Assignment #4- Sneha Amrit- The Prison System

When I was little I used to think that all people who went to jail were bad people that deserved to be there, but as I got older I began to realize the complexities and inequities of the American prison system. Unexpectedly I first became aware of the unfairness when I watched Orange is the New black. The show added a human element to people that would otherwise be characterized as bad people. After watching the show I began interested and started to research American incarceration. Through research that stemmed from Orange is the New Black I found out that certain minorities specifically black men were given substantially higher and harsher sentences in comparison to their white counterparts who committed crimes of similar scale. I also learned about the unfairness of the prosecution system and how often public defenders will only have 12 minutes with each client which disproportionately affects those who cannot afford legal defense. This information completely changed my perception of the prison system and those incarcerated.