The 13th amendment states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any
place subject to their jurisdiction.” Slavery takes many forms, including prisons and jails. While
America has only 5% of the world's population, it has 25% of the world's prisons. That is an appalling
amount. A fifth of the world's jails are housed in the " Land of the Free."
While many of the people in prison have committed heinous crimes that have led them there, there are also high numbers of those who do not belong. Since prisons help the government, they aim to have more people imprisoned. A mandatory minimum sentencing law was enacted to fill up jails, forcing judges to give prison time even for certain minor offences.
Mass incarceration is a leading cause of the imprisonment of innocent people. There are organizations that were created to help fight for those who were wrongfully accused. The Innocent Project for example is an organization designed to exonerate wrongfully convicted inmates, support those who have been wrongfully convicted build their lives back, reform laws and implement policies to prevent wrongful convictions.
It is essential to hold the government accountable. As a resident of the United States, you want the system to support those it is meant to serve. With the rising police violence and imprisonment We, the people, must stand up for what is fair . The government should avoid attempting to enslave minorities and instead concentrate on defending them.
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