True or False: The increase in mass incarceration over the past few decades is primarily due to a rise in crime rates rather than political decisions and systemic inequalities.

The statement is false. While crime rates did rise in some periods, the increase in mass incarceration is largely influenced by political decisions and systemic inequalities. For example, during the 1980s and 1990s, many laws were passed that led to harsher penalties for drug offenses, even when crime rates were not significantly increasing. This means that more people, especially from marginalized communities, were sent to prison due to policies rather than actual increases in crime. Therefore, the reasons behind mass incarceration are complex and involve more than just crime rates.