In the 2.5 minute Atlantic video below, sociologist Bruce Western discusses the problem of mass incarceration. The practice, he says, isn’t just about locking up lots of people — almost 700/100,000; more than any other nation on earth — but incarcerating groups of people in concentrated ways, namely Latino and especially Black men. This devastating to communities, relationships, and children.

Mass incarceration is a choice, Western points out. “We’ve chosen prison as a way to respond to crime.” There are lots of other things we could do, other than the deprivation of liberty: restorative justice, house arrest, mental health or substance abuse treatment, community service, parole and probation, fines, halfway houses, and more.

Watch it here: