Stolen Wealth, Hidden Power: The Case for Reparations for Mass Incarceration

In this devastating call to action, social science researcher McKay (Holding On) documents “the knowable and definable set of atrocities” caused by the mass incarceration of Black Americans over the past four decades and outlines “a program of reparation tied to concrete evidence of harm.” Drawing on a longitudinal study of nearly 2,000 families, McKay meticulously details the “rippling consequences” of incarceration on prisoners, their loved ones, and their communities. These include disproportionate rates of infant mortality among Black children and “elevated exposure to violence, infectious disease, and mental health conditions” for people living in neighborhoods with a “militarized police presence.” Throughout, McKay interweaves qualitative analysis of post-traumatic stress among men with juvenile records, for example, with powerful firsthand testimony: “I’m fucked up for real. Like I can’t go in open places like that; if I do, I gotta sit in a corner. Loud noises affect me.” She also offers specific policy proposals, including universal prekindergarten and expanded welfare benefits, and pins the total cost of reparations at $7.16 trillion, to be paid through a combination of “direct cash-value compensation” and supplemental aid programs for college tuition, job training, and more. Though the means to enacting McKay’s reforms remains unclear, this is an eloquent and impressively detailed argument for repairing a grave injustice. (Sept.)