Racism : The Criminal Justice System

Although saying the criminal justice system is racist is a controversial statement, there is evidence and statistics that prove it to be true. Research and evidence validate the issue of racism to be undeniable. Equality and justice are out of reach with the racism that takes place in our criminal justice system and our country. Racial discrimination is prevalent amongst the African American culture in issues regarding drug use, and incarceration which creates unfair inequality for this race. I will use peer reviewed articles to verify the racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

There are large racial disparities in incarceration and related detainments for African Americans. They are more likely to be under the supervision of the Department of Corrections than any other racial or ethnic group (H.West, Sabol, & Greenman, 2010). Institutional racism is believed to be the reason why African Americans, especially males, are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. On balance, the public believes that discrimination against black people is based on the prejudice of the individual person, correlates to the discrimination built into the nation’s laws and institutions (Pew’s Research Center, 2017). This belief is actually supported through several experimental studies that provide evidence that African Americans are to be seen as more criminal and threatening than others thus more likely to be arrested or even shot (Greenwald, Oakes, & Hoffman, 2003). Racism within the criminal justice system very much exists and is still relevant.

In today’s society, discrimination continues to affect millions of minorities from inappropriate name calling to being shot by a law enforcement officer because you were perceived to be dangerous. The underlying effects of racial discrimination are seen in all aspects of our society, especially in our social institutions. These social institutions range from the educational system to our government, yet racial discrimination is more evident in the criminal justice system. When analyzing how the criminal justice system discriminates against minorities we are able to do so through the visible disparities within the system. Unfortunately, these disparities display African Americans having the highest population rates in the criminal justice system, therefore, we can immediately conclude this disparity in population is due to the injustices conducted by the system. Thus, there is a need for urgent change not just within the criminal justice system but within all social institutions beginning with our government. This change should create greater opportunities for minorities to enter the political field in our government as well as promoting higher participating in voting. Yet, the criminal justice system within all its aspects practices discrimination due to its deeply interwoven prejudice, institutional racism, and socioeconomic status.

When we as people watch the news or read our newspapers, we can see that most of the criminals committing crimes are usually of African American or Hispanic descent. Society today even depicts people of color as criminals in all novels and comic books while white characters play the victim. It may seem as if the media only focuses on the crimes and pettiness involved with black people. What are included for Blacks to be more required in wrongdoing? How do African American stereotypes and racial profiling from societies new look on policing power?

Racism in police treatment of minorities has created great disparities in incarceration amongst the races. Blatant cases of racist law enforcement that are covered in the news are a testament to the fact that racism within police departments exists from coast to coast. However, these are only the cases that people find out about; there are countless other cases of police racism and brutality that are not reported.

The topic of whether or not there is racism in the legal system is becoming increasingly debatable among certain groups. The obvious evidence that has been glaring in the faces of the public for decades says it all: the criminal justice system is, and always has been, swayed by racism. Despite this, the opposing side of the argument - which mostly consists of privileged whites – diligently argues that racism was outlawed decades ago. There are also African Americans who are unaware of how their race is constantly being oppressed. However, the younger generation is quickly becoming culturally and politically woke and passing on the knowledge. Although racism is not explicitly stated in the law, racists are still hiding behind the supremacy of the country. White policemen have went as far as mindlessly killing young black people and claiming it was done out of self-defense. White judges will find loopholes in the legal process when dealing with an offense committed by an African American. They are targeting African Americans and punishing them more harshly than the white people who commit crimes.

People in law enforcement use race, ethnicity, religion or nationality as a factor in determining if an individual has committed a crime, this is called racial profiling. Many in law enforcement believe that racial profiling is an efficient way of screening someone who is suspected of a crime. They fail to see the problems with profiling someone based on how they look or their backgrounds. Racial profiling is wrong in any circumstance because crime comes from all different types of people, it causes distrust between law enforcement and the people of that community, and it violates citizens constitutional rights.

Is the Criminal Justice system racist? This question has been asked many times by people of many colors. According to Mac Donald (2008), the criminal justice system is not at all racist. The article depicts arrest rates of both whites and blacks and compares statistics on these arrests. It looks at the number of whites and the number of blacks in jails and prisons. In this critique, we will be looking into this article to see these points in which Mac Donald states proves that the criminal justice system is, in fact, not a racist one.

Though the intent is to protect United States’ citizens, the result usually strips certain groups of their civil rights. Racial profiling is unconstitutional because it is in violation of the 14th Amendment that guarantees, “no state may deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (Head, 2014). This is not just an inconvenience, racial profiling has a negative impact on those it affects. Those who experience profiling pay the price emotionally, psychologically, mentally, and in some cases, finically or physically (“The Effects of Racial Profiling”, n.d.). Racial profiling compromises the future of individuals and the country because it creates mistrust between the entities (“The Effects of Racial Profiling”,

Racial Profiling is unconstitutional and illegal, yet it’s still used in law enforcement. The practice of racial profiling, as defined by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), refers to the “discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual's race, ethnicity, religion or national origin”(ACLU 2005). Racial profiling causes more harm than good, it can cause emotional, mental and more often physical harm to the person being subjected to the practice. According to the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments, racial profiling is unconstitutional. It causes distrust in law enforcement because ethnic

Throughout history, minorities have always suffered from discrimination by other ethnic groups. This discrimination still occurs today, especially in the form of racial profiling. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed a crime of offense. This degradation of ordinary people is a serious issue and needs to be dealt with. This controversial practice that law enforcement are doing has certainly created sides to this discussion throughout the centuries. Whether racial profiling is a legitimate practice or not, it is still spurring turmoil on the streets, in the classroom, and through the media. While racial profiling may seem to be an acceptable way to promote public safety, it is ultimately ineffective and unconstitutional; therefore, we should seek to end racial profiling by government institutions.

Racial profiling is the absolute worst thing about living in the United States of America, also it illegal it violates the victim civil right and the u.s constitution.”all men are created equal” says the Declaration of Independence so why are all men not treated equal.I never will get you people will judge someone or claim to “know” someone by the color of his/hers skin color.some people have slip into a depression because of how they are treated.”if you were to pierce someone's skin everyone's blood will be bleed

There is a very evident problem with racism in the United States Criminal Justice System. Society chooses to ignore this problem because many do not think they are a part of it. What they do not understand is they are a part of society, therefore a part of the problem. Even if a particular person is not doing anything to cause this problem directly, they are not helping the situation either. Society has to become aware of this issue and stop pretending as though it is something that will go away on its own. Others need to become aware of this issue so they can not only make others aware, but so they can find out the exact source of the problem and how to fix it before it is too late. The United States is supposed to be a free country where people feel safe, yet there are issues still happening today that people like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and others fought and risked their lives to change. Society likes to look back on history and say that things are different and the country has come so far and that everyone is equal. However, today’s news and statistics show that is not the case at all. If we do not take action now, we will be right back where we started. Many races are not treated fairly by citizens of this county and even the United States Criminal Justice System, especially African Americans. Nationwide, African Americans are stopped, searched, arrested, and incarcerated at rates much higher than people of other races.

In Defense of the Criminal Justice System Many things come to mind when people hear the word “racism.” There are several emotions involved when discussing racism that bring up responses such as fear, anger, and sadness. Unfortunately, the word “racist” is often used to address the criminal justice system and the various branches of it. The criminal justice system is often scrutinized for their excessive use of force against minorities, which brings up the question: is the criminal justice system racist? Merriam-Webster defines racism as, “A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”

In the United States, there has been a long history of racisms and racial injustices. People may hope that by 2017, racism in our progressive and enlightened society, would be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, racial and ethnic prejudices are still present in many aspects of life in the United States, including our criminal justice system. Discrimination exists in various levels, from institutions and policies to individual people. Prosecutors, judges, police chiefs and patrol officers could all contribute to the racial biases plaguing our system, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This unfairness can happen as early in the Criminal justice process as deciding who to investigate. Which is commonly practiced through racial profiling, the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of committing a criminal offense. Racial profiling is argued to be a significant factor in pretextual stops, stopping a driver for a minor traffic violation in order to investigate another crime. The key court case that allowed for this norm was Whren v United States.