Racial Diversity Within the Walls:
A Glance into race discrimination and the criminal justice system in the USA
Race discrimination and the criminal justice system in the USA
Racial discrimination is one of the biggest impediments in the criminal justice system in the
United States of America as it profiles the minority races often associating them with the cases
of criminal behaviors in the country. The law enforcement agencies tend to always pay more
attention to the minority race ignoring the criminals in the majority races. Racial discrimination
is a very complicated topic when it comes to the criminal justice system (Tonry, 2010).
Many white people in the United States of America have this internal believe that the people of
color threaten their community. These stereotypes have been there for ages and has been
instilled in many white police officers who have believed in them, leading to racial bias when
out certain investigations against other race. Some of the white police officers spend much
more of their time searching the black people without even that there may be criminals among
the whites who wreck havoc in society. The stereotypes may currently be on the downside in
the United States of America, but they continue to affect American culture. For instance,
research reveals that white people consider blacks to be a threat to their wellbeing even though
they may or may not have engaged in criminal behavior (Walker, Spohn, & DeLone, 2011).
Additionally, they are normally associated with guns and violence even within the criminal
justice system where the rule of law should hold, and evidence should be followed to by these
law enforcement agents The racial biases that the white Americans have against the blacks are
usually uncouncious acts that bring out erroneous judgements from them. Americans of all
races sell and use illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates. Surveys frequently suggest that white
youth are even more likely to engage in illegal drug dealing than black youth (Michelle, 2016).
perception of criminality that the whites have against the minority races makes several police
officers in the United States of America to arrest and detain innocent people. Such perceptions
may increase the crime rate in the United States of America because the criminals coming from
the white race may not be arrested and detained even though they may be guilty. It is therefore
important for the stakeholders in the judicial systems of the United States of America to deal
with the cases of racial discrimination as a way of ensuring that the society is a good place for all
to stay equally. Racial discrimination should be addressed so that the people in the country can
live in peace (Tonry, 2010).
The best way to curb this outburst of racial discrimination is by creating a massive awareness
amongst police officers and the general justice system. Lectures and seminars should be held to
let them know that just because a person is colored doesn't mean he is a criminal and that not
everyone brought to the counter are guilty. They should be sensitized to pay equal attention to
crimes committed by both whites and blacks alike. "No one is guilty until proven guilty" this
quote should also stand for the colored in the society.
Implementing this plan is not a days job, it can take months or possibly years to perfect but
when done correctly can go a long way to reduce the racial discrimination in our society today.
For a start, laws should be put in place to ensure every old and new member of any force
especially police undergoes these training against racial discrimination and abuse. It should be
the duty of the chief judge or perhaps president to ensure these laws are passed.
Human rights organizations, as well as political and social ones, are condemning what they are
calling a new form of inhumane exploitation in the United States, where they say a prison
population of up to 2 million – mostly Black and Hispanic – are working for various industries
for a pittance (Vicky, 2015).
Any case being handled by the police or criminal Justice department should be handled with
utmost equality and fairness. There should be cast transparency in the acts and actions of law
enforcement agents in the United States of America. Also any law enforcement agents found
guilty of racially discriminating should be held, trial and prosecuted openly to serve as a
warning or lesson to others.
The only real downside to this plan of teaching and lecturing law enforcement agents on racial
discrimination is the fact that some of them are in borne characters and can not be removed by
mere teaching.
References
Tonry, M. (2010). The Social, Psychological, and Political Causes of Racial Disparities in the
American
Criminal
Justice
System. Crime
and
Justice, 39(1),
273-312.
doi:10.1086/653045
Walker, S., Spohn, C., & DeLone, M. (2011). The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
in America. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Vicky, P.(2015).https://floridaactioncommittee.org/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-bigbusiness-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/
Michelle, A. (2016). The New Jim Crow. (3),7-8