How Does Understanding the Ferguson Uprising in the Context of Mass Incarceration Work?

Imagine you're on a playground, and one kid keeps taking all the toys, but no one stops them. That's mass incarceration in real life: a lot of people, especially kids from groups that aren't always treated fairly, get sent to jail or prison, like they’re being punished for something unfair.

In 2014, a kid named Michael Brown was walking home when a police officer stopped him, and then the officer shot him. It felt like justice wasn’t fair on that playground. People got really upset because it looked like the officer didn't have to answer for what happened.

That’s when the Ferguson Uprising started: people in Ferguson, Missouri, marched and protested because they felt Michael Brown was treated unfairly, just like a kid who gets picked on every day without anyone helping them.

When people keep getting sent away, even if they didn’t do anything wrong, it feels like the rules aren't fair. The Ferguson Uprising showed that when justice isn't fair, kids and adults alike will stand up to make things right. Imagine you're on a playground, and one kid keeps taking all the toys, but no one stops them. That's mass incarceration in real life: a lot of people, especially kids from groups that aren't always treated fairly, get sent to jail or prison, like they’re being punished for something unfair.

In 2014, a kid named Michael Brown was walking home when a police officer stopped him, and then the officer shot him. It felt like justice wasn’t fair on that playground. People got really upset because it looked like the officer didn't have to answer for what happened.

That’s when the Ferguson Uprising started: people in Ferguson, Missouri, marched and protested because they felt Michael Brown was treated unfairly, just like a kid who gets picked on every day without anyone helping them.

When people keep getting sent away, even if they didn’t do anything wrong, it feels like the rules aren't fair. The Ferguson Uprising showed that when justice isn't fair, kids and adults alike will stand up to make things right.