1. Do Now

2. Modern Roots of the Issue
Mass Incarceration
Modern Roots of the Issue

3. First Phase of Mass Incarceration Growth
Nixon declares War on Drugs (1971)
“Public Enemy Number One” Speech
Used to target “hippies” and communities of color
Congress begins to lengthen sentences
Incarceration rates begin to grow
Reagan signs Comprehensive Crime Control Act (1984)
Ends federal parole
Increased penalties for marijuana related crimes
Allows for death penalty
Government allows for the privatization of prisons

4. Second Phase of Mass Incarceration Growth
Congress Signs Anti Drug Abuse Act (1986)
Creates Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
Crack vs. Cocaine disparity emerges
100:1
Used to target communities of color
However, all races use drugs at a similar rate
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (1983)

5. Third Phase of Mass Incarceration Growth
1993- Today
“3 Strikes Laws” begin to emerge in some states
Later adopted by Federal Government
Mandatory life sentence for committing three felonies
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994)
Gives massive increase in funding to prisons
Incentives states to increase prison population

8. Attempts to Fight Back LA Riots (1992) Legal Organizations
Response to not guilty verdict of police involved in Rodney King beating
Rioters protesting against racial discrimination and police brutality
Legal Organizations
NAACP, CCR, & ACLU, amongst others
Grassroots campaigns led by families of the incarcerated
Want better conditions for prisoners and shorter sentencing

9. Hurdles Faced Conservative Presidents in office
Maintain tough on crime stance
Increased spending on police
More police patrolling at any given time
Many organizations lobby to create laws that keep people in prisons
Privatized Prisons, Prison Guard Unions, ALEC, Police Unions
Hard to repeal laws
Takes a lot of time and money
US holds 5% world population but 25% world’s prison population
If we release a lot of prisoners, how do we rehabilitate them?

10. Public Enemy Number One Speech
1. What do you think Nixon means by waging an “all-out offensive?”
2. Who is Nixon explicitly blaming for the increase in drug abuse? Who is he implicitly blaming?
3. Why do you think Nixon uses such vague language when describing the War on Drugs?
4. How would this kind of speech affect the African American community?
5. In what ways do these attitudes still exist today?