Question

Spending on jails and prisons by state and federal governments has risen from $6.9 billion in 1980 to nearly $80 billion today. . . . State governments have been forced to shift funds from public services, education, health, and welfare to pay for incarceration, and they now face unprecedented economic crises as a result.

–Just Mercy,
Bryan Stevenson

Based on details from both texts, which conclusion about the financial effects of mass incarceration can most logically be drawn?

The high cost negatively affects both people who stand to be convicted and communities at large.
The high cost is justified by the need to protect society and stop wrongful convictions.
The cost to incarcerate a single person has increased dramatically over time.
The federal government continues to shift the financial burden of incarceration to the states, making legal injustice more likely.

Answer 1

The high cost negatively affects both people who stand to be convicted and communities at large.

Justification: spending on incarceration has risen sharply (from $6.9B to nearly $80B) and states have had to shift funds away from public services (education, health, welfare) to pay for prisons, which harms communities and the people within them—including those who face conviction.