The Struggle Inside Summary

The United States has become too reliant on prisons when it comes to dealing with individuals that do not fall in line with society-made rules. In the journal article titled “The Struggle Inside,” the author discusses the problems modern prisons have with incarcerating civilians based off of their race, sex, age, etc., as well as the way those same prisoners are treated because of said factors. The Sentencing Project, an online website, provides statistical data and graphs to depict the effects that prison population demographics have when it comes to incarceration rates and crime rates. The Nation, a magazine website, provides images of protest signs along with explanations as to how individuals feel about the current prisons system. Another

“In the Struggle” writes about how “most crimes committed by women serving time in county jails are victimless crimes; victimless that is, except for themselves” (36). Women are victims in their personal situations, and react by trying to survive. Many are arrested for prostitution, but for the majority of that group, they were forced into that lifestyle of trafficking themselves. They also face numerous sexual harassment while in prison, but this goes for youth and males as well. Society sees women as weak as submissive, so they are abused out in the real word, they are then arrested and sent to jail, where they are abused even more. The youth in society face detrimental effects if they become part of the system. The same journal article, The Struggle Within, explains the concept of reformatories: if the children sent there do not conform, they can remain in their custody until they turn 21. They grow up in the system, and adapt to their surroundings. Another problem with juvenile facilities is that their main population is youths of color. Black individuals, American Indian youths, Hispanics, as well as other youths of color, are more likely to be sentenced harsher terms of punishment. They are also more likely to be transferred to the adult system to serve their time there (The Sentencing Project). The youth that are forced to serve longer sentences

Instead of sending individuals to prison when it is not completely necessary, abolitionists and reformists suggest focusing on restorative strategies. They advocate forcing the non-violent criminal to become a productive member of society rather than sticking them into a facility for a large portion of their lives, which hurts their lives in terms of future jobs and social relationships, amongst other factors. Advocates focus on concentrating on the root of the crime and trying to teach them right from wrong there. If they are given chances and are shown productive ways to right their wrong, the least dangerous criminals can learn from their mistakes and try to redirect their