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Shaan Johri
Professor White
ENG 123
Nov 11, 2015
Literature Review
Many experts say that the increase in mass incarceration is related to drug war and drug
related arrests, yet the majority of incarcerations are still perpetrated by violent offenders. Many
studies have shown that violent offences have spiked as a result of an increased violence in
music, television programming and movies. Media violence has spawned a cycle of aggression
that begins at home, continues on the streets, then finally in prison, leaving inmates with few
coping methods once they reenter society. There are however; ways to sensitize society and curb
violent behavior in order to stop this violent cycle.
Civil rights advocate, Michelle Alexander points finger solely at the War on Drugs,
introduced by President Nixon for responsibility of the increase of incarcerations and compares
todays mass incarceration of African Americans to the post-slavery Jim Crow laws of the
American South. Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School James Forman Jr. has similar
views on the subject, yet conflicts with Alexanders opinion on many important points. Forman
states that drug related crimes are a smaller percentage of incarcerations in comparison to violent
crimes and also argues that the Jim Crow analogy of Alexander, prevents the advocacy for nonblacks in the prison system.

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Alexander, Michelle. "The New Jim Crow." Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law 9.1 (2011).
Web.
In Michelle Alexanders article, The New Jim Crow, she outlines the parallels between
post-Civil War era Jim Crow laws of the south. She explains that both Jim Crow, and the War on
Drugs target poor, colored youth, and disenfranchise them for life. She claims that television
propaganda in the 1980s depicted black communities as the root of the drug problem, by
showing drug related crimes on television disproportionately to reality. She states that the jails
and prisons are disproportionately African American, and once released into society labeled as a
convict, these citizens have little means of survival, due to their disenfranchisement. Those
labeled as a convict usually end up back in prison in an endless cycle. (Alexander, The New Jim
Crow)
Forman, Jr., James. "Racial Critiques of Mass Incarceration: Beyond the New Jim Crow." New
York University Law Review 26 Feb. 2012. Web.
Forman claims that the War on Drugs and Jim Crow analogy diverts our attention away
from violent crime offenders, who populate the majority of the US jail system. He states that
comparing mass incarceration to the Jim Crow laws of the South, focus the mass incarceration
issue solely on the African American citizens. The large population of Whites and Hispanics who
have also been effected by the justice system are then forgotten about.
Although both Alexander and Forman disagree, they both also make valid points which
they do agree upon. The entertainment and media industry successfully maligned African
Americans during the 1980s War on Drugs, causing public support for the police, proving that
the media is a powerful tool of emotion. Although Alexander speaks as an advocate against mass

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incarceration from the War on Drugs, Foreman points out that violent crime offenders make a
much larger percentage of the inmate population.
Hip hop music is one form of entertainment that has developed a very violent side,
especially during the 1990s gangster rap era. (Jackson and Anderson). Proven studies have
shown that people exposed to violent movies or music are more likely to act out violently.
Jackson, Brenda and Sharon Anderson. "Hip Hop Culture Around the Globe: Implications for
Teaching." Black History Bulletin Spring 2009: 22-32.
Jackson and Anderson are both teachers at elementary schools in Texas. They explain that
hip hop music was born out of Bronx NY, as a creative outlet for urban youth. They call this
generation of children, the hip hop generation, because it has grown to be more than music to
their students; it is now a life style. Jackson and Anderson explain that hip hop also has a very
violent side that formed in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. They are trying to
incorporate positive aspects of hip hop into their curriculum, to veer students in a constructive
direction while keeping their interests away from the negative.
Signorielli, Nancy. "Does Exposure to Media Violence Promote Aggressive Behavior" Violence
in the Media: A Reference Handbook (2005).
Professor of communication Nancy Signorielli asserts that research supports the position
that media violence affects viewers by fostering aggression, causing desensitization to violence,
and promoting fear. (Signorielli). Signorielli cites the research of Leonard Eron and L. Rowell
Huesman, when she speaks of a study done on young boys, which concludes that violence seen
on television at age eight, is related to physical aggression exerted at age eighteen. This includes
acts of anti-social behavior, fighting and even spousal abuse. She continues to state that similar

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results have been seen in studies on children in New York, Chicago as well as Finland, Poland
and Israel.
Signorielli also cites the research of Brian Centerwell, MD. Centerwell, who examined
the effects of the introduction of television into different societies and televisions effect on rates
in homicides. In the United States, and Canada, homicide rates in white males, increased 90
percent between 1945 and 1975, while in South Africa, where television was banned, the rate
remained the same.
In conclusion to both works of Jackson, Anderson and Signorielli, experiencing violence
in the form of entertainment, relates to violent and aggressive behavior.
Violent tendencies in children as well as adults can be treated if measures are put in place
to correct methods of dealing with emotions. Starting with positive media at a young age can
help children deal with emotions positively and will help them cope with anger and depression
faced later on in life.
Wilson, Barbara J. "Media and Children's Aggression, Fear and Altruism." Future of Children
Spring 2008. Web.
Psychologists agree that screen media plays a role in a childs development. (Wilson).
Incorporating the subject of dealing with emotions into media at a young age can teach children
how to cope with difficulty. Sesame Street is one example of where media can teach children
how to deal with their feelings and learn emotional coping, instead of teaching them to be violent
in difficult situations. Sesame Street aired a series of shows, in which the characters were forced
to deal with feelings of sadness, loss and depression in a positive manner. For instance, Big

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Birds nest was destroyed in a hurricane (similar to Hurricane Katrina). After showing
expressing emotions of sadness and loss, many of Big Birds friends helped him rebuild his nest.
Firestone, Lisa. "7 Ways to Stop Violence at Every Age." Compassion Matters 1 Oct 2012. Web.
Violence is the result of a combination of biological, social and physiological factors,
especially those that increase exposure to vulnerability, shame and humiliation. (Firestone).
Firestone outlines a comprehensive guide to how we can prevent our children from becoming
violent adults, and also how to rehabilitate prisoners to be released into society with the tools
they need for positivity and peaceful emotional coping. Firestone says that the ways to prevent a
child from becoming violent are; form an attachment with the child, develop a moral conscience,
help the child develop empathy for others, build realistic self-esteem, avoid harsh punishments
and teach them calming techniques.
Firestone also outlines how to prevent prisoners from becoming violent upon release into
society. These methods include; developing empathy through victim impact groups, where
victims of violence speak to prisoners, gaining a sense of personal value, the Restorative Justice
model in which prisoners are given opportunities in society, avoid harsh prison punishments,
rehabilitation treatment instead of punishment, and teaching inmates calming techniques which
helps increase their emotional intelligence. San Franciscos Manalive program has been
successful at teaching inmates calming techniques, so they are able to identify anger and stop it
before it gets out of hand.
Although the War on Drugs attributed to a boom in mass incarceration, still the larger
majority of prisoners are violent offenders. The increase in violence in media through music,
television and movies, has directly affected the rise in violent crimes in the United States,

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attributing to an increase in violent offenders in the prison system. Through the implementation
of positive to teach children emotional coping mechanisms for difficult situations; and
rehabilitation programs for prisoners to help them become more emotionally intelligent, we
together as a society can help curb violent crimes, and slow down the trend of mass
incarceration.