- Final Abstract: In no more than 150 words, provide the abstract for your final project.
This paper investigates the effects the connection between neoliberal sociopolitical ideals and incarceration practices in the United States. In the 1960’s, before the US adopted neoliberalism, the US prison population was 332,945. In the year 2000 the prison population had exponentially increased, with 2,042,479 individuals behind bars. The sharp increase in incarceration in the US aligns with the adoption of neoliberal principles, both beginning in the 1970’s. Specifically, this paper will examine how neoliberal practices, including the privatization of social services and the heightened criminalization policies, created conditions for the mass-incarceration of individuals in the U.S. Likewise, this paper will explore how neoliberalism’s emphasis on private markets encourages mass-incarceration through the prison industrial complex in the U.S. Bringing together numerical data, sociological analysis, news sources, and political science research, this paper argues that neoliberalism leads to mass incarceration, and the mass incarceration likewise reinforces a neoliberal rationality in the U.S.
Comments:
This is a great abstract. It is clear, well-written, and well-structured. It shows that your research topic is conceptually well-framed. Good job.