Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System

Page 1 of 4

Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System - Page 1 preview image

RacialInequalityintheCriminalJusticeSystem1RacialInequalityintheCriminalJusticeSystemNameInstitutionHowdoesracialinequalitymanifestwithintheU.S.criminaljusticesystem,particularlyintermsofarrest,incarceration,andsentencingdisparitiesbetweenBlackAmericansandWhiteAmericans?Discussthefactorscontributingtothesedisparitiesandtheroleofracialprofiling,whilealsoaddressingpotentialsolutionsorreforms.WordCountRequirement:1,500–2,000words

Page 2 of 4

Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System - Page 2 preview image

Page 3 of 4

Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System - Page 3 preview image

RacialInequalityintheCriminalJusticeSystem2RacialinequalityinthecriminaljusticesystemThemostintriguingquestiontoaskiswhetherthereexistsastructuralinequalityinthecriminaljusticesystem.ItisevidentinthenewsorinthenewspapersthatmostofthecriminalsthatareportrayedaremainlyAfricanAmericanorarecomingfromtheHispanicorigin.Inaddition,beingafanofcriminologybooks,theyevendemonstratemoreblackmalecriminalsthanwhitemales.Therefore,themajorquestiontoaskiswhethermoreBlackscommitmorecrimesthantheWhitemales.Inaddition,itisimportanttoaskwhatfactorsareinvolvedfortheBlackAmericanstobeinvolvedinmorecriminalactivitiesthanthewhites.Ontheotherhand,itisimportanttoquestionhowBlackAmericansstereotypesplayarolewithpossibleracialprofilingfromthelawenforcers(DPIC.(2012).Inaddition,itisimportanttoquestionwhethertheBlacksaretreatedequallyorfairlyinthecriminaljusticesystem.Therefore,afterconsideringmorestudiesontheissue,itispossibletoprovideanswerstothesequestionsinordertodetermineiftheBlackAmericansaretheracewhichisreallycommittingmostofthecriminalactivitieswhencomparedtotheWhites,orifracismwithinthecriminaljusticesystemplaysamajorrolethanitisthought.Inaddition,muchprogresshasbeenmadeandiscurrentlybeingmadeoverhistoryforthelawsthatconcerntheequaltreatment,butthecivilrightscrisisseemslikethecriminaljusticesystemthatdoesnotadheretoitsownlaws.StatisticsshowthattherearemoreBlackswhoarearrestedandincarceratedthattheWhitesoftheHispanicmales.Inaddition,basedonthereportsbytheBureauofJusticeStatisticsin2010,therateoftheBlackAmericansimprisonmentwasapproximately3,000per1,000,000BlackAmericansintotal.Inaddition,theyareincarceratedmanytimeshigherthanthewhites,whichareawebsitethatprovidesreportsthatincasethecurrenttrendscontinue,almostonein

Page 4 of 4

Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System - Page 4 preview image

RacialInequalityintheCriminalJusticeSystem3threeoftheBlackscanexpecttobeimprisonedandspendtimeinjailorinprison.Ontheotherhand,mostoftheprisonpopulationhasmoreBlackAmericansandtheHispanics.AccordingtoareportbyMichael(2011),mostofthecriminalactivitiesarenotcommittedbytheminorities,andthereportalsostatesthatmostoftheminoritiesarenotcriminals.Therefore,evenwhentheminoritiesarearrestedwithnoconviction,theystillundergotheconsequencesthatgoalongwiththeprocess.Theseconsequencescompriseofdifficultiesingettingjobs,issueswithacquiringeducation,properhousing,aswellas,anyotherbenefitfromthegovernmentincasetheyarepoorinthefirstplace.Ontheotherhand,therearealsoexcuses,whichareprovidedespeciallywhenlawmakersarefacedwithsuchdisparatereportswhichstatethatBlackAmericansarethemostdeviantraceandaretheoneswhotakepartincriminalbehavior.Ontheotherhand,themostprevalentformofracialdisparityisracialprofilingthatmostpeoplethinkisthemajorrootoftheproblem.Therearecaseswhenthereseemstobedrug-sentencingdisparitiesintheBlackAmericancommunities.American’sWaronDrugswhichiswaronminoritiesandthepoor.AccordingtoareportbyKain(2000)approximatelysixty-twopercentofBlackAmericanmalesaresentbehindbarsduetodrug-relatedchargesandalsoatahigherratethantheWhites.Ontheotherhand,basedonareportbytheNationalAssociationforAdvancementforColoredPeople(NAACP,2012)demonstratesthatapproximately14millionand2.6millionBlackAmericansuseillegaldrugs.However,mostoftheBlackAmericanmalesaresentbehindbarsforillegaldrug-relatedcrimestentimeshigherwhencomparedtotheWhitemales(NAACP,2012).Thus,theshockingtruthisthattheBlacksservemuchmoretimeinjailorinprisonondrug-relatedchargesthantheWhites,especiallyforviolentcrimes.

Preview Mode

This document has 11 pages. Sign in to access the full document!

Report

Learning Tools

Writing Tools

Browse Resources

Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System - Page 1

Study Now!

Document Details

Related Documents

Criminal Justice - The Juvenile Justice System

Criminal Justice - The Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice - Sentencing

Criminal Justice - Prosecutors

Criminal Justice - Prisons and Prisoners' Rights

Criminal Justice - Police Problems

Criminal Justice - Police Powers and Citizens' Rig

Criminal Justice - Police Function

Criminal Justice - Development of the American Pol

Criminal Justice - Defense Attorneys

Company

Explore

Study Tools