mass inc 2 Essays - Drug Policy Of The United States, Free Essays

mass inc 2 Essays - Drug Policy Of The United States, Free Essays Year after year, the United States beats out much larger countries for have the largest incarceration rate in the world.The problem is evident, the next step is finding a solution. James Kilgore believe to have found the solution in his book , "Understandi ng Mass Incarceration : A People's Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time". He defines mass incarceration as "one of this country's key strategies for addressing problems of poverty, inequality, unemployment, racial conflict, citizenship, sexua lity, and gender, as well as crime. Hence, when we talk about mass incarceration, we are not speaking only of prison cells or the War on Drugs. A philosophy, a history, and a trail of profit and investment lurk behind the statistics.Ultimately , mass incarc eration is about opportunitynew opportunities for profit and political power for some and the denial of opportunity to others, largely poor people of color". Kilgore says that "campaigns against draconian dru g prosecutions, mobilizations to "ban the b ox" on employment applications for those with felony convictions, efforts to block jail construction in large urban centers and small Midwestern towns" (Kilgore 5 ) will all represent paths to undermining or fundamentally altering mass incarceration. Kilg ore first wants to campaign against draconian drug prosecutions. "Prosecution of drug cases has stood at the heart of both the expansion of the prison population and the philosophical shift to a more punitive system since the late 1970s. While the sentenci ng laws formed a crucial part of the implementation of mass incarceration, the chief vehicle to put those laws into effect " the war on drugs (Kilgore 39). "Moreover, virtually all aspects of the War on Drugs were and are heavily racialized. Violent raids on suspected drug operations were disproportionately targeted at working- class African American and Latino communities that were already impoverished by high rates of unemployment and declining systems of education and social services" which just happen to be the two races who are also highly represented in the prison system to this day (Kilgore 56).Kilgore believe that drug prosecutions should be only result in jail time if they are violent, Drug prosecut ions have been proven to be racially motivated. "B lacks and whites use marijuana at about the same rate, but Blacks are four to five times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession." the ACLU study found that in every single state Blacks had higher arrest rates than whites for marijuana possessi on. ( Kilgoe 67). Kilgore and Jacobson have a similar stance on this argument and I agree with them both. If a drug charge is not violent, there should be a focus on the root of the problem and rehabilitation rather than throwing the person in jail. Second ly, Kilgore calls to "ban the box" on employment applications for those with felony convictions. "As part of screening for criminal background, many employers ask candidates to check "the box" on job applications if they have ever been convicted of a crime ."(Kilgore 75). Kilgore argues that this box discriminates against people who admit to having a criminal record, often leading to their disqualification from the selection process. "As a result of these concerns, campaigns against the box have resulted in a number of cities, counties, and states passing "Ban the Box" measures" which outlaw the use of the question about criminal background on job applications and usually permit the employer to ask about criminal background only once a job offer is on the tab le .( Kilgore 78). This affects mass incarceration because if an former inmate is released from jail and doesn't find a job they may be forced back until the lifestyle that got them in trouble in the first place. I agree with Kilgore opinion to ban the box. This only helps someone discriminate and eliminate people during the hiring process. If a person is well equipped and favored for a job, only then should the employer be notified of their criminal history. This at least give people a fighting chance for jo bs rather being kicked out in the elimination process. Lastly Kilgore calls to block jail construction in large urban centers and small Midwestern towns."While mass incarceration played

Top 10 Confused Words in English [S]

Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] By Maeve Maddox My cumulative list of â€Å"words commonly confused† continues with ten that begin with the letter S. The confusion relates to spelling or meaning. 1. sight / site Both words function as nouns and verbs. As a noun, sight is a thing seen. Ex. The Pont du Garde is an astounding sight. As a verb, sight means â€Å"catch sight of something or to take aim.† Ex. The lookout sighted land at dawn. Ex. The  surveyor sighted the  compass. Site is from Latin situs: place, position. The principal meaning for web users is probably â€Å"a web address.† Ex. Daily Writing Tips is one of my favorite sites. The context in which site is frequently confused with sight regards physical location. Examples of correct usage: A small  Iron Age settlement  was found during excavations at  the site of  a new housing development near Swindon. Redness, soreness,  swelling, or itching may develop at  the site of  the injection. 2. stationary / stationery Stationary is an adjective meaning fixed or unmoving. Ex. All of his traffic violations involved stationary vehicles. Stationery is a noun meaning writing and office materials, especially writing paper and envelopes. Ex. She’s old-fashioned enough to write letters by longhand on monogrammed stationery. Tip: An easy way to remember which is which is to be aware of the er in stationery. It matches the -er at the end of paper. 3. storey / story This distinction concerns British speakers, although some older Americans were taught to observe the difference between storey, â€Å"the level of a building,† and story, â€Å"a tale.† Younger generations of Americans are accustomed to using story for both meanings. Examples: I  live in  a one bedroom  second-storey walkup  in Chelsea. Children derive comfort as well as vocabulary from a daily bedtime story. The plural of storey is storeys. The plural of story is stories. 4. sometime / sometimes / some time Sometime is an adverb that means an indefinite, unstated time in the future. Ex. I’ll clean the garage sometime. Sometimes is an adverb that means â€Å"continually, off and on, occasionally.† Ex. Sometimes she reads in the evening instead of watching television. Some time is a phrase that refers to a period of time. Ex. My web design took some time to complete, but was worth the wait. 5. shear / sheer Both words function as different parts of speech with numerous meanings. The confusion is that of misspelling sheer as shear when the meaning of sheer is â€Å"thin, fine, diaphanous.† INCORRECT: She bought some shear curtains for the living room. CORRECT: She bought some sheer curtains for the living room. Shear is a verb meaning â€Å"to cut† or â€Å"remove wool by cutting.† Ex. We watched the men shear the sheep. 6. set / sit As a verb, set means, â€Å"to place.† Ex. Please set the hot dish on a pad. The verb sit means, â€Å"to be or remain in that posture in which the weight of the body rests upon the posteriors; to be seated. Ex. Are you going to sit at that computer all day? 7. sale / sell Sale is a noun meaning â€Å"the act of selling.† Ex. He regretted the sale of his old Encyclopedia Britannica. Sell is a verb meaning â€Å"to transfer ownership of something for a price.† Ex. When are you going to sell your golf clubs? Sell functions as a noun in the expression â€Å"hard sell.† Ex. Jones has mastered the art of the hard sell: he can bully a customer into buying anything. The error with these words is to use sell in place of sale, as in this example from a site about garage sales: INCORRECT: I had a  garage sell  and I only made 5 dollars! . CORRECT: I had a  garage sale and I only made 5 dollars! . 8. straight / strait Both straight and strait function as more than one part of speech. The error with this pair is one of spelling. In all its uses, strait conveys the ideas of â€Å"tight,† â€Å"tightly fitting,† and â€Å"narrow,† whereas straight connotes the idea of â€Å"not crooked.† Here are some examples of both strait and straight: What the British call a â€Å"strait waistcoat,† the Americans refer to as a â€Å"strait jacket†: a garment for the upper part of the body, made of strong material and admitting of being tightly laced, used for the restraint of violent lunatics or prisoners. One meaning of strait as a noun is â€Å"a comparatively narrow water-way or passage connecting two large bodies of water, like the Strait of Gibraltar. A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. The old soldier stood straight and tall as he saluted the flag. 9. statue / statute A statue is â€Å"a representation in the round of a person, animal, etc., which is sculptured, molded, or cast in marble, metal, plaster, or a similar material. Ex. One of the most famous statues in the world is the David of Michelangelo. Generally speaking, a statute is a law. Ex. The perpetrator was identified just before the statute of limitations ran out. The usual error with this pair is to write statue for statute, as in this comment on a legal site: INCORRECT: My husband was sentenced to prison on a 20 year old burglary charge in California? Can they do this? Is there no statue of limitations on this type of crime? CORRECT: My husband was sentenced to prison on a 20 year old burglary charge in California? Can they do this? Is there no statute of limitations on this type of crime? 10. sensuous / sensual Both adjectives relate to the senses and are often used interchangeably. Sensuous, however, contrasts with the adjectives spiritual and intellectual. Although often equated with sexuality, sensuous can describe anything that appeals to the bodily senses, producing an agreeable effect conducive to physical comfort or contentment. For example, the touch of a cat’s fur, the aroma of bread baking, the warmth from a cozy fire, etc. are sensuous in nature. Sensual, on the other hand, implies a certain indulgence of appetite, a gratification or titillation of the senses that goes beyond what might be considered acceptable, at least in public. Ex. Madonna and Led Zeppelin Make a Startling, Sensual Pairing in â€Å"Justify a Whole Lotta Love.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousOne Scissor?