Answer:
The practice of convict leasing historically encouraged both passing laws that criminalized the everyday activities of African-Americans and targeting African-Americans for crimes that technically applied to everyone. Convict leasing emerged in the United States after the abolition of slavery and was prevalent mainly in the Southern states from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
Under the convict leasing system, inmates, disproportionately African-Americans, were leased out to private companies as a source of cheap labor. This system provided economic benefits to private businesses and helped maintain the racial hierarchy and control over the African-American population.
To ensure a steady supply of convict labor, laws were passed that criminalized a broad range of activities, many of which were common for African-Americans at the time. These activities included vagrancy, loitering, petty theft, and other minor offenses. By criminalizing these activities, African-Americans were more likely to be arrested, convicted, and subsequently leased out as laborers.
Moreover, African-Americans were often targeted for crimes that technically applied to everyone. Law enforcement and the justice system disproportionately focused on African-Americans, leading to their overrepresentation in the convict leasing system. This targeting was a result of racial prejudice, discrimination, and systemic racism prevalent during that time.
Therefore, the practice of convict leasing encouraged passing laws that criminalized the everyday activities of African-Americans and targeting African-Americans for crimes that technically applied to everyone.