Taking all of the studies, background knowledge, and statistics into consideration, I do believe that there is an unproportionate amount of black men serving time in the criminal justice system. It has been proven that men of color are particularly likely to be imprisoned, in comparison to their non black counterparts. “African Americans serve virtually as much time in prison for a drug offense (58.7 months) as whites do for a violent offense (61.7 months). (Sentencing Project)” The sentencing of black men is commonly dealt with in a harsher manner, than with other races. There are specific laws and stereotypes that continue to be upheld by society, which specifically work against the favor of black men. The issue of predominantly black areas …show more content…
“African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population.” The majority group of this statistic are people who come from african american backgrounds. The fact that black people are to make up nearly half of the prison population alone, really conveys the rate at which they are being arrested. Black men are often victims of racial profiling by police. They are targeted by police officers, and security guards, and are accused of crimes unrelated to them, simply on the basis of their skin color. Racial profiling plays a major role in the amount of black men and boys being sent to …show more content…
Many of these factors are uncontrollable by the very people who are affected by them.There have been many instances in history, and studies done that accurately convey the fact that society seems to be working against african american men.The brutality of the legal system, stereotypes, isolation, distorted perception, and various types of isolation are all components, in the mass incarceration that seems to be spreading to african american men like the plague. The combination of these aspects make it nearly impossible for balance to be maintained in the number of black and white inmates. After doing an adequate amount of research, I do believe that there is an unequal amount of black and white prisoners, and that there are various different sources that support my
When talking about prisons, race is always talked about because it’s assumed that more black people are in prison than white people. When in all actuality, it’s pretty close to even between white and black prisoners. When the police crews were told to surprise certain neighborhoods, majority of the neighborhoods were black. On the flip side, as a police officer it must have been functional to assume the black neighborhoods would have more drug dealers because they’re black right? Overall, race does play a major factor in Mass Incarceration that simply will not change for many years to
African Americans are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and sentenced to harsher penalties compared to their white counterparts for similar offenses. The over-policing of African American communities, racial profiling, and biased sentencing practices contribute to the lack of opportunities and a cycle of incarceration. Reforming the criminal justice system by addressing racial bias, implementing alternatives to incarceration, and focusing on rehabilitation can help create a more equitable society and provide opportunities for individuals to reintegrate successfully into their
The standard way of thinking about how African Americans are treated is that they are portrayed as criminals. The reason that African Americans are seen to be this way is because of the way they are shown on television. Television makes them look like they are all bad people, out looking for something bad to do. According to the video that we watched, black men account for an estimated 6.5% of the United States population, however they make up 40.2% of the United States prison population. When
Affirmative Action Reader pg. 244 “ those many in our society that are darker, poorer, more identifiably foreign will continue to suffer the poverty, marginalization, immersion and incarceration.” Statistics are staggering Racial Disparities in Incarceration African Americans constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population, they are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites, what’s shocking is that one in six black men had been incarcerated as of 2001 and if the trends continues one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime. I am for affirmative action, as I believe that when the late President John F Kennedy signed the affirmative action on March 6th 1961,
Michelle Alexander, similarly, points out the same truth that African American men are targeted substantially by the criminal justice system due to the long history leading to racial bias and mass incarceration within her text “The New Jim Crow”. Both Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Michelle Alexander’s text exhibit the brutality and social injustice that the African American community experiences, which ultimately expedites the mass incarceration of African American men, reflecting the current flawed prison system in the U.S. The American prison system is flawed in numerous ways as both King and Alexander points out. A significant flaw that was identified is the injustice of specifically targeting African American men for crimes due to the racial stereotypes formed as a result of racial formation. Racial formation is the accumulation of racial identities and categories that are formed, reconstructed, and abrogated throughout history.
“African Americans are frequently illegally excluded from criminal jury service,” The Huffington Post explained. This piece of evidence justifies that black people are often excluded from jury time on cases. Another issue is how rare trials are for African Americans. Of the African American cases, only three to five percent of cases get a trial, the rest get plea bargained (The Huffington Post). This shows how the majority of African Americans never have a trial.
One of the most heated issues in law enforcement is the profiling of individuals based solely upon the race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individual. Statistics show that African Americans are several times more likely to be arrested and put in jail than white Americans. As of 2000, fewer African American men were in college than were in prison. Moreover, black children were nine times as likely as white children to have at least one parent in
The number of minorities in the prison system is quite startling. Minorities make up 60% of the population imprisoned. To support this allegation, 1 in 3 African American men will be imprisoned at least once in their lifetime thus creating a racial stereotype. Since 1 in 3 African Americans will be arrested and imprisoned in their lifetime, it creates a target for police officers as well as the public. Police officers will primarily be on the lookout for a colored male or female as oppose to a caucasian male or female.
I say 'you're doing this because I am black.' They said, 'no, we are not, were black too,' and that was true. These were African-American officers. Even they were racial profiling me, another black man." while most black men don't commit any crime, of men who commit crime, a disproportionately number are African-American.
That is that show black Americans that times haven’t changed. According to the (NAACP), African Americans constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population, and have nearly six times the incarceration rate of whites. In year 2013 study showed that black men were much more likely to be arrested and incarcerated than white men, but also found that this disparity disappeared after accounting for self-reported violence and IQ. An August 2013, Sentencing Project report on Racial Disparities in the United States Criminal Justice System, submitted to the United Nations, found that one of every three black American males born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime. The statistics for African-American males shows that one out of three black males will be arrested and sent to prison during their lifetime, and that between the ages of 20 to 34 one out of nine will be in prison.
Imagine being a child who has not seen their father in years. Not being able to celebrate holidays with a loved one and being a fatherless child. Especially being a black child of an incarceration black male there are many stereotypes that set you aside from other people. For many years in the criminal justice system in America it has been undergoing a massive growth. According the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) there are over two million black men in jail and most of them stay there for a life time.
The Huffington Post says, “The U.S. incarcerates nearly seven times as many people, measured as a share of population, as Canada does. People of color are disproportionately represented in the American prison population and are typically punished more severely than white peers for the same crimes” (Daniel Marans). Racism against people of color has caused them to be represented poorly in society as potential criminals, especially black. MIT informs its viewers that “according to the United States census Bureau, blacks are twice as likely to be poor compared to other races, and eight times as likely to be imprisoned. Blacks are also three times more likely to be convicted of drug violations than whites.
African American now are nearly 1 million of 2.3 million incarcerated population. They are being incarcerated six times the rate of whites. Together, with Hispanics, they are covering prisons by 58 percent as of
Out of all races, blacks have over 800 offences in each crime committed. Blacks receive differential treatment in the criminal justice system such as minorities serving longer sentences, having higher arrest and conviction rates, facing higher bail amounts, and often victims of
We can not ignore African American do represent a large number of population in prison, but we must keep in mind, that African American are more heavily represented in sports than they are in the general population. “African Americans constitute 70% of National Football League players and over 80% of National Basketball League players, while African Americans comprise approximately 13% of the U.S. population” (Berry & Smith,