Prisons in the US have racialized origins. In the post-Civil War era, southern states established_____________, which made a long list of behaviors illegal, including begging, loitering, panhandling, and looking for work.

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In the post-Civil War era, southern states established vagabond laws, which made a long list of behaviors illegal, including begging, loitering, panhandling, and looking for work. These laws were used as a means of controlling and oppressing newly freed slaves and other people of color, who were often targeted and punished disproportionately. The implementation of these laws contributed to the rise of mass incarceration in the US and the racial disparities that persist within the criminal justice system today. Choice A, chain gangs, were a form of punishment in which prisoners were forced to work on public works projects while chained together. Choice C, convict leasing, allowed private companies to lease prisoners from the state and use them for labor. Choice D, prison slave round ups, is not a historically accurate term or practice.

Prisons in the US Have Racialized Origins