Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Annotated Bibliography
Privatized Prisons/Marijuana related arrests
Salvador Guardado
English 123
Professor Flores

Number 1: (Potential Solution)

DOJ dropped private prisons. DHS should do the same. | American Civil Liberties Union. (2016,
August 8). Retrieved from https://action.aclu.org/secure/ICE-private-prisons?
ms=web_160822_massincarceration_immigrantrights_ICEprisons
This article retrieved from the ACLU website is relevant and important as it relates to
private and for-profit detention centers in America. The interesting news is that although
privatized prisons and detention centers are increasingly popular, the Department of
Justice and Homeland Security has decided that it will set up a committee to evaluate
their need and continued use of for-profit detention centers. This is good news for anyone
opposed to privatized, for-profit prisons/jails, but is also just a preliminary step in a long
process that hopes to expose the large scale problems and unethical treatment of those
subjected to such places. The article goes on to explain that the DOJ has ordered that the
Bureau of Prisons begin phasing out the use of private prisons that are often considered
inhumane, and purely profit-seeking entities with absolutely no regard to inmates and
their rehabilitation. This article brings hope specifically for immigration detention centers
in the United States , but is also a very influential step in exposing and hurting the private
prison industry.

Number 2:
DELGADO, R., & STEFANCIC, J. (2016). Critical Perspectives on Police, Policing, and
Mass Incarceration. Georgetown Law Journal, 104(6), 1531-1557.
In this journal article Delgado and Stafancic highlight a highly criticized aspect of mass
incarceration, specifically privatized prisons/incarceration. The idea of privatized
incarceration is frequently labeled as bad or unfavorable due to its for profit foundation
and the controversial living conditions that inmates are subjected to. This article provided
distinction between both private and public incarceration. Shockingly, this article
mentioned that while government-run facilities are in constant violation of human rights
standards, private prisons often fall even further below standard and are even lessaccountable. Additionally, for ethical reasons private incarceration is scrutinized because
of the concept of private enterprises being designed to financially benefit from human
confinement, punishment, and misery. The article concluded that while both types of
prison systems have their flaws and need work, there are ways for create conditions for
both structures that will incentivize prisons to improve incarceration conditions.
Additionally, the authors conclude that both private and public prisons can implement
programs that promote rehabilitation, re-entry into the world after incarceration, and
reduction in repeat offenses.

Number 3:
Hetey, R. C., & Eberhardt, J. L. (2014). Racial Disparities in Incarceration Increase Acceptance
of Punitive Policies. Psychological Science (0956-7976), 25(10), 1949-1954.
doi:10.1177/0956797614540307
This article provided details about how the U.S. imprisons more people than any other
country in the world and than any other time in previous history. Additionally, the facts
state that African Americans are the most imprisoned of all groups and although they
make up only 12% of the U.S. population, they also make up nearly 40% of the nations
inmates. These statistics make it difficult to believe that one race can be the cause of so
much trouble, but actually call unequal incarceration, and racial profiling into serious
question. Unfortunately, punitive crime policies have led to dramatic growth in the
United States prison population and African Americans are being incarcerated at
unprecedented rates. This study was important and interesting because it focused on
exposing groups to real racial disparities and manipulated the racial composition of
prisons to find that when institution were labeled as more black, people were more
likely to favor harsher punitive policies and there was more concern about crime. This
article is helpful in arguing the racial injustices that are rampant in the U.S.
corrections/prison systems today.

Number 4: (possible solutions)

Krisberg, B. (2016). How Do You Eat an Elephant? Reducing Mass Incarceration in
California One Small Bite at a Time. Annals Of The American Academy Of Political &
Social Science, 664(1), 136-154. doi:10.1177/0002716215600407
This journal article discussed the national concern regarding the importance of reducing
mass incarceration in the United States with special attention paid to the decreasing
incarceration numbers in the state of California. The positive news about this article is
that California is beginning to reduce its mass incarceration numbers and since it is one
of the nations largest criminal justice systems in the nation, many are taking notice.
According to the article, the recent reduction related to the incarceration rates may be due
to law changes in place to reduce some felonies to lesser crimes, decriminalizing some
drug and other nonviolent crimes, and incentives to house offenders in local corrections
facilities rather than state prisons. Overall, the article encourages reform to take place by
taking small bites of change in sentencing and parole policies in order to see long term
change and to really have an impact nationwide. It is clear that California is making
strides to influence real change in dealing with mass incarceration, and with continued
efforts there are real possibilities of achieving practical and helpful objectives that can
impact the countrys ongoing dilemma and growing concern with mass incarceration.

Number 5:
Levine, H. (2013). The scandal of racist marijuana arrests. Nation, 297(20), 18-22.
This article detailed the subject of inequality of marijuana possession based arrests made
each year between blacks and whites. According to the article, blacks and whites use marijuana
at an equal rate, however blacks are far more likely to be arrested for possession, even with less
restrictive laws in place. The article also gives statistics stating that in New York City, blacks and
Latinos account for 87% of marijuana related arrests. Additionally, in Illinois, blacks account for
58% of marijuana related arrests. From the late nineties to about 2010, police departments in the
United States made nearly 10 million arrests for marijuana possession which is approximately
700,000 arrests a year. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, police undeniably arrest blacks
for marijuana possession at higher rates than whites in every state, and nearly every city and
county.
Number 6:
Report: The War on Marijuana in Black and White | American Civil Liberties Union. (2016).
Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/report/report-war-marijuana-black-and-white
This report prepared by the American Civil Liberties Union detailed several interesting,
but shocking facts about the unequal marijuana possession related arrests in the United
States among whites and minorities. Not only does the article point out how marijuana
related offenses are over-policed, but it also details the time, money, and dramatic racial
differences in the amounts of possession related arrests. This report not only detailed very

unequal arrest rates between whites and minorities, but also showed just how many
millions of marijuana related drug arrests there have been made in the United States over
the last one and a half decades. The extremely large numbers of arrests, combined with
the statistics of the clear racial disproportions between whites and minorities is
interesting, yet unfortunate.
Number 7:
Shepard, E. M., & Blackley, P. R. (2007). THE IMPACT OF MARIJUANA LAW
ENFORCEMENT IN AN ECONOMIC MODEL OF CRIME. Journal Of Drug Issues,
37(2), 403-424.
This journal article discussed the federal and state policies regarding illegal drugs and the
costs that are involved in enforcing them. According to the authors the cost of U.S law
enforcement against the sale and possession of marijuana is estimated at nearly $8 billion
a year. The article also discussed how the federal and state fight to disrupt and/or limit the
follow of drugs in and out of the country and across states, and to deter the use, sale, and
distribution is resulting in new penalties. These penalties and fines, property seizures, and
imprisonment policies are leading to growing costs for the public sector. The article also
mentions how arrests for drug violations continue to grow year over year due to strict
laws and increased penalties steadily increasing the number of people housed in
American jails and prisons. The article notes that according the the DEA, officials have
reported that marijuana investigations remain a top priority in the war on drugs.
Additionally, this report details how marijuana is a schedule 1 drug which is reserved for
highly addictive dangerous drugs with no legitimate medical uses, where in contrast,

drugs likes cocaine and many amphetamines are classified as Schedule 2 meaning legal
under certain restrictive conditions and are tightly controlled.
Number 8: (Understand current problem)
Verma, A. (2016). A Turning Point in Mass Incarceration? Local Imprisonment Trajectories and
Decarceration under Californias Realignment. Annals Of The American Academy
Of Political & Social Science, 664(1), 108-135. doi:10.1177/0002716215614311
This article provides helpful information on the history and origins of U.S.
criminal justice practices dating back to the 1940s are where most policy in place
was handled exclusively by state and local governments. It was not until crime rates
began rising that the federal government expanded its role in controlling violence by
beginning to pursue, prosecute, and punish law breakers. The article goes on to
discuss the growth of incarceration and the current focus on idea of decarceration
which aims to lessen the number of incarcerated people in state prisons and local
jails across the nation. Decarceration is intended to decrease the numbers of
incarcerated citizens, mostly by institutional change, i.e. Prison to jail, as the result
of an interest in addressing the overcrowding crisis. Unfortunately, decarceration
would appear to change the address of inmates but not seek to rehabilitate, educate,
or prevent repeat offenders.

Number 9: (understanding current problems)

Welch, M., & Turner, F. (2007). Private Corrections, Financial Infrastructure, and
Transportation: The New Geo-Economy of Shipping Prisoners. Social Justice, 34(3/4),
56-77.
This article took a harsh look at the troubling trends and growth of private prisons in the
United States. The details of increased involvement of a variety of financial and corporate
entities that are out to profit from being opportunistic at the expense of prisoners and
their loved ones. The authors of this article seem to have a strong position against the socalled prison profiteering and explain a how prison privatization is attracting corporate
America as it has the potential to yield abundant profits. As unfortunate as it sounds, this
article provides examples of how much imprisonment has become big business and
details how small counties are realizing that there are ways to economically benefit from
jails and prisons by privatizing and detaining as many people as possible. The most
shocking and unfortunate truths explained in this article have to do with the amount of
corporate capitalists that are attracted to and want a piece of the privatized corrections
business. Big names like AT&T, Merill Lynch,Goldman Sachs, just to name a few.
Although the article is narrowly written in favor of exposing privatized prisons for the
greed and unethical practices that are evident, the information is important and helpful to
know.