Fig. 1. The conception and reproduction of anti-Blackness.

Racism-based efforts to oppress and control Black people have shaped and continue to shape the definitions of and institutional responses to “mental illness” and “crime.” These definitions and responses give rise to many social consequences that feed back into racist stereotypes and perpetuate anti-Black oppression. Given the long-standing intersection between mental health and mass incarceration, psychologists have a responsibility to use their unique roles as mental-health researchers and providers to redefine and reform this system.