The main argument that he presented is that the jail is a system in control by the white man and is used to maintain the people in society who may be dangerous or threatening but also poor. This special population of people almost entirely means the black man who occupies the majority of all poor urban areas nationwide. Similarly, in The New Jim Crow, Alexander examined the racial differences during the period in American history often titled as the war on drugs. Each section in these two powerful pieces of work provided an extraordinary point of view on just how the justice system works and also showed how the system that we are taught to believe is fair and equal may not be the case for all citizens within America. .
When someone describes America the first thing most would say is that it is the land of opportunity where all men are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights. But the ideals that helped create this nation are a farce to many. The New Jim Crow and The Jail, both tell a similar story of severe hardships forced upon the black man. First they were brought to this country to become slaves, next they were ruled by the Jim Crow Laws, and today they are controlled by the justice system. In short, the black man has always since the birth of this nation, in some shape or form, been controlled by the white man. The races of this nation have been stratified into an unequal caste system; According to Webster dictionary the proper definition of a caste system is a division of society based upon differences of wealth, rank or occupation. Some could argue that America shows some similarities to a racial caste system. This is when your social status depends on the color of your skin or where you come from, rather than who you are and what you could make of yourself. It also shows that racism in this country has evolved and has been perfected and in a sense hidden into what you may see today.
