Mass Incarceration: Implications for Social Work

(3 Credits)

There are more the 2 million people incarcerated today in the United States, and there are over 7 million people under the surveillance mechanisms of parole, probation, and other forms of community supervision. Women are the fastest growing prison population, and over 2 million children have a parent in prison. Some have aptly titled the constellation of problems associated with this period “mass incarceration,” a period which has also greatly exacerbated the challenges facing social workers in their pursuit of social justice. This course provides a critical historical analysis of the criminal justice system in the United States. It examines the implications of varying criminal justice and social policies such as the Rockefeller Drug Laws, 3-Strike Legislation, and Mandatory Minimums and their legacy vis a vis the current state of incarceration, as well as the phenomenon of “recidivism.” The course is intended to facilitate a more informed/holistic practice for MSW students working directly or indirectly within the varying intersections of criminal justice and social work practice and, by extension, advocacy and policy.