mass incarceration

Mass incarceration refers to the imprisonment of an exceptionally large proportion of a population, particularly in the United States, where incarceration rates far exceed those of other developed nations.

The term carries critical connotations, implying that the scale of imprisonment reflects systemic problems—such as racial disparities, harsh sentencing laws, and the war on drugs—rather than simply high crime rates.

Activists argue that mass incarceration devastates communities of color.

The phrase emerged in academic and policy discussions in the late twentieth century.