceration have profound implications for individuals, families, and communities. Economic disenfranchisement, social stigma, family disruption, and community disinvestment contribute to a cycle of inequality that is difficult to break. Addressing these collateral consequences is essential for creating a more just society that supports the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals and fosters equitable opportunities for all.
References
– Pager, D. (2003). The Mark of a Criminal Record. American Journal of Sociology, 108(5), 937-975.
