Cja344 Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice

Studies on relationship between race and delinquency primarily focus on two groups, African Americans and Whites. Applicable arrest data reports that African Americans are disproportionately involved in delinquency, with larger differences for serious crimes. Recent analysis has indicated that these race differences have declined in recent years. Criticism of these studies note that crimes committed by African Americans may be more likely to come to attention of the police and that African Americans offenders are more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts. Early self-report data found little or no relationship between race and delinquency. Later self-report studies found that African Americans and whites commit similar levels of minor delinquency, while African Americans are more likely to engage in serious delinquency, but not to extent reported in arrest data. The studies attributed the discrepancy to a larger percentage of high-rate African Americans offenders than high-rate white offenders. Victimization data suggests that African Americans are more likely than whites to be both offenders and victims of violence. Race and social class explain some but not all of the factors contributing to serious delinquency (Wright and Younts, 2009).

The diversity issue focused on in this paper will be racial disparity in sentencing. This paper will also focus on some of the reasons why racial disparity exists within sentencing. One of the research methods used in this paper will be case studies. In society today there are a diversity of citizens, of offenders, and leaders within in the court system. However, race still plays a big role in the Criminal Justice system especially during the sentencing portion. Although racial dynamics may have changed over time, race still exerts an undeniable presence in sentencing process. This ranges from disparate traffic stops due to racial profiling to imposition of the death penalty based on the race of

Children have a long standing history in crimes. Some are cold blooded killers and some have real mental issues we have no idea they have. Children have been in crime since the 1900s. Currently in the united states there are thousands of children coming into jail everyday for murder, homicide, or any other particular crime. One source states that, “Currently an estimated 250,000 youth are tried, sentenced, or incarcerated as adults every year across the

Student studying criminal justice and those employed in the field of criminal justice need to be aware of differences between those from different cultures. By studying multiculturalism one learns that different cultures can have values, beliefs, customs, and norms that are different from one’s own which leads to acceptance and understanding (McNamara & Burns, 2009). For those employed in the criminal justice field, with the changing face America, it is necessary to understand the background of others in order to do their job. Immigrant populations are part of every major city today and even most small towns have at least a small population of immigrants. Officers have to understand that their culture is different and that they have to

Juveniles committing crimes, being arrested and going to jails and prisons, is a sad fact that has hit every city, in every state in the United States of America. It is not a hard thing to comprehend, turn on the TV and watch the news. Every night there is surely to be a report about a crime committed by one of America’s youth. Many people question the reason for such high numbers of juveniles committing crimes; others turn a blind eye and refuse to acknowledge the fact that every day more children of this country are slipping into the life of crime. Some concerned members of society ask what can be done to stop it; how can they help? The answer is action! Law enforcement, as well as Local, State, and

Walker, S., Spohn, C., Delone, Miriam. (2004). The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America (3rded.). Toronto, Ontario: Thomas Learning Inc.

The District of Columbia and 46 states deny those who are incarcerated from the privilege of voting in any election (Fagin, 2014). There are two states, Maine and Vermont, that allow any felon regardless of their state of imprisonment, parole or probation to vote. Only four states, Florida, Kentucky, Iowa and Virginia, do not allow anyone convicted of a felony to vote (Fuchs, 2012). The other states allow felons to vote depending on their classification in the system.

There is a moderate portion of juvenile law violations that are minor; however some young offenders are extremely dangerous and violent. (Caldwell, 2002) Studies have shown that most delinquent behavior stems from some sort of underlining issue or issues in a youth’s present or past history. State and county authorities must deal with these offenders while also responding to their personal social problems. This could range from child abuse and neglect, family issues and drug abuse, exposure to pornography and exposure to aggressive role models.

Have you ever wondered to yourself if juvenile crime has been a problem in today’s society? Juvenile crime is an illegal act committed by a child under the age of eighteen. Juvenile crime has been around for almost 200 years and has been debated whether the media, the parents, and the schools that these children attend are the reasons why they choose to commit crimes. It is also debated whether or not the amount of children committing these crimes has grown or decreased over the years. This is why I agree when it comes to kids being involved in criminal activity, it is not healthy or positive solution.

Ethnic minority status (that is, experience as non- White) has been included as a risk factor of psychosocial maladaptation in several studies (e.g., Gutman et al. 2003; Sameroff et al. 1993; Dallaire et al. 2008), and represents a relative social disadvantage placed on these individuals. Though the relation between delinquency and race is complex and may be explained by other contextual risk variables (see, for example, Holmes et al. 2009), the total arrest rate for black juveniles aged 10–17 is more than twice that as of white juveniles (National Center for Juvenile Justice 2008)(p. 1474).

Today , we all wonder why juvenile is committing these crimes .There are many delinquency concern centers that know how to handle juvenile that violated the law , those who had committed serious and violent felony crimes . We cannot really tell why a juvenile is offended because many different reasons . Many juvenile offenders, criminal behaviors is because they come from abusive families , unhealthy relationships , school failure , living in a high crime neighborhood and its . An abusive family relationships have contributed to girls pathway to delinquency , while the peer association is more influential to boys .

Juvenile delinquency has always existed as children become teenagers it becomes a crucial period due to their body and minds developing. Each generation went through the adolescence period with different cohort events shaping their life’s. For example, Fuller explains how the “Greatest Generation” grew up during the great depression and World War II lived a different life than the Baby Boom generation who experienced “the civil rights movement, war in Vietnam, and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.” (2016). The one thing these adolescents shared with each other generation to generation is as their minds develop many were described as rebellious. Due to the increase in juvenile delinquency there became a strong need for a criminal justice system unique to adolescents.

Over the last few decades, law enforcement and the government has focused on reducing and or eliminating drug use in the United States. The 1980” s fight against drugs saw the implementation of the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program and after school specials. While the two were supported largely by the communities, there has not been clear cut evidence of the programs succeeding due to a lack of a control group (Kochis, 1995). D.A.R.E. along with the afterschool programs are geared towards elementary and middle school aged children as a method of drug deterrence however do not address drug use issues with older teens and young adults. In recent years, teen and young adult drug use/abuse has increased. Also, the increase in drug use has led to an increase in crime (Hawaii Mobilizes, 2003). Those teens and adults caught with illegal substances or commit crimes due to drug use, can be sentenced to jail time which lead to an increase in jail and prison populations. The issue with imprisonment for drug charges is the court system is “warehousing people in jail, where we are in fact not curing the problem [drug use/abuse] but having temporary stops or suspensions” (Reid, 2004). All the while, people in our communities are asking for solutions to the drug and crime problems in their neighborhoods.

In 2005 approximately 69 million people in the United States were under the age of 18. The projected juvenile population is expected to reach 74 million by 2015. “Violence itself is not a disorder. It can be one of a number of behaviors used to diagnose mental illness based on severity and circumstance.” (Bilderya 2) Children and teens are becoming more and more violent, committing more crimes, and doing excessive amounts of drugs. This is a major issue because these kids are the next generation. “Crimes of violence among youth can include fighting, rape, and robbery. Juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17 are more likely to be victims of these significantly correlated with mental illnesses.” (Bilderya 1) Juvenile crime stems from mostly mental and physiological reasoning, from watching parents fight, repeating what is said around the house to just down right low grades., resulting in higher crime rates among adolescents.

One of the biggest problems the United States faces today is juvenile crime. Today the juvenile involvement in crime occurs for many different reasons in many different places. Ages still in the single digits all the way through 17 are committing illegal juvenile acts each and every day. Some of these crimes are done on purpose and with an intent and some of the crimes are done on total accident. Juveniles all over America in all different places are committing crime today and as you read this there are juveniles somewhere out committing crimes. “The reason experts feel juvenile 's commit crimes is because of risk factors when they were younger but experts still have not found the main reason why juveniles commit crimes” (Novelguide, 2015). Juvenile’s involvement in crime is something continuing to go down in numbers each year but the involvement is still very high and everyone wonders why that is the case.