The documentary "13th" on Netflix is an eye opener about the criminal justice system. While issues go back to the end of slavery in the South, the modern issues center around the "tough on crime" campaign mottos, along with the for profit prison system. One other stat to point out:
Despite making up close to 5% of the global population, the U.S. has more than 20% of the world's prison population. Since 1970, our incarcerated population has increased by 500% – 2 million people in jail and prison today, far outpacing population growth and crime.