...Introduction In the United States our minority youth are targets of the cradle to prison/school to prison pipeline. This is one of the many challenges and stigmas that minority youth are encountered with on a daily basis. In a racially stratified society, there are certain ideas, racial stereotypes and norms that affect our meaning making and decision-making. These biases are roots in our subconscious behaviors, our implicit reactions to individuals based upon latent, involuntary preconceptions (Morris, 2012). Schools have low expectations for low income students and students of color (Fiester, 2010). Minority youth predominately live in impoverished neighborhoods and attend underprivileged schools. Unless, their families are college educated; many minorities face generational poverty. Generational poverty is defined as a family having lived in poverty for at least two generations. Children who face generational poverty lack adequate resources such as: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, higher education, and adequate funds....
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...Why are so Many Minorities in Prison? Robert Klein ENG 122 English Composition II Instructor Megan Lockard January 19, 2015 Outline: Why are so Many Minorities in Prison? I. Introduction A. Thesis: Racial disparity in the criminal justice system is widespread and it threatens to challenge the principal that our criminal justice system is fair, effective, and just. II. Body Paragraph I- As the rise of private, for-profit prisons increase in number there has to be a steady flow of inmates to keep a profit for these private, for-profit prisons. A. Supportive Evidence- As Hallet says in his 2002 essay, “ Race, Crime, and For-Profit Imprisonment: Social Disorganization as Market Opportunity,” “It is perhaps surprising to realize that the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which ended slavery, also authorized the ‘involuntary servitude’ of prisoners as a punishment for crime.”(p. 370) 1.Explanation- The private, for-profit prisons or as some people are now starting to call them corporations. The prisons need people in them to receive taxpayer dollars to house inmates and the idea is to make a profit off of every inmate in the prison. The Thirteenth Amendment protects the prisons to have free labor, so the owner of the prison does not have to pay the inmates for the work therefor; the owner keeps the profit. 2.So What? – That quote is important because it shows that prisons can get contracts and be protected to use the inmates as free labor. It shows...
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...Minority Inmates in American Prisons Noreen Harman ENG122: English Composition II Instructor January Pearson July 7, 2014 There is a disparate rate of minorities in the American prison system currently. I will present evidence from scholarly resources proving that the reason why the minority population is so high is due to racial profiling. The judicial system imposes stricter and longer prison terms on minorities because of their culture. Blacks are about eight times more likely to go to prison than whites, which dwarfs black-white disparities in, for example, unemployment rates (2-to -1 disparity), infant mortality (2-to -1 disparity), and out of wedlock births (3-to-1 disparity). L.J. Geo (2010). African American and Hispanic offenders were more likely than whites to be sentenced to prison, especially if they were male, young and unemployed, S. Spohn (2000). Even though there may be a high rate of minority crimes being committed, I believe the reason for having so many minorities in prison is due to the current judicial system stereo typing. In the article Rethinking Drug Courts: Restorative Justice as a Response to Racial Injustice, it talks about the rate of drug crimes committed by minority and longer sentences imposed to blacks and Hispanics. Drug court offers offenders the opportunity to not do time in prison and get court supervised treatment instead. This is beneficial to the families of minorities so they can keep working and providing...
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...Equal Opportunities for Minorities in the Criminal Justice System Wendell Wrice English 122 English Composition II Prof. Deborah Zeringue October 7, 2013 For many Americans the scales of justice is blind. It stands as a symbol that everyone is treated fairly in the eyes of the law. Many Americans, especially minorities this is simply not the case. In fact the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the entire world-five times the world’s average. A total of 2,380,000 are now in prison. The US has five percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world’s prison population (Fisher, 2010).In fact minorities make up a large share of the prison population in the U.S. African Americans have a 32 percent chance of serving time in prison at some point of time in their lives, Hispanic males have a 17 percent chance, while white males a 6 percent chance (Fisher, 2010) . Such disproportions of incarceration rates gives reason to believe that minorities, especially African Americans commit the majority of crimes requiring incarceration or the fact that our justice system is flawed to the point where it singles out a specific racial or ethnic group. The question of why there are so many minorities especially African Americans being held in our...
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...Bond March 16th, 2014 Racial Disparities in the U.S. Judicial System The United States has the largest documented incarceration rate in the world. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics at yearend 2012, approximately 6,937,600 offenders were under the supervision of adult correctional systems (2013). Of this number, more than 60% of the inmates in prison are minorities however; they make up only 37% of the United States population. Considering the trends in which minorities commit crimes, such broad statistics conceal that racial disparities pervade each stage of the U.S. judicial system, from arrest to trial and sentencing. The first stage of the judicial system is the arrest made by an officer. Police are given an incredible amount of discretion to use that leads to bias and racial profiling. According to Paul Bou-Habib in his article “Racial Profiling and Background Injustice”, he states, “The main reason in favor of using racial profiling in the context of criminal investigation is that I can increase the chance of catching criminals” (para. 2). A key factor in the imbalance of the arrests on minorities in comparison to whites is that they commit more crimes at higher rates. In the article, “The Correlates of Law Enforcement Officers’ Automatic and Controlled-Race Based Responses to Criminal Suspects” by B. Michelle Peruche & E. Ashby Plant (2006) suggests that: Such responses may be influenced by stereotypic expectations. For example, it is possible that...
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...Introduction: This paper is going to give a good insight into how American prisons have a disparity toward the minority population. Is this trend due to a higher rate of minority crimes or the manner in which the judicial system operates? The Judicial System has a major affect about the way they look at Minorities and the crimes that they commit, but is the Judicial System just being racist about the differences if they commit a crime and if Americans commit them. The real question is what is the difference and why are our prisons having a disparity of minority inmates. American prisons have a disparity of minority inmate population. Because the high rate of inmates, all individuals can commit the same crimes, and is this trend due to a higher rate of minority crimes or the manner in which the judicial system operates. They say that minorities get treated differently because of the color of their skin and that can be true. They also say that the judicial system also treats those with different back grounds and different colored skin differently than Americans. Where does this come from? You still hear it in today’s society where an African American will get in trouble and all they have to say about it is that you are only doing this because I am black. The judicial system has a hard job to do when it comes determining punishments for crimes for crimes that are committed and putting individuals in prison for serious crimes they do commit. There are some points that make this to...
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...Incarceration The disparate number of minorities in prison populations is a concern for many who believe this disproportion is due to a systematic bias in the judicial system. While many factors may contribute to this overwhelming discrepancy, I contend that the disparate number of minority populations in prison is an accurate portrayal of how crime is committed in the United States. In order to understand the cause of this disparity, I will delve into the arrest rates and sentencing statistics that attempt to show why minorities are incarcerated at a higher rate, and why they're incarcerated for longer periods of time, than their white counterpart. These two focal points, arrest rates and sentencing statistics, I believe, are the best for gathering data, considering it is where the justice system both begins and ends. Though many may think that there is a racial bias concerning the disparate number of minorities in prison working against minorities, an article entitled, “Are Blacks and Hispanics Disproportionately Incarcerated Relative to Their Arrests?” provides impressive data to oppose this claim. This article boasts being one of the first studies to include the Hispanic ethnicity in their data, which other studies omitted from, or never incorporated into, their findings, making this study much more reliable in terms of determining the cause of the referenced disparity, and more accurate in comparing the races involved. The disparity in prison populations, according to this...
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...100-02 Basak Durgun Nov. 2. 2015 The prison industrial complex is a system created by private businesses in order to expand prisons and profit by increasing the number of people who are jailed in their prisons. It’s a system in which there is little to no care for the rights of prisoners or their rehabilitation rather the entire purpose is to make as much money as possible. In order for the prison industrial system to be successful there is a need for a steady supply of prisoners. These prisoners usually tend to be lower income minorities who can be easily taken advantage of and jailed without being able to defend their rights. In order to advocate for and protect the rights of minorities and women, feminists in the prison abolitionist’s movement have taken a stand to call for an end to the expansion of prisons for profit. One major problem with the prison industrial complex is that it takes advantage of minority groups in society who aren’t able to defend their rights properly. These groups are usually stuck in poor communities in which they usually find themselves missing necessary supplies or services in order to thrive and survive. These people are also grossly undereducated due to the lack of funds being provided for their schools or their communities. As a result many of them end up feeling like they have to commit crimes in order to attain a better living situation or to survive in their communities. The people who support the prison industrial complex realize that the...
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...Imbalance of Minorities in Our Prison System Brady Jacobs ENG 122: English Composition II Prof. Jennifer Chagala December 1, 2014 American prisons are highly racially imbalanced in a country that incarcerates more of its population than any other nation in the world. I see this first hand in my career as a correctional officer at a state prison. I see the imbalance every day and it doesn’t fluctuate. There are several reasons for this imbalance. Poverty, disrespect of legal structure, lack of discipline, inadequate education, and drugs are the main causes of the disproportionate ratio of minority inmates. The NAACP has a broken down some solid statistics on this issue as well. Poverty is one of the many contributing factors to why people are imprisoned. Poverty becomes more prevalent with minorities who have been previously incarcerated. It also becomes increasingly difficult for them to find a job once they are released from prison. Today’s economy is already stacked against them and if they are unable to find employment it could lead to recidivism. When people get desperate they tend to do desperate things. Here is a simple scenario: a man cannot get jobs earning money righteously so he will find other ways to provide for his family. Most men who try to make a dishonest living are eventually caught and are consequently incarcerated. Examples could range from anything to writing bad checks all the way to armed robbery. This may lead to...
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...Racial Disparities in America’s Judicial System The mandatory imprisonment policies written for the judicial system are creating disparity of minority inmate population primarily due to non-violent drug crimes and the unjust mandatory minimum sentencing laws. America’s prisons are the most populated in the world, and they are disproportionately populated by minorities due to the set of mandatory imprisonment policies set in place. Over the past five decades, the disparity between races has widened dramatically according to the National Center on Institutions. In the 1950’s, blacks and Hispanics were the minorities in the prison system, whereas today whites are. Is this due to poverty? I’m sure poverty plays a big role in most cases. Robert Woodson Jr., president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise said the reason young men engage in criminal activity is not just for money, it is to make a name for themselves, to have some expression of worth, even if the expression is self-destructive. Crack cocaine hit the streets in the early 1980’s, infesting the lower income areas. It’s a cheap drug compared to cocaine and easier to come by than some of the higher priced drugs. Is this considered racial disparity? The Sentencing Project in 2007 states that two-thirds of the regular crack users are white and Latino, 82 percent of defendants sentenced in federal court for crack offences are African-American. Criminologist William Chambliss suggest that blacks are more...
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...Star Ward Disparity in American prisons English 122 Prof. Howard Cox March 11, 2014 Hollywood has done a great job of painting out the picture of your average Minority figure. Correct me if I’m wrong but most movies and/or T.V. shows paint minorities out to be illiterate, lazy, have violent behavior and guaranteed to be imprisoned at least once in their lifetime. Which brings me to my topic: Disparity in America’s prison system. It’s an undisputed fact that there are more Blacks and Hispanics in America’s prison system compared to whites but how can that be when there is far more Whites in America’s population as a whole? The real problem, however, is that when thinking about disparity in America’s prisons we need not to look at it being racially motivated but to focus on the contributing factors behind it. Factors such as family, socioeconomic inequalities such as education and jobs, and legal representation. Not only should these factors be considered but we also need to look at alternative methods that can be taken to prevent imprisonment for non-violent and petty offenses. By the time you finish reading this paper hopefully you get some understanding behind the madness that has a lot of Minorities questioning the U.S. justice system. The United States Justice symbol is supposed to represent equality for everyone no matter the race, color, or creed. The land of the free is what it is other countries see it as yet some Americans feel trapped by a system set up for them...
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...Amber Ranalli- CON Krystal Cooper Patrick Haskin Topic: Should post-prison reintegration programs be race neutral? Psychological changes that prisoner’s face in the legal system. De-emphasis on rehabilitation as a goal of incarceration. As a result, the ordinary adaptive process of institutionalization or “prisonization” has become extraordinarily prolonged and intense. Among other things, these recent changes in prison life mean that prisoners in general (and some prisoners in particular) face more difficult and problematic transitions as they return to the free world By the start of the 1990s, the United States incarcerated more persons per capita than any other nation in the modern world, and it has retained that dubious distinction for nearly every year since Programs that help prisoners stay connected with their families, get drug treatment, and work while in prison can increase the chances that they will successfully reintegrate back into society Employment, finances, family support and substance abuse programs vital to post prison programming There is irrefutable evidence that minorities make up a disproportionate percentage of the prison population. The crimes for which whites and minorities are imprisoned also differ. Blacks and Hispanics are much more likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses than whites. If incarceration rates remain the same, every black male born in 2001 will face a 1 in 3 chance of being jailed, compared to...
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...This makes one question whether, people in the United States are really held to this standard, or are certain people more prone to crime in the land of opportunity and freedom? Our society is built around the societal norms of the dominant white group and racial and ethnic inequalities are intertwined in every aspect of our society causing minority groups to struggle against a society built around white privilege. Prevalence Minorities in comparison to their population in the United States are incriminated at a higher rate than Whites. Spohn (2000) stated that “a majority of the studies reviewed…found that African Americans and Hispanics were more likely than Whites to be sentenced to prison, even after taking crime seriousness and prior criminal records into account” (as cited in Hartney & Vuong, 2009, p.10). In 2010, racially the United States population identified as being comprised of 196.8 million Whites who identified as White alone (69.1%), 38.9 million Blacks or African Americans (12.6%), and 50.5 million Hispanics (16.3%) (2010 Census Brief, 2011). However, Of those federally sentences in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 36.7 % or 68,180 were Black, 32.5% or 60,268 were Hispanic and only 27.5% or 51,091 were white (Motivans, 2013). As seen by these numbers, African Americans were 7.7 times more likely, and Hispanics were 5.2 times more likely, than...
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...summarising statement of your overall conclusions ------------------------------------------------- To what extent do sociological theories of the causes of crime and delinquency explain the composition of prison populations, especially the disproportionate minority presence, in the UK? (Consider any alternative explanation(s).) ------------------------------------------------- Although prison, as a social system, has frequently been described as ‘a microcosm of society,’ (Flynn, 1998, p.67) there are fundamental differences between the prison and general populations in terms of age, gender and ethnicity For instance, current figures show that males account for 94% of the total prison population (Cross and Olowe, 2004, p.5), which is clearly not representative of the population as a whole. Essentially, the prison population is a complex and dynamic entity that demands a more robust critique than that which considers the more individually focussed differences such as age, gender and ethnicity as Flynn’s (1998) observation implies. The appraisal of prisoners’ social and economic backgrounds as well as a more systematic and thorough breakdown of all inmate groups within the prison population as a whole is required. It follows, therefore, that any explanations for the composition of the prison population need to move beyond statistical and socio-economic characteristics and towards a focus on the various theoretical perspectives, with consideration of the extent to which they provide possible...
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...Racial Disparity in Sentencing Racial disparity in sentencing in the criminal justice system is a problematic issue. Individuals often believe that racial disparity in sentencing does not exist; however, substantial proof in the criminal justice system proves otherwise. According to statistics of Marc Mauer, “unprecedented rise in the populations of prisons over the past three decades is a six fold increase, resulting in the incarceration of nearly two million Americans.” The breakdown of statistics is as follows: “One in every eight African-American male groups between 25-34 year old is a result of incarceration and 32% of African-American males born to society can expect to spend a term in a federal or state prison if the current racial disparity continues” (Mauer, 2004, p. 79). Four reasons of Racial Disparity The four reasons for the flourishing continuance of racial disparity in the criminal justice sentencing process are ineffective assistance of procedural bars, and council, jury selection and venue, prosecutorial discretion, and juror racism (Tabak, 1999, p. 6). Research documenting states like New York and California prosecutions have board spectrums concerning discretion seeking capital punishment; however, these four reasons apply to cases, which capital punishment is sought. “Capital punishment can be sought for intentional murders which individual may commit during the course of a felony and the intent to commit murder can be formed instantaneously before the...
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