African Americans In The Criminal Justice System Essay

African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated; that is 60% of 30% of the African American population. African Americas are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. “Between 6.6% and 7.5% of all black males ages 25 to 39 were imprisoned in 2011, which were the highest imprisonment rates among the measured sex, race, Hispanic origin, and age groups." (Carson, E. Ann, and Sabol, William J. 2011.) Stated on Americanprogram.org “ The Sentencing Project reports that African Americans are 21 percent more likely to receive mandatory-minimum sentences than white defendants and are 20 percent more likely to be sentenced to prison.” Hispanics and African Americans make up 58% of all prisoners in 2008, even though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately one quarter of the US population. (Henderson 2000). Slightly 15% of the inmate population is made up of 283,000 Hispanic prisoners.

The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers.

According to Sentencing Project.org “Racial disparity in the criminal justice system exists when the proportion of a racial or ethnic group within the control of the system is greater than the pro-portion of such groups in the general population.” This article says the inequality can vary upon different levels of criminal activity, law enforcement and decision making. “Law enforcement emphasis on particular communities, legislative policies, and/or decision making by criminal justice practitioners who exercise broad discretion in the justice process at one or more stages in the system.” (Sentenceproject.org) The expansion of the criminal justice system reinforces race and class inequalities in the United States thorough mass incarcerations that are constantly increasing, imperceptible to most, and affects multiple generations.

African Americans in modern America have bound together in unity against inequality to help end the unnecessary murders and unjust police beatings. However, where did these tensions between police and African Americans begin? This question can be answered by looking at the history of police in America and why they were originally established. Police first came on to the scene in 1704 when Carolina established the nation’s first slave patrol that would turn into what we know today as the modern police. The slave patrol had the duty of searching for runaway slaves and returning them to their masters. Therefore, the original reason the police force was established was to deal with black slaves and it seems as if some officers today still hold that as their job title. However, this was just the beginning to the negative police encounters that many African Americans would have to endure. With the ratification of the 13th amendment and the freeing of the slaves the slave patrol became what is known as modern day police. During reconstruction the police began a war to create a new form of slavery, this form of slavery was known as convict leasing. Although, the 13th amendment legalized the enslavement of anyone convicted of a crime it seemed as if it was only used against African Americans. This new method of enslavement sky rocketed the rate of African American arrests and created new laws in the south such as the pig laws which sentenced anyone who stole a pig to 5 years in

In 2009, a survey showed that blacks were arrested for drug possession more than three times as often as whites, and a survey made in 2011 showed that whites have abused drugs more than blacks (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive). Yet, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one out of every 3 black males can expect to go to prison in their lifetime, and 225,000 of the people who were serving time in state prisons for drug offenses in 2011, blacks made up 45 percent while whites comprised of just 30 percent. One must question, why is there a disproportionate number of African Americans in the criminal justice system? Well, the majority of Americans are unaware of this mass incarceration and outright racism in the criminal justice system. When we think of racism, we think of the 1930’s-60’s, slavery, and Jim Crow which come to mind, but what

The disproportionate numbers of African Americans in the prison system is a very serious issue, which is not usually discussed in its totality. However, it is quite important to address the matter because it ultimately will have an effect on African Americans as a whole.

Any criminal justice system reflects its society and its times. Currently, in my culture, the African American culture, people commit crimes for the number one reason being to feed their families. What is considered a crime? How does the Criminal Justice System work? How is the amount of time determined? Why do African American get more time than the white man? Why are more black men in prison than any other ethnicities? The Criminal Justice System is a social problem within the African American community. The following are the social problems within the CJS, how they became social problems and why is the Criminal Justice Systems (CJS) bias towards African Americans.

The “War on Drugs,” and “Get Tough on Crime,” policies also play a major role. The areas targeted for these specific policies are also poverty stricken, and majority of the population in these areas are predominately black, consequently accounting for more arrests and convictions to be made. While the amount of whites arrested versus blacks for drug crimes may be higher, the amount of blacks being held in prisons and jails for drug crimes is greater. The reasons for this may vary. It could be improper representation in court, mandatory minimum sentencing rules, or habitual offender policies, or racial profiling. The statistics vary, depending on the source. Nonetheless, numbers across the board make it clear that racial disparity is a major issue in the criminal justice

family income for whites is 38,909 and for blacks it is 21,161. This shows that

One way African Americans have a disadvantage in the criminal justice system is the arrest rates. Per chapter 4 in the Color of Justice book, it states that “66 percent of African Americans are more likely to be arrested before the age of 30” (Samuel Walker; Cassia Spohn; Miriam Delone, 2012, p. 172). Based on the statistics given, African Americans seem more likely to be targeted for an arrest. The population for the African American community only makes up for 13 percent of the United States, and out of that statistic, most them will be arrested. There should be a justification to the judicial system for this outrageous arrest rate on the African American community. Another way on how African Americans have a disadvantage through the criminal justice system is by the judicial system. Chapter seven in the “Color of Justice” book briefly describes the racial differences on how

What it's like being black in the criminal justice system I agree that black people do get charged way more harder then the white people. Because if you think about it. You can see a group of white boys standing around and then a cop will ride by. Then he sees a group of black boys hanging out.

The impact of race on criminal justice and inequality: How much of a role does race play in the criminal justice and inequality equation? Vincent Toi Lai Lee 1001333586 October 2, 2015 Word count: 1452 For this essay topic, we will be discussing about different issues surrounding race within criminal justice and inequality; furthermore looking at the different factors and determinants that influences one’s perception of racial profiling, coming to the decision that race is not the sole factor in this problem. With so many news and incidents surrounding race and the police these days, it is not surprising for people to come to the conclusion that just because you are a certain race, you will be automatically treated differently than others, but that is not the case in reality. We will be taking a deeper look into the problem to find out what other possible determinants play a role in deciding how an officer makes an arrest or stop and continue to analyze what is happening in those contexts.

“That’s one pain that will never go away until the day you die,” she said. “You have to live with that pain. There’s no closure. There’s no nothing. Especially when the person or child was so violently taken away from you.” said Juanita Young, mother of Malcom Ferguson, who 's son was killed by the result of police brutality. He is not the first or last person of the black minority to be cheated by the justice system. Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans(Alexander). The justice system in America was set up to protect citizens while upholding social control and deterring crime. But the poor guidance within the system has caused racial disparities to persist at every level of the U.S. criminal justice system. All across the country, African Americans receive racial discrimination in the justice system ranging from bias drug arrests, police brutality, to incarceration.

There has long been a difference between African Americans and the police. Sometimes minor to being outright confrontational. But if you ask someone on the police force, they would most likely answer no, there are not any differences in the way minority and non-minority communities are treated. But if you asked a minority community, they would probably answer yes, there is a difference. One of the facts that remain constant is the difference in the way blacks and whites view policing and racial relations in America. Pew Research Center polling has continually found that blacks and whites have very different views about many sides of race all together, from trust in the police to advances in racial equality. In one poll, whites said that they believed quite a bit of progress has been made since 1963, compared with only about one-third of blacks, according to a 2013 survey, which was done just before the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington.

There isn’t defined systems of law that explicitly differentiates between blacks and whites when it comes to crime, however, statistically wise, race seems to play an important role in sentencing and judgment. According to Social Problems (4th Edition) by John Macionis, “Black males are five times more likely than white males to spend time in jail,” even though numbers indicate majority of the suspect's arrested in “street crimes” are white (150). Another major component in the perceived role race plays in the system of law is poverty, even though blacks make up about 13% of the U.S. population, they have a greater chance of being arrested in comparison to their white counterparts (Macionis, 150) reason being is that impoverished neighborhoods