Background
Today, Microsoft Corporation is a world leader in software production, provision of services, and Internet technologies for personal computers and servers. Over the years, the company has experienced ups and downs but was able to overcome the crisis and keep the bar of the leader in the development of various software technologies and products. This work is devoted to the analysis of the problems faced by the company and the decisions taken by the company’s management.
Microsoft has many successes on its account, which resulted from the evolution of the company’s marketing and production over the years. In addition to its operating systems, the company has a stranglehold on the office suite market. Large and small enterprises use this software because it gave them tools that made it easier to process texts and create spreadsheets, presentations, and documents. The primary success of Microsoft is undoubtedly Windows NT, a family of operating systems that Microsoft has been using since the early 90s. In addition, it is possible to recall Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, mobile operating, and search systems, which significantly expanded and strengthened the company’s influence on the global market.
However, Microsoft also had setbacks that negatively affected the company’s reputation. For example, Windows ME is an operating system that was released in a hurry and, as a result, lasted only a little more than a year. It was constantly faced with incompatibilities, bugs, slow and unstable work. Microsoft Vista was heavily criticized for many errors and problems, which is why the company’s management even organized a particular Windows Mojave advertising campaign. Marketing failed to implement its plans, especially after users discovered that the operating system was stuffed with DRM restrictions and consumed excessive RAM and processor resources.
In 2011, the company decided to enter the growing mobile industry and took the dominant position of Google thanks to the Bing search system. The Internet is playing an increasingly important role in human activity, as it provides quick access to a massive amount of information. It means that users need high-quality search engines, including Bing, which has many useful features and updates to compete with Google and Google Chrome. Thus, given the constant innovations and changes, Microsoft search systems will remain in demand for a long time.
Nevertheless, the same cannot be said about Microsoft’s mobile products, the production of which ended four years ago due to several factors. For example, in the last years of the life of Windows Phone, Microsoft, for some reason, began to target the commercial sector, although it was necessary to focus on the mass consumer. In addition, Windows Phone had a minimal app store. Developers were reluctant to optimize their applications for the new platform because Windows Phone used a different API, which took a lot of time and money. Thus, the field of mobile devices could become an extremely profitable and promising direction for Microsoft, but Windows Phone came out too late. If Microsoft had introduced a new operating system earlier, instead of using Windows Mobile until the last moment, the story could have turned out entirely differently.
Microsoft needs to listen to users’ words and no longer try to establish a monopoly on a particular product sector so that the company’s actions do not cause disputes and disagreements. In addition, a transparent and honest marketing policy is needed, which will convince customers of the high quality of Microsoft products. It will also serve as an essential component of the company’s reputation. Of course, Microsoft has been on the market for many years and has a stable and reliable reputation. Still, the situation on the market may change, new competitors may appear, which will have to be reckoned with and coexisted.
PEST Analysis
Microsoft has faced several political challenges over the past couple of years. In particular, some trust issues have arisen, which are severe and require solutions, unlike many other problems. Countries, primarily China, face the problem of methods of distribution and sale of Microsoft software. Relations between the United States and China are, for the most part, friendly and mutually beneficial (Warner, 2019). The United States relies heavily on China, which means that any problems and interference can cause unrest even for Microsoft. However, the issues are connected with China and the European Union, which in 2013 fined the company $ 730 million for violating trust rules. Recently, the EU changed its privacy rules, which may be the reason for continuing legal proceedings against large American companies.
Any active business’s profitability and income directly depend on the political environment, so Microsoft needs to monitor laws in other countries carefully. Over the past two years, the company’s management has spent more than ten million dollars on organizing a favorable political environment, so Microsoft is in an advantageous position (Warner, 2019). Microsoft operates in many countries, so the nation’s attitude to the company’s activities directly affects its success.
The corporation is still recovering from the changes that occurred more than a decade ago. In 2007, when the financial crisis broke out, Microsoft was forced to lay off more than 5,000 employees. Any changes in the economy can lead to devastating consequences for companies, even as big as Microsoft. The current state of the economy also impacts Microsoft’s situation, as profits fluctuate due to changes in tax rates and labor legislation. In addition, unfriendly relations between international companies can increase inflammation or hinder the import and export of materials.
In 2015, the strengthening of the dollar led to a reduction in revenues and expenses from Microsoft’s international operations. If one country is experiencing difficulties, their purchasing habits will shift only to essential goods. However, if a country’s economy is booming, they are likely to buy more products, even if they are not expediently needed (Jiang et al., 2021). Microsoft needs to act accordingly to ensure that such changes will not significantly impact the company as a whole.
In addition to economic factors, social factors have a significant impact on the company’s income and profit. The lack of tracking of cultural changes can have a negative effect on business (Lopez Giron & Vialle, 2017). The management of large companies makes a lot of efforts to learn about new trends, to study the customs and cultural traditions of the countries where their business operates. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t pay much attention to changing its positioning to benefit cultures.
There is a significant increase in mobile devices, which should be fast, optimized for screen size, and easy to use. Microsoft has not easily adapted to smartphones, as most Microsoft products are designed for computers. Microsoft needs to make some adjustments in its attitude towards mobile device users if the company wants to succeed in this field. For example, it makes sense to include smartphones as the central part of their marketing strategies; otherwise, other companies will take the initiative.
Microsoft is a technology company that develops and distributes digital software. The corporation is affected by any changes in the technology industry: the old technology is discarded as soon as a new one is developed. The two main competitors, Apple and Google, pose a constant threat to Microsoft, as they adapt more easily and quickly to continuous changes. If Microsoft does not take any action, it will most likely lead to a devastating loss of profits (Warner, 2019). Fortunately, Microsoft invests a lot in innovation, research of new technologies. For example, the company has achieved profit growth after the introduction of cloud services. Nevertheless, the corporation is not entirely familiar with mobile technologies, which are gradually becoming a priority.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- A leading position in the global software technology market, especially in the field of cloud computing. Microsoft is the world’s largest operating system developer and a top cloud player. In the third fiscal quarter of 2020, the number of daily users of the Microsoft Teams remote work solution increased by 70% – from 44 million to 75 million within six weeks; and increased by 110% in the four months prior.
- Microsoft ranks second in the world by market value, being the world’s largest company with a dominant market share. It also holds the largest market share with 3% growth among the five largest cloud service providers.
- Microsoft has a comprehensive market coverage, operating in more than 190 countries around the world.
- The corporation demonstrates constant and steady growth in the cloud business based on profit results.
- The company’s management resorts to effective and robust marketing strategies that impact people around the world.
Weaknesses
- Microsoft focuses entirely on the PC market, which is often subject to falls due to rising supplier prices and currency fluctuations. This factor puts the company in a vulnerable and periodically dangerous position.
- Currently, there is a constant increase in cybercrime, which negatively affects the company’s activities. Hackers launch attacks on the cybersecurity of Windows operating systems.
- Microsoft has failed to increase sales of its hardware products, such as computers and Surface pro phones. The corporation lags in innovation and advanced technology, while Apple and Google are quickly making their way.
One of the organizational problems of Microsoft is the mobile direction of activity, which is difficult for the company. This problem is evident against the background that companies are beginning to allow their employees to use Android and iOS devices instead of the traditional Windows and BlackBerry devices for the corporate segment. The attention of consumers is entirely attracted by new devices – smartphones and tablets in which Microsoft has not yet reached a confident position.
Potential marketing solutions to this problem are the following: the development of a recognizable Microsoft flagship phone, like Nexus or iPhone; the expansion of the Windows Phone app store; the corporation’s transition to the Android system. Presumably, the field of mobile technologies has already been conquered by other companies, and Microsoft is unlikely to regain a significant mobile device sales sector, even despite the high quality of its products. The best strategy seems to be the transition to the Android mobile system. Even a Windows Phone-based phone with a 50-megapixel camera will not convince connoisseurs of portable electronics to reconsider their preferences in favor of a mobile platform that is not currently in high demand.
References
Jiang, Z., Sun, J., & Wei, K. (2021). The Application of PEST Analysis and POCD Framework to Skydio’s Venture Capital Investment. In 2021 International Conference on Financial Management and Economic Transition (FMET 2021) (pp. 202-208). Atlantis Press.
Lopez Giron, A. J., & Vialle, P. (2017). A preliminary analysis of mergers and acquisitions by Microsoft from 1992 to 2016: a resource and competence perspective.
Warner, J. P. (2019). Microsoft: A Strategic Audit.
Parkinson’s Disease: Description, Causes, And Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prominent neurodegenerative complications, primarily affecting the individual’s motor system. There are five primary stages of disease progression, each associated with a specific variety of symptoms (“Stages of Parkinson’s,” n.d.). Stage one generally implies mild consequences, such as slight tremors in one side of the body and movement complications, which are not detrimental to daily activities. Consequently, stage two is associated with tremors that affect the whole body, and problems with movement become more apparent. The third stage makes it highly complicated for the patient to eat and dress by themselves due to loss of balance and overall stiffness of movement. The symptoms worsen even further in stage four, and the individual requires appropriate assistance to stand and perform any daily activities. Ultimately, stage five has the most detrimental consequences, practically nullifying the individual’s motor system and making them bedridden. Furthermore, the person might also experience hallucinations, delusions, and other non-motor symptoms, which significantly deteriorate the patient’s quality of life.
The causes of symptoms are not very well-known, and the experts struggle to provide an effective solution to the problem. Nevertheless, most physicians believe that genetics and environmental factors are the two primary causes of the disease (“Causes,” n.d.). Concerning the former, the experts generally agree that genetics cause approximately 15% of the total disease cases (“Genetics and Parkinson’s,” n.d.). Environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides, are also associated with Parkinson’s disease (“Environmental factors,” n.d.). Nevertheless, regardless of the cause, affected people experience a diverse speed of symptom progression, and the experts cannot accurately explain this phenomenon. Ultimately, there are many potential causes, such as genetics, environmental factors, gender, age, and physical traumas, but additional research is required to give a definitive answer to the problem.
References
Causes. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Foundation. Web.
Environmental factors. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Foundation. Web.
Genetics and Parkinson’s. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Foundation. Web.
Stages of Parkinson’s. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Foundation. Web.
Incarceration Mass Act Among African American Males
In the history of the US, it is known as the country with the largest number of inmates globally than any other nation across the world. It has incarcerated more individuals making it have the highest population rate of people imprisoned. America has harsh punishment for the persons who commit offenses, making them serve long sentences behind bars. Based on some findings, the majority of the people in local, state, and federal prisons are African Americans. The sudden growth and increased incarceration in the US have their roots in the nature of the judicial and political atmosphere that has significantly impacted the penal system of the nation. Policymakers, politicians, and public figures adopted guidelines that allow the US to use prisons to punish crime. There are many factors that have contributed significantly to the mass incarceration act of black males in the US. Racial disparity in the court setups is a crucial aspect that results in a massive population of male African Americans in the correctional facilities across the country.
History of Mass Incarceration
The mentality behind mass incarceration originates back during the founding of the country. The policies and viewpoints that shape the idea of imprisonment stated long ago, thus making the current leadership positions about the same issues to be more complicated. The complexity of the US criminal justice system plays a vital role in confounding the effort to comprehend the nature of the practice. Another issue is the lack of centralized data, and fragmented bodies responsible for collecting information, especially policymaking, confuse policymakers. The origin of mass detention can be traced back to the error of President Nixon, who initiated the policies such as war-on-drugs, tough-on-crime, and law-and-order in the country. The guidelines were then established during the reign of President Reagan. In 1994, the rules were intensified through Clinton’s Crime bill.
The leaders, including President Clinton and Bush, continued to implement the policies during their regime in the country. The practice made the US lead other nations with prison populations following an increase of over 450 percent in the past four decades (Kreager & Kruttschnitt, 2018). Despite the rapid rise in the number of prisoners, the crime rate has not escalated proportionately during the period. This variation implies that the dramatic surge in imprisonment can be linked directly to the changes in policy and laws that significantly stressed the role of racism in the US.
Incarceration of Male African Americans
The development of policies and laws in the US has led to an increased number of black people in prison facilities. According to different research findings, the likelihood of African Americans serving life sentences in US prison is higher than their White counterparts. Furthermore, despite the low population of African Americans compared to White individuals in the country, the penitentiaries are occupied by more black inmates than white persons. Recent findings indicate that black Americans are jailed five times more than the white people in the country. In other words, one of 81 African American adults per 100000 persons in the US is in prison, serving jail term (Monk, 2019). The data is projected from the US current census by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics and Information. The details cover most of the states, thus showing how the system of the nation operates. Furthermore, from the analysis, in over 12 states, half of the population of correctional facilities are made of Black individuals. Therefore, the majority of convicted persons are males of different ages ranging from young boys to mature men.
Similarly, other reports have been produced by Prison Policy Initiative, which has provided proper analysis showing how the correctional facilities are overcrowded. The research findings from the study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Employment and Training Institute indicated that in Milwaukee County, half of the young African American men are in jail serving their sentences. Same case with Hawaii, irrespective of the lowest disparity between White and Black people, the research shows that twice more Black persons are imprisoned compared to the White individuals. Based on the information, it is clear that most of the federal, local, and state correctional facilities are full of Black individuals.
Generally, the policies and guidelines of the criminal justice system of the US are contrary to the belief of peoples’ way of life. It is important for the laws to protect and preserve the value of human life. However, based on the reports, the government use more violence to resolve issues in the society, especially in the neighborhood composed of African American. The system applies stringent measures such as corporal punishment, life imprisonment, and tough-on-crime regulations to tame criminal activities which do not lower the rate of wrongdoing in the country. The federal and local governments have failed to establish a proper way by which the system can address the root causes of misconduct amongst people of color. Instead of relying on rehabilitation to resolve the issues, the law enforcement officers and the criminal justice system have developed the tendency of inflicting pain and severe suffering to the minority group in the nation.
Mass Incarceration of Male Blacks due to Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice System
There are various of reasons that have resulted in excessive imprisonment of male African Americans over the past years. The primary cause of the massive male black incarceration in the US is the racial disparity that exists in the criminal justice system of the country (Esparza, 2018). This and other aspects of the policies have significantly increased the sentencing of Black people in jails. The inequalities are encountered in sentencing, policing, pretrial, parole and post-prison.
Sentencing
Despite the lowest population of male African Americans in the country in relation to the White men in the country, the number of Blacks locked in the correctional facilities is more. The statistics encompass people in both juvenile and adult prisons, which, when compared to the counterpart individuals, African Americans are mostly imprisoned. In general, the imprisonment rate is about 5.2 times that of both young and white adults. Whereby in some states, the tally is even higher than the stated proportion following the strong measures towards curbing criminality.
Generally, in over 270,000 persons convicted of drug crimes in prisons, about 55% are African Americans. This figure shows that the likelihood of Black males being arrested and charged with cases related to prohibited substances in the country is extremely high (Jeffers, 2019). Similarly, half of the people who have been subjected to life sentences are African Americans making the act of black male incarceration to be higher than any other group of individuals in the US. Black boys have a high chance of being placed in the juvenile system than the Whites teenagers. Irrespective of the recent drop in the confinement of children, the racial gap between the black and their counterparts has increased tremendously.
The racial inequalities that exist in both juvenile and adult justice systems originate from the factors of policing and pretrial of the criminal courts. They are escalated by the discretional decisions which are against or disadvantage the male African Americans because of their color and overwhelming socioeconomic issues. For instance, the likelihood of Prosecutors charging Black men with heavier sentences is higher compared the White males. This experience is most common with federal attorneys. They subject African Americans to mandatory imprisonment for offenses similar to ones committed by the Whites who receive less or none of jail terms. The same case applies to state Prosecutors who also have the tendency of placing harsh punishment on people of color than white defendants facing the equivalent scenario. In general, most of the people in the system are using their discretion in a biased manner to infringe the minority group, thus resulting in mass acts of incarcerating Black males.
Moreover, most counties have adopted policies that significantly affect the poor people, which are mostly Black individuals. Some states such as Missouri and Louisiana are providing fewer funds to the poor defense programs, thus leaving the public with limited choice. Despite the presence of many qualified defenders, there are massive caseloads making them unavailable to protect the needs of needy persons. This makes most individuals be assigned counsels with limited court experience to defend them against their crimes. The jurisdictions are practicing such acts to demean and deny minority groups the right to access attorneys that can win the cases successfully. The approach makes most of the Black males lose their lawsuits, thus making them subjects of imprisonment.
Policing
The massive rise in the mass incarceration act on Black Americans is constituted by the disproportionate level at which the police make contact with African Americans. The aspect is most common for the cases of drug offenses which are being committed at a relatively equal rate by the people of different races in the country (Blankenship et al., 2018). The key reason why most Blacks are frequently approached by law enforcement officers is that the police associate them with violation of the country’s laws. The intelligence of the department links criminal activities with minority neighborhoods, thus making the state and federal government channel all their resources to such places. The primary reason is that the government has failed to develop viable and productive policies to help in eliminating poverty in the local setups.
Following limited policies to address the societal separation and the poverty level, the police and other law enforcement units view the areas occupied by the minority people as a key target. This approach has led to the conviction of more African American males than white counterparts because the Native Americans are not part of the government focus. The most common policies used by the system on war-on-drugs include “Stop, Question and Frisk” sanctions during encounters with most innocent individuals. The procedure resulted in an increased number of people arrested for drug crimes.
Based on the approach, one in four individuals arrested in 2015 for drug crime was African American. Even though substance usage does not vary significantly by race in the country, this indicates that most black males became victims of the law violation compared to other groups. According to the research conducted by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the findings show that Black people being arrested because of possessing marijuana was 3.7 times higher than White Americans (Monk, 2019). The big difference exists despite the ease of comparing consumption between the two groups. The high rates of arrest facilitate the increase in the number of African Americans convicted.
On most occasions, the highest officials, especially in New York City, ignored the fact that law enforcement officers were conducting stops in a manner that discriminated the people of color. Based on the opinion of one judge, the personnel argued that the approach of stop and frisk being used in the urban center is unconstitutional. The tactic violated the rights of most individuals, making them suffer undeserved consequences. The verdict declared the technique illegal in 2013 since it mainly targeted the Black males living in poor neighborhoods. The criminal justice system applied the method to uncover drugs and weapons from people. Despite the proof of the ineffectiveness of the practice, other localities continued to use the approach leading to increased apprehension of more African American men.
Pretrial
In the US, there are several policies that play a significant role during the processing and decision-making concerning offenders. In 2016, about 65 percent of inmates were detained before subjecting them to pretrial. During this period, the underlying policing influenced the disparity that exists in the population of imprisoned criminals. In most cases, before pretrial release, the courts require a huge amount for the bond, which is a disadvantage to most of the Black males following the economic issues (Lemmons & Johnson, 2019). In the event of hearing cases, African Americans are more likely to be denied bail compared to white persons. This aspect lowers their chances of being released during pretrial. Most blacks’ reduction or inability to afford the requirement makes them face unfavorable jail term sentences in the country’s correctional facilities. Therefore, most Black American men are detained due to their inability to comply by paying the high set bonds. These factors contribute significantly to the mass act of male African American incarceration in the country.
Parole
The criminal justice system has a mandate that allows prison officials to release inmates after a thorough assessment of their behaviors and valid promises from the offenders to change for the better. The practice is based more on the discretion act to enable the correctional facilities to lower the overwhelming population of prisoners. The process of securing a discretionary release is complicated and maybe come harder for Black Americans to access. During the determinations of individuals to discharge from the imprisonment, the parole boards are believed to be significantly influenced by the color, thus their decisions to favor white men that African American males. The eminent racial discrimination amongst the majority of the penitentiary officers also determines the possible outcome of the practice. The behavior leaves people of color with a limited option which is to serve their set sentence.
Similarly, the racial bias situation extends to the community supervision whereby most of the parole officers are offering limited support to enable individuals of color to successfully complete the period. In most cases, probation officials are more likely to revoke male Black Americans compared to white counterparts undergoing the same process. The reports from the Urban Institute examination indicated that there were high probation revocation rates in Dallas Country, New York City, and Multnomah County. Based on the findings, black men were commonly discontinued from the trial, thus taking them back to confinement. The prejudice is critical in enhancing the percentage of African American men serving their incarceration. They lack the opportunity to obtain justice and fair treatment to enable them to be released from prison.
Post-Prison Consequences
After completing the prison sentence, offenders find it is challenging to fit back into society, and in most cases, they are convicted for the second time. This scenario is more common, particularly for African American men. They majorly encounter collateral consequences linked with their past criminal records. In the year 2010, over seven percent of adults in the US were convicted based on the previous felony. Amongst the black men, the rate increased to 33%; in other words, one in three African American males faced the challenge (Skinner-Osei & Stepteau-Watson, 2018). Some of the obstacles contributing to the difficult re-entry into the community include limited employment, poor housing, and the ability to exercise their rights. This leaves most of the released inmates vulnerable thus can easily fall for further criminal activity leading to rearrests.
Moreover, most jobs in the US require people to have an occupational license. The requirement also acts as a barrier to individuals with criminal records. In segments that do not need the conditions, employers allowing people with incarceration history is limited; especially the Black Americans are less likely to receive a callback to secure their employment opportunities. Furthermore, such individuals even encounter intense discrimination from their colleagues following their past criminal details. The conducts make it challenging for the victims to integrate properly into the normal societal system.
Individuals convicted in federal or state courts in the matter of drug offenses are exposed to a significant challenge. According to the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, people with such criminal records are not allowed to access food stamps and cash assistance in the country. The law has a great impact on male African Americans, especially those with limited ability to support themselves after release from prison (Pettit & Gutierrez, 2018). Despite the lift of the policy in some regions, there are other states who still continue using the practice to punish offenders. The acts prompt most of the released persons to engage in other criminal activities to meet their basic needs. The need to survive has made the majority commit felonies, thus making them face jail sentences again.
Wrongful Conviction
The federal court system of the US allows the offender to avoid extreme sentences if they issue the prosecutors with reliable and adequate assistance on other individuals’ prosecution. The practice has increased the level of lying no-eyewitness to the point of the high rate of wrongful conviction. The approach has provided a significant advantage for the white men over black since their side of the story is valued compared to the African Americans. Similarly, it has led to excessive imprisonment of nonviolent people who other individuals framed to protect themselves.
Bias Enforcement of Drug Policies
Most states have formulated and implemented drug policies to enable them to fight the offenses related to the use of such illegal substances. However, instead of applying and following the guidelines effectively, the law enforcement officers have made the approach a target to the black community in the country. For instance, in Hearn, Texas, a local drug force unit is entitled to conduct annual raids in the African American neighborhood. They use unreliable information or involuntary statements to meet their goals. During the periods to search the streets, the officers enjoy seeing how the Black males flee following the fear and terror they inflict on them. They specifically target the groups where they arrest and detain most of the victims. In such incidences, people arrested tend to plead guilty to reduce prison sentences even though they are certain of their conduct. Black Americans submit in order to avoid facing trial in courts full of white juries that would make imprisonment mandatory for them. Therefore, the policy has been biased, thus causing a large number of Black males to face charges for the crimes they did not commit.
The Three Strike Laws
In the criminal justice system, the courts have the mandate to subject an offender to life imprisonment after committing three offenses. The technique imposes harsher punishment on the victims who have repeated crime activities. They require the defendant to receive 25 years prison sentence when convicted. Black males are majorly impacted by the law because they are convicted most of the time wrongfully or purposely. The practice has increased the number of African Americans serving their life sentences in state and federal correctional facilities.
Truth in Sentencing
Another factor contributing massively to the mass incarceration act on African American males is truth in sentencing. In 1998, the states established a law that removes disciplinary credits for a particular group of offenders in prison. The regulation requires convicted persons to serve their minimum life sentence without receiving parole calls (Tonry, 2019). The policy applies to assaultive crimes committed by the victims. The law forces incarcerated individuals to complete their jail term, thus making them serve the longest period behind bars. African Americans are more disadvantaged by the guideline since most of them are victims of long sentencing, incurring long imprisonment. Black males are mostly charged with assaultive acts; thus, they remain in prisons for a long time.
Effects of Mass Incarceration of Male African Americans
Mass incarceration of male Black Americans has various diverse effects on the government and the affected individuals. Although federal and state officials view it as a remedy for curbing criminal activities in the country, it brings the nation severe challenges that require proper intervention from the national and county authorities. Some of the impacts include overcrowding in the correctional facilities, emotional distress amongst the offenders, family depression, and increased government expenditure to maintain the operations of the prisons.
Overcrowding of Prison Facilities
The impact of mass incarceration of male black Americans is overcrowding of the prisons and juvenile facilities. The increasing level of conviction makes a massive number of people, including those who have committed petty offenses, receive a jail term in the penitentiary. The huge population brings more challenges to the systems as most of the available resources cannot support the needs of the inmates. Similarly, when individuals are convicted and subjected to long sentences, they learn different behaviors from their peers within the settings, making them become dangerous to the community upon completing their imprisonment.
Moreover, due to the massive number, the level of competition is high within the facilities leading to harm of the inmates who are not capable of defending themselves. The rate of mental problems is also likely to increase in such an environment, thus making most inmates engage in behaviors that can easily cause injury to them (Peirce & Fondevila, 2020). In addition, crowded prisons experience more violent cases that risk the lives of officials manning the facilities and other offenders.
Emotional Distress
Generally, most of the people behind bars are serving sentences for crimes they did not commit. They were convicted based on false evidence and set up by other people who had ill intentions. Such individuals face significant emotional and psychological torture that is making their living complicated. Since there is less concern and the authorities are not willing to inquire more about the nature of their arrest, the majority commit suicide in order to evade the agony and distress they have been encountering in the facilities. Some also develop incurable illnesses following the constant stress and anxiety they are experiencing.
Increased Family Depression
Most convicted male African Americans have family members who depend on them for survival and other meaningful support. When they are imprisoned, the duties and responsibilities they were undertaking remain pending, causing a big gap that requires someone to fill. For example, fathers have the mandate to provide for their children’s school fees, healthcare, and other common basic needs (Wildeman et al., 2019). If they are convicted, they leave only mothers with a huge role to play, which in most cases overwhelmed them following the economic issues. In such scenarios, the loved ones become disoriented, and the level of anxiety increases amongst them. Some may develop mental health problems, thus making them less productive in life.
Moreover, most of the families break because there is nobody to guide them and show them the right direction. Based on many beliefs, fathers are the head of the homestead. Therefore, they are missing children, and other close relatives find it challenging to maintain the relations. When male teenagers lack a father figure during their early stages of growth, they may involve in behaviors that can lead to their arrest. Such occurrences can significantly impact the well-being of people in those settings, especially young boys.
Increased Government Expenditure
Generally, for the federal and state governments to sustain the large population of convicts in prison, they have to allocate a good amount of money to finance the various operations and activities in those facilities. For instance, more wardens are required to watch the inmates implying that it is necessary to increase expenditure to employ them (Kajeepeta et al., 2021). Similarly, offenders have to eat, and it is the taxpayer’s money that provides for them the meals. Keeping the records of many people is a challenge, therefore, some cash is channeled in purchasing all the required systems that facilitate the protection and control of the correctional units. With the surging number of inmates, the government is forced to adjust the facilities or formulate other programs to accommodate the large population. All these operations require money from the government to enhance the efficiency of the system.
Remedy to Reduce Mass Act of Incarceration of Male African Americans
Based on various findings from the different studies conducted by an array of institutions, there is an obvious solution that can significantly lower the excessive conviction of Black males. When the act is reduced, the negative effects associated with it will automatically end. The imprisonment of African Americans is not directly proportional to the increases in criminal activities rather; it is more connected to the set of policies and laws of the country. Therefore, to solve the problem effectively, both the state and federal governments should revise and create reforms in the criminal justice system and law enforcement unit. The approach will help to minimize the incarceration of black people.
In summary, the research study concludes that mass incarceration of male African Americans is a common scenario in the US. Some studies indicate that the likelihood of black American men being arrested is higher than any other group of individuals in the country. The main contributing factor to the imprisonment of African Americans is the racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system of the nation. The local, state and federal governments have formulated policies that facilitate the arrest of people of color, thus making them behalf of the prison population. The practice has unlimited side effects both to the country and the offenders. In order to minimize the impacts of detention, the government should reform the laws and policies in the law enforcement unit to create fairness and justice.
References
Blankenship, K. M., del Rio Gonzalez, A. M., Keene, D. E., Groves, A. K., & Rosenberg, A. P. (2018). Mass incarceration, race inequality, and health: Expanding concepts and assessing impacts on well-being. Social Science & Medicine, 215, 45-52. Web.
Esparza Flores, N. (2018). Contributing factors to mass incarceration and recidivism. Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science, 6(1), 4. Web.
Jeffers, J. L. (2019). Justice is not blind: Disproportionate incarceration rate of people of color. Social Work in Public Health, 34(1), 113-121. Web.
Kajeepeta, S., Mauro, P. M., Keyes, K. M., El-Sayed, A. M., Rutherford, C. G., & Prins, S. J. (2021). Association between county jail incarceration and cause-specific county mortality in the USA, 1987–2017: A retrospective, longitudinal study. The Lancet Public Health, 6(4), e240-e248. Web.
Kreager, D. A., & Kruttschnitt, C. (2018). Inmate society in the era of mass incarceration. Annual Review of Criminology, 1, 261-283. Web.
Lemmons, B. P., & Johnson, W. E. (2019). Game changers: A critical race theory analysis of the economic, social, and political factors impacting Black fatherhood and family formation. Social Work in Public Health, 34(1), 88-101. Web.
Monk, E. P. (2019). The color of punishment: African Americans, skin tone, and the criminal justice system. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 42(10), 1593-1612. Web.
Pettit, B., & Gutierrez, C. (2018). Mass incarceration and racial inequality. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 77(3-4), 1153-1182. Web.
Peirce, J., & Fondevila, G. (2020). Concentrated violence: The influence of criminal activity and governance on prison violence in Latin America. International Criminal Justice Review, 30(1), 99-130. Web.
Skinner-Osei, P., & Stepteau-Watson, D. (2018). A qualitative analysis of African American fathers’ struggle with reentry, recidivism, and reunification after participation in re-entry programs. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(2), 240-255. Web.
Tonry, M. (2019). Fifty years of American sentencing reform: Nine lessons. Crime and Justice, 48(1), 1-34. Web.
Wildeman, C., Goldman, A. W., & Lee, H. (2019). Health consequences of family member incarceration for adults in the household. Public Health Reports, 134, 15S-21S. Web.