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Neoliberalism, criminal justice and Latinos: The contours of neoliberal economic thought and policy on criminalization

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Abstract

Since the creation of the prison system, the driving forces of criminalization and penalization have been examined by scholars on the right and left with a focus during the last four decades on what some critics characterize as one of the most influential forces shaping the processes of criminalization and imprisonment: neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a movement that started in the 1970s and contributed to a sharp increase in poverty, inequality, exclusion and imprisonment. While the influence of neoliberalism has become a central issue in the investigation of criminal justice policy, focusing primarily on race effects, the ethnic experience is yet to be addressed in its totality. Therefore, this article details an alternative perspective for analyzing criminal justice issues as they pertain to Latinos and illustrates a new framework for the influence of neoliberal ideology on the incarceration of Latinos.

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Notes

  1. In the early 2000s, welfare spending increased, reaching over 3.1 per cent GDP by 2003, declined to 2.5 by 2007, then reached 4.7 per cent GDP in 2010, declining to 2.7 per cent GDP in 2015, with further declines expected (Chantrill 2015a).

  2. At yearend 2013, private prisons held 8 per cent of the total US prison population (Carson 2014).

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Acknowledgements

It would have been impossible to write this article without the everlasting patience, advice and unconditional support of Raymond Rocco and Rubén O. Martinez. The authors would also extend their profound appreciation to María Isabel Ochoa-Alvarez and Lourdes Torres for their guidance and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sul Ross State University – Rio Grande College, Eagle Pass, TX

    Martin Guevara Urbina

  2. Universidad de León, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México

    Sofía Espinoza Álvarez

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  1. Martin Guevara Urbina
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Urbina, M., Álvarez, S. Neoliberalism, criminal justice and Latinos: The contours of neoliberal economic thought and policy on criminalization. Lat Stud 14, 33–58 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/lst.2015.49

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