L. Trujillo
LTN Studies Analysis #3
Youth Control Complex / Social Ambush
Rios explains “The Youth Control Complex”, as a system that manages, controls, and incarcerates poor youth of color who are deviant and incompetent who participate as full citizens. Rios points out that Latinos are not incarcerated at the rates of Black men, however in states where there are larger populations of Latinos the incarceration rates are alarming. In his observation, Rios finds that Black and Latino youth are criminalized at every level in their lives as students, children, and community members. The “Youth Control Complex” and complex network of criminalization, surveillance, and punishment “label” and treat youth as serious criminal offenders.
Garcia discusses how “The Social Ambush” portray African Americans and Latinos are filling the jails as fast as they can be built, making this view that young African Americans and Latinos are likely to to end up in the criminal justice system. This stereotypical images of racialized youth is prolonged and promoted through various forms of media, which can create this idea that people of this ethnic race are going to end up in the justice system. African Americans and Latinos face a lot of criminalization because of the social inequalities in America. This can stem from unequal opportunity to find jobs, government resources and equal justice because of their skin color and this idea that they are violate individuals. So when poor black and brown youth make bad choices in life, they are more likely to face criticism more harshly than other ethnicity like White or Asians.
Rios and Garcia both discusses, with perceived perception of poor black and brown youth, they become targets of teachers, law enforcement and the justice system. With the help of media, it help shapes a certain image of who African American and brown youth are. This stigma affect the youth today who fill our jails because second chances are less likely to be given to these two important race due to the fact that they are high risk and the state want to control their future from this point on. The lack of care and resources always play a major role in why youth is struggling to get a second chance.
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