The Myth of Mass Incarceration Remains Strong—Despite All Evidence to the Contrary

effrey Bellin’s new book is based on a myth. He believes—wrongly—that the United States is addicted to putting people in prison who don’t need to be there—hence the title of his book, Mass Incarceration Nation. Despite his best efforts to portray his book as a nuanced account of the current state of the U.S. criminal justice system and its supposed ills, it’s actually an ideologically driven tome with a pre-determined conclusion: the states and the federal government lock up too many people. In reaching this pre-determined outcome, Bellin leaves out key context, cites inappropriate or misleading data, and contradicts himself. Especially notable are his neglect of the interests of victims and the failure of his attempt to distinguish between the criminal justice system and what he pejoratively calls the criminal legal system. Far from needing to release huge numbers of incarcerated criminals, as Bellin claims, we should instead focus on solving, prosecuting, and punishing crime to protect our communities and to obtain justice for victims. While some of the following criticisms might seem harsh, it is important to forthrightly examine Bellin’s ideas, discuss their shortcomings, and understand that even if implemented, they would likely not achieve the goals Bellin seeks.

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