The human stories behind mass incarceration | Eve Abrams

The United States locks up more people than any other country in the world, says documentarian Eve Abrams, and somewhere between one and four percent of those in prison are likely innocent. That's 87,000 brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers -- predominantly African American -- unnecessarily separated from their families, their lives and dreams put on hold. Using audio from her interviews with incarcerated people and their families, Abrams shares touching stories of those impacted by mass incarceration and calls on us all to take a stand and ensure that the justice system works for everyone.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more.

[channelforpositivitylunder]

The saddest.. most corrupt thing is..
There is a huge for-profit industry behind the mass incarceration
:<

[squareyes]

Male/ female ratio of the incarcerated is 14:1. Why can't GenderTED recognise that

[Mensidio]

I’ve never been arrested too, we have so much in common omg

[zachmentalloadcoach]

This gives me a much better perspective on the possible stories behind the many people in these institutions. I will be sure to ask about the stories behind those locked up rather than just accepting judgements that come up naturally

[swordwaker]

What about million victimless acts being criminalized? That's an even bigger deal.

[trinimami]

I think they charge ppl with the highest crime that they can find and end up having them plead to what they may have actually done and in some cases still higher than what they may have done just to get a conviction and receive the same funding or more than they did the year before. It's all about the numbers for these ppl, I was once in this same boat and after serving 16 and a half years with the system that failed me by the numbers for racism, I have still been able to achieve more than someone with my track record with nothing before or after of the nature I was incarcerated in. There was nothing wrong with me, I just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and went I tell ppl the whole truth and nothing but the truth, they tend to think what more I could have been if this hadn't happened to me 36 years ago.

[LittleLulubee]

Where's the speech about all the grieving spouses and children of police officers who were killed by thugs?

[ayman-hosny]

I've translated this video into Arabic for TED. Once it is approved, I wish to be useful for all Arabic speakers and others who are interested in.

[vadinhopsc]

A very wealthy country and a highly dysfunctional society. Weird. What's wrong in the US?

[swiper-fox]

Which of the following did Eve Abrams mention in her TED Talks presentation as a cause for the mass incarceration in the United States?

[killa_kyle]

Don’t do the crime, if you don’t wanna do the time.

[samljer]

only in america, can you do absolutely nothing, and still get 30 years.

[harryvaughan]

Mass crime should lead to mass incarceration... what’s the problem

[anibaljesusdelgadillo]

Hyper segregation, spatial profiling, covert institutional racism, social engineering; these are social facts of America, the so-called "land of the free."

[johannesblank]

All those indignant middle-aged white women in the audience

[mayratrevino]

I feel guilty and helpless. Im a victim of the unjust system. Im white and could afford a lawyer. I can't even imagine how it must feel to make min wage, be black, and try and fight for justice. Its impossible!

[Wanderor]

The justice system, we are told, is made to try and avoid sentencing innocent people, hence the "innocent 'til proven guilty". Incarcerating innocents is the very worst we can do, yet...
- I am in Canada, but justice does concern us all worldwide and what the USA does clearly tends to influence many regimes elsewhere.

[llcooljay]

prob should not break the law if you don't want to go to jail

[rtanner]

Who in the world would give this a thumbs down?

[stevenm]

My only problem is that there's the whites, the blacks.
There is also Asians who are unnoticed which is kinda depressing as an asian