Books on Mass Incarceration and American Policing

Today, the United States makes up about 5% of the world’s population and has 21% of the world’s prisoners.In 2017, African Americans represented 12% of the U.S. adult population but 33% of the sentenced prison population. Caucasians accounted for 64% of adults but 30% of prisoners. Hispanics represented 16% of the adult population but they accounted for 23% of inmates.Mass incarceration benefits the prison industrial complex. Prisoners are also cheap sources of labor and employers who hire them gross millions in revenues while the incarcerated are only paid few cents an hour for their work. Sentencing disparities between Caucasians and persons of color are indefensible. Any person with a conscience would agree that America's prison system is in dire need of reform. Here is a reading list of books on American policing and mass incarceration.