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Abstract

The United States has been historically known for having the most incarcerated individuals in its country. Approximately 2.3 million adults can be found under some type of penal control. Since the 1960s, the number of incarcerated individuals can be attributed to decades of tough on crime policies, controversial police practices, and racism. Mass incarceration has raised significant social justice issues, especially since it has been heavily concentrated on poor, uneducated African American men. Moreover, recidivism rates in the United States are at an all time high with over 76.6% of offenders reoffending and returning to prison (National Institute of Justice, 2014). Many of these ex-offenders find themselves unemployed and uneducated, putting them higher at risk for recidivism. This paper will show how contributing factors like race and socioeconomic disparities contribute to mass incarceration and recidivism rates. Additionally, this paper will present an alternative program that aims to reduce overall recidivism rates across prisons and communities.

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