Effects Of Poverty On Justice

This insinuates that the court system prioritizes getting through cases as quickly as possible to give the community a sense of reassurance that a criminal is off the streets. Poor people accused of crimes typically cannot afford a lawyer who will put their time and effort into proving their innocence, which results in them not receiving the justice they deserve. A

Economic status is a relevant aspect in the experience of punishment. To an individual who sternly believes that the American justice system entitles every person to the same standard of due process, the previously mentioned idea is blasphemous. Unfortunately, the concept is false. The American justice system does not equally accommodate the needs of criminals placed on trial. Class is relevant in the experience of punishment only because economic inequality is barely recognized in the formulation and carrying out of prison sentences. The foundation of this unjust punishment is laid down at the trial, where disadvantaged individuals find themselves the victims of stereotypes, poor legal representation and haphazard verdicts. Once imprisoned, lower class criminals become immersed in an environment which mimics the troubled circumstances that originally led them to commit crime. Having received an ineffective sentence, convicts return to their poor communities and are expected to reintegrate into society without proper treatment.

July 30, 2014, Margarita Murugia was found hanging in her solitary confinement cell at the CIW. “She was there for her own protection, not because she did something”. According to the advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners, CIW has had seven deaths since the start of 2014. In comparison, the prison had five deaths in 2013 and one in 2012. (Mass incarceration )

Power plays a key role in our American Justice System. The practice of law in the United States is,in my opinion, set up in a way to benefit those who have power. Power in law is defined by status in society, wealth, and/or overall legal experience. The people who have this power can influence or even directly create the laws that the entire society must abide by or face consequences at the hands of the state. Wealth can help to pay for the expensive process that is usually involved in legal proceedings. Power gives these members of the society a clear advantage in the court of law, while heavily incarnating members of the lower class. The legal system is made in a way to maintain the current state of power and to benefit and increase the wealth of those in power. True Justice, in this sense, is what is good for those who have and bad for those who have not.

The United States has a history of discriminating against the poor and racial influences as well. From the legal system imposing harsher sentences and actions against those who cannot afford counsel, to the economic system issuing unfair sanctions to the poor, to political implementation of policy to deem poverty a crime, poverty in America is an issue that must be tackle. And with wealth inequality at its highest more than ever with politicians being brought, poverty will continue to be an issue until something serious

Throughout years in the criminal justice system, women being incarcerated has increased drastically. Since the amount of women offenders increased above male offenders, equality is sought out. There is an expand amount of gender disparities in federal cases. With women seeking equality through justice over the decades, changes should be made within the justice system to provide impartiality, acknowledge the gender difference and it’s importance.

According to the United States Census Bureau, about 14% of the population lives in poverty. African Americans make up the majority of the population that suffer from poverty, the rate is 24.1%. The second highest percentage is made up of the Hispanic population, at about 21.4%. There is no doubt that the majority of the population living in poverty is made up of minorities. “Whites” make up only about 9.1% of the population. Being poor is caused because of the criminal justice system failing to acknowledge the lack of equality within the system. The book argues that the only ones that are being punished are the “poor and dangerous”.

Over the last few decades, crime and incarceration has had an increasingly powerful impact for producing disadvantages that fuel poverty and social inequalities. In my thesis I will attempt to explain the interconnection between crime, punishment, and poverty and how it has long been the subject of sociological and criminological investigation that criminal sanctions and victimization work to form a system of disadvantage that perpetuates stratification and poverty.

The lower class of society do serve longer and a more severe prisons sentence’s than the upper class. It is common knowledge that the poor people cannot afford a quality lawyer, or make bail that will influence sentencing.

So I feel like we could come to an agreement now that the criminal justice system is not necessarily biased against the poor at the law enforcement side of the criminal justice system. However, the courtroom side of the criminal justice system seems indirectly biased against the poor, simply because each trial can be different depending on how much money they defense and the prosecution have available to them.

Poverty can also be viewed from a macro level as a social inconvenience or issue (Attree, 2006). Using social and economic developmental programs to assets individuals that are influenced by both social and economic issues, such as Community Development Corporations and Comprehensive Community Initiatives, can help increase the abilities and resources of low income individuals (Brisson &Usher, 2007). Poverty can be defined as a social injustice that causes unfair treatment of a certain group that has low-income, by the justice system and politics (Stark & Barbara, 2009). This is mentioned because while addressing poverty from a macro level, conflict theory explains inequality of political power that have led to poor allocation of material

The criminal justice system is based on laws that are arbitrary and operate to the disadvantage of the poor and come across as law for the poor rather than law of the poor. It applies on the weaker sections of the community, regardless constitutional guarantees to the contrary.

Although many people do not realize this, poverty has a great impact on out society. The rapid increase of death rate, crime rate, and environmental destruction have everything to do with the horrible state of poverty. These problems are booming all over our society today causing many speculations, but the reason many just be clear and simple. Poverty.

The residents of The Faine House can be considered “poor” for a number of different reasons, but the root of their poverty is the same, lack of a strong and supportive family. Because of this first cause, for the rest of their life, they are plagued with issues that become even harder to solve without the help from a compassionate and caring family. In our Catholic faith, the doctrine of the Trinity tells us to invest in healthy relationships. Graham Tomlin wrote, “Relationships are far more important than our careers, our holidays, and our salaries,” (Tomlin). It is true that the residents are financially and educationally disadvantaged, but it is the insufficiency of wholesome relationships that is the worst injustice. One can have an unpleasant or poor-paying job, but if that person has a strong familial support system, he or she is much less poor in spirit than the person who does not. From strong families, we can build rich communities of love to solve the rest of life’s problems.

Although most people look at poverty and crime as two different social problems, they are interconnected in our society. Wheelock and Uggen (2006) made five core arguments in the article Race, poverty, and punishment: The impact of criminal sanctions on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequality. This article discusses how crime, poverty, and punishment are all connected. Understanding each of the five core arguments allows someone to grasp how this interconnection of social problems affects society.