Over 15 years ago, legal scholar Michelle Alexander published the award-winning book, The New Jim Crow. (Excerpts from this book are included in They Say / I Say.) Alexander explains the rapid rise in incarceration in the United States and argues how the systemic racial prejudices in the US criminal justice system affect Black Americans, constraining their freedom and opportunities.

What do things look like now? Researchers Ashley Nellis and Sabrina C. Pearce at The Sentencing Project, a think tank that investigates mass incarceration, gathered data about US incarceration and crime to show mass incarceration’s continued effects on American families and communities.

Ashley Nellis and Sabrina C. Pearce, “Mass Incarceration Trends.” The Sentencing Project, 9 April 2026.

1. Carefully read this quote from the first paragraph: “This system of control is vast, unevenly applied, and deeply consequential, with far-reaching social, economic, and political effects.” How is incarceration as a punishment for crime “unevenly applied” in the United States, according to the authors? Consider what groups of people are more likely to be incarcerated than others and the types of crimes that lead to imprisonment.
2. This report relies on 13 different charts to present evidence and support arguments. Choose one chart that challenges a “they say” idea or assumption that you (or someone you know) might have about the US incarceration system. What is that assumption? What information does the chart you selected show, and how does it challenge this “they say” assumption?
3. The authors of this report use footnotes to cite the sources they use. Click on a citation that’s connected to a statement or point that you found interesting, and then look up the cited source. Practice some of the lateral reading techniques discussed in Chapter 15. What makes this source credible—or not? How are the authors using this source in their argument?
4. This is a research report, which is a different genre than a conventional academic argument. Describe the differences you notice between this report and academic arguments you’ve written or read. Pay attention to the report’s writing moves, organization, tone, purpose, and citation style.
5. Jennifer Doleac, an economist who researches criminal justice in the United States, argues in this opinion piece that when young people commit crimes, jail time should be used “as sparingly as possible” as punishment. Why? What does she think is more effective for deterring youth crime? What do you think Nellis and Pearce would say in response to Doleac’s argument? (The report discusses youth incarceration in Figure 13 and its last section.)