Criminal Justice—Lecture Outline
Discussion Questions and Issues to consider
1. Racial Profiling Issues
a. In War on Drugs (Alexander). How common and what is evidence for it? Who is targeted? Is it
“justified” by higher levels of offending by target groups, compared to white rates of offending in
drug crimes? What are drug use and dealing rates like for different groups? What are origins of
War on Drugs? Why does Alexander call it the New Jim Crow? Where does Police Discretion
come into play, and what is the “circular logic of racial profiling? How is it justified in race neutral
language? What does it mean for Race to be A factor vs. the Only Factor? Has Racial profiling
declined? What has Supreme Court ruled about R. Profiling lawsuits by public?
b. In immigration enforcement against Latinos – What is going on Phoenix, AZ and East Haven, CT?
What are the attitudes of police about Latinos and how are they treated? Is this legal? What
would SB 1070 in Arizona likely lead to (& what is the law)? (Markon et al.)
c. Of Arabs and Muslims following Sept. 11 – How ere they targeted and what was done to this
group? What were results re: terrorism investigations? What are drawback of this? (Akram and
Johnson, rdg. 22)
2. What are Citizenship criteria for Membership, Rights & Duties, and Conditions for Practice? What racial
and ethnic inequalities have been present over time and how have they been lessened? What is social
citizenship and what R& E inequalities remain? (Glenn, rdg. 20)
3. What Racial Ethnic Inequalities exist in punishment and imprisonment? How have things worsened for
black men since 1970, as result of imprisonment boom? What are origins of the boom? What is effect of
imprisonment for minority group males, especially black men? (Western rdg. 49 and Pager rdg. 52) What
racial inequalities exist in capital punishment cases, specifically? (Swarns, rdg. 51)
4. What are crimes rates like for immigrants vs. US natives? What is rate like for low SES immigrant groups?
What are differences for 1st generation vs. second generation immigrants? What is the effect of
Americanization & imprisonment? (Rumbaut et al. rdg. 50)
5. [Missing Death Penalty Questions (Swarns rdg. 51 in H&A) ;
6. [And missing questions on NYC Stop & Frisk policing, and African Americans men and imprisonment—
(Devereaux and Loury web rdg.)]
Lecture & Some Group Discussion points
Post-Civil Rights Era – decrease in open discrim. and prejudice in CJ system, and increasing “colorblind
rhetoric and policies… but not “colorblind” in practice (Alexander web rdg. esp. makes this point re: drug
enforcement, very much not “colorblind” in practice).
In some ways, things are worse for young African American men today than in 1970, b/c growth of
prison system and increasing likelihood of imprisonment for that group (Western rdg. 49)
Since 1970, increasing “law and order” policies, esp. focused on African Americans (Western rdg. 49,
Alexander web rdg.). Plays well with conservative white voters, so politicians use issue.
Drug enforcement esp. focused on African Americans (and Latinos), despite fact whites use and sell
drugs as much or more than do other groups. Increasing likelihood of going to Jail for drug crime for
African American and Latino men, compared to white men. (Alexander web rdg. and a little from
Western rdg. 49)
Raises issue of police discretion / judgment (& problems in its use, often based on stereotypes) in who
they focus upon for enforcement.
Reagan Admin in 1986 law, “War on Drugs” with new mandatory minimum sentences, 110:1 sentencing
disparity for crack vs. power cocaine (amount of drug that can lead to mandatory sentence)
(Alexander web rdg.)
“Circular logic of racial profiling” (Alexander web rdg.)
Increasing overall US prison pop. , compared to US crime rates in recent decades (Western Rdg. 49)
Trayvon Martin Case as examples of CJ injustice and unequal treatment…
Racial Profiling and drug sue and selling vs. who is targeted.
Post 9/11 and patriot Act—Muslim immigrants targeted & problems in that nad how it was dnoe, again
authorities given wide discretion (Akram and Johnson rdg. 22)
Unequal effects of race and criminal record, esp. compare whites with criminal record to African
Americans without criminal record (Pager rdg. 52)
Immigrants & crime, compared to native US born population & crime.
Heavy Drug enforcement and racial profiling as racialized social control, a new “Jim Crow” system de
facto but not de jure. Language and policies race neutral, but not practices. Racial profiling lawsuits
now no longer even possible under recent Supreme Court ruling… (Alexander Web rdg.)
Other things not covered in class, but you should be aware of:
Racial inequalities exist in capital punishment cases (Swarns, rdg. 51)
What is going on Phoenix, AZ and East Haven, CT? What are the attitudes of police about Latinos and how are they
treated? (Markon et al.)