Law Enforcement, Prison, and Race Essay

The facts atomic number 18 indisputable and contribute been astray published for years. People of color in the United States argon extremely over-repre displaceed in the prison community as head as in the number of prevails. maculation the facts argon not in question, what is under(a) debate is the causation why these number exist. Just as in a legal skid, both sides of the tax return stick out their own experts who digest testimony to sustentation their viewpoint. On single side which is by off the beaten track(predicate) the almost habitualized is the touch sensation that the reason why to a greater extent minorities (especi aloney Afri tail assembly Ameri fucks) argon arrested and imprisoned is a consequence of racial prejudice.However, the opposing viewpoint states that at that place is a precise logical reason why to a greater extent Afri shag Americans atomic number 18 involved with the judicial organisation they alone frame much than than cri mes than whites. Both sides provide mounds of data and studies to support their argument. Although it is not scientific, I intrust where thither is smoke there is probably fire. More than likely, there is roughly form of prejudice involved. Thinking the sides of this telephone number ar divided strictly by color lines would be a mistake. Walter Williams (who is char) employ the following figures in The Washington quantify to prove his point that practice of law ar not prejudice, 63 percent of the 65,624 dose arrests were minorities (50 percent vagues and 13 percent Hispanics). Since filthys are only 13 percent of the add together population, it means law enforcement officials can stipulate a higher probability that a do drugs trafficker is a black more(prenominal) than than so than different racial groups (Williams). Indeed, Mr. Williams as well as somewhatwhat(prenominal) opposites believe that such(prenominal) statistics show that guard are simply doing their jobs by filet black motorists more lots than whites, since more of them are probably drug dealers. precisely does such reasoning hold up in the light of other statistics that are undecomposed as telling?For example, studies by Human Rights Watch obtain shown that most drug offenders are white and that quintuple times as some(prenominal) whites procedure drugs as blacks. However, blacks comprise the great majority of drug offenders direct to prison (racial Disparities). So, which set of numbers do you feature? The answer is, you do not have to choose since both can be hired and should be to find the truth. Considering that whites nonplus up some 75% of the population, eyepatch blacks comprise 13%, the fact that pentad times as some whites use drugs as blacks seems logical.If that is the case, then how can the undue number of blacks arrested on drug charges be anything other than racially prejudiced? The very boundinology use by some to describe the theories utilise by each side seems to sound judgmental. For instance, according to DA slightio, Stewart, and Stolzenberg, the term conflict theory is used to describe the doctrine that the elevated arrest rate for black citizens is the consequence of discrimination by guard (1381). However, they use the term normative theory to describe the belief that those numbers are simply the contribute of social issues that affect blacks more than whites.any(prenominal) name it is given, the idea that blacks are more likely to commit crimes due to experiencing more difficult social conditions is becoming more widely popular. Writing for Social Forces, a University of North Carolina publication, DAless(prenominal)io, Stewart, and Stolzenberg asserted regarding their speculate of racial bow, The results of this have suggest that the disproportionately high arrest rate for black citizens is most likely ascribable to derivative outlaw participation in report crime rather than to racially non-wh ite law enforcement practices (1381).Once again just as with the study involving drug arrests cited earliest blacks are arrested more because they commit more crimes. Their findings were based on data from the issue Incident- ground Reporting System of 1999. Studies such as these invariably cast a outsized portion of blame on the media for perpetrating what they believe to be the myth of racial prejudice in law enforcement. Certainly it is neat that a higher percentage of blacks commence from the poor social conditions that often asterisk to delinquent behavior, such as unemployment, move housing conditions, poor health care, and less access to pr thus fartative social services.But, composition that is true it does not explain other disparities in the criminal justice scheme that cannot be explained away so easily. Based on the results of the Juvenile Justice and ill-doing Report of 1999, a black novel offender is six times more likely to be jailed than a youthful offen der who is white, crimson if they commit the same crimes and have the same criminal backgrounds, according to a nationwide study (Study Reveals). The following comment is characteristic of the response to the report.We find that this report leaves no doubt that we are faced with a very serious national cultured rights issue, virtually making our system late wrong, said Hugh B. Price, President and CEO of the subject Urban League (Crowley). No field what set of statistics are used, the reality is that minorities are tough differently at each level in the justice system. inception as juveniles, with their offset printing contact with police, minorities can be sent down one of two paths. They can be sent into some type of counseling, or they can be transited into the system.According to a report in The Cincinnati Enquirer, institutional bias regarding who will be referred to private intercession (i. e. counseling services) instead of being officially processed likewise disfavors minorities. Even when other variables are accounted for, minority young males oddly African Americans are significantly more likely to be detained than white youths (Crowley). such(prenominal) reports continue to beg the question even if we accept that the reason more blacks are originally arrested is simply because they commit more crimes and not due to any police bias, how do we explain the irregularities in the sentencing process?Whether it is blatant prejudice or some other reason, it is clear that something is happening in the courts that cannot easily be explained away. Another issue that needs to be addressed is regarding the function for certain laws being passed in the first place. In The New American Apartheid, it is asserted, some sentencing structures have a built-in company and racial bias. This is especially the case with drug laws, which have always targeted mainly the drugs used by minorities and the poor throughout write up (Sheldon and Brown).If th e police are simply doing their jobs by enforcing drug laws, and innocently arrest broadly blacks, Im sure it has nil to do with the fact that some laws have been passed that target blacks. The evidence of discrimination even extends to the ultimate punishment the termination penalty. It has been widely assumed by the general public that the rationale for pursuing the demise penalty in cases and an execution being staged is based primarily on the atrocity of the crime or number of victims.If that were true, the death penalty would seem far less arbitrary. However, there is no consistent cast that can be found in any state or federal official court to make that case. Instead, it is just as likely in fact more so that a poor black man will be put to death for the murder of one white person than a white man receiving the death penalty for serial murders. A unadulterated example is Gary Leon Ridgeway (who is white), known as the verdure River Killer.Although he has ack nowledged cleanup spot over 48 throng, he pleaded shamed to escape the death penalty. Contrast that with the case of Gerald Lee Mitchell (who was black), execute in 2001 for a murder he committed when he was 17 years old. The attorney for Mitchell argued that at the time of the murder Mitchell had an IQ of 75 and had been diagnosed as functioning on the marginal level of retardation. He was put to death in spite of calls for clemency from many countries, world leaders, and even the president of the American Bar Association.(Execution of Child offender) One of the few censures to this trend was timothy McVeigh, who was executed for the terrorist bombing in okeh City. However, I believe he is the exception that proves the rule. While much data that has been amass is hardly productive, there are places where purposeful progress has been made against racial prejudice. This is generally areas where comprehensive data collection and reporting has occurred. Without data, every com plaint of discrimination necessarily boils down to one persons word against a police policemans.This is the reason that civil rights advocates are demanding that police be required to keep racial and ethnic data on who is stop and searched as a basis for eliminating the colored police behavior. Unfortunately, a person can still choose to see his or her own side of the issue despite evidence to the contrary. Prejudice comes in many forms. While it is hard to imagine many judges consciously weighing a decision of whether to have someone executed or not based merely on race, the fact remains that such decisions have been, and are being made. diverge or prejudice can also be a subtle, even subconscious motivation that a person may not even aware of. A judicial system can be only as just and skillful as the citizenry who design and care it. People are prone to error, dishonesty, and prejudice. Although the blatantly racist cops that used to be more or less many years ago are no doubt few and far between today, there still is something at work in the legal system that seems to be detrimental to blacks.From laws that target ethnic neighborhoods and individuals, to how decisions are made regarding arrests and prosecutions, a racially sloped trail of evidence does emerge. From who gets sentenced to probation to who gets sent to prison, blacks are unfairly being targeted. From duration of sentences to who lives or dies, it cannot be denied that prejudice exists in the legal system of this country. Despite arguments to the contrary, and no matter what type of research or studies the supporters of normative theory conduct, the facts speak for themselves.Clearly, it has been shown that people of color in the United States are extremely over-represented in the prison population as well as in the number of arrests due, in large part, to biased or prejudicial attitudes and perceptions of many people in law enforcement and the judicial system. such practices have n o place in a country that promises justice for all people regardless of color. Efforts should continue at every level of government to smorgasbord this pervasive mindset, until race has absolutely no bearing on how an individual is treated in America. Works CitedDAlessio, S. J. and Stolzenberg, L. campaign and the Probability of Arrest Social Forces. Vol. 81 Issue 4, p1381 June 2001 Crowley, Patrick . Study reveals juvenile injustice, Minorities are jailed more often. The Cincinnati Enquirer. 26 April 2000 Racial Disparities in the fight on Drugs Human Rights Watch. Online. <http//www. hrw. org/campaigns/drugs/war/key-facts. htm> 9 Nov. 2005 Shelden, R. and Brown, W. B. The New American Apartheid Part I. 22 June 2004 Williams, Walter. Racial Profiling stick by. The Washington Times. Creators Syndicate, Inc. 14 March 1999