Men designed the United States criminal justice system for reincarceration of chattel. Consider: the conveyor belt.

A conveyor belt is an essential tool in the material handling business -- continuous moving strips used for carrying materials from one place to another in an endless loop. Mostly belts convey large numbers of materials quickly, heightening efficiency in the transporting of ubiquitous goods.

People incarcerated once are prepared for reincarceration by the very system that is titled “justice.” The United States recidivism rate is 70% within five years. The formerly incarcerated travel to prison to home and back. I have known them. This enormous percentage of recidivists is due to conditions inside and outside of prison. Because of what prisons have stood for, reentry requires too much of those coming out of prisons and they are ill equipped to deal with the stressors they meet upon leaving.

They must re-establish family relationships, reenter a truncated job market, and relearn how to be a community member. Many ex-prisoners develop serious health issues and often chronic conditions like diabetes, Hepatitis C, asthma, as well as mental issues. They face fines and fees that often they cannot afford.

See: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html for a further discussion.

Artwork by Glynn B. Cartledge