Race In The Criminal Justice System

There is a serious problem in our justice system. Is not a secret that people are judge by the color of their skin and ethnicity. Unfortunately, race plays an important role in the criminal justice system. Around the world race affects how an individual is perceived and affects how a person is going to be treated. Regrettably, American justice system is not an exception of this wrongdoing. Minorities (blacks and Latinos) are often prosecuted differently than white offenders; verdicts are harsher with longer-term sentences. According to article The Economist, “Justice is harsher in America than in any other rich country. Between 2.3m and 2.4 m Americans are behind bars, roughly one in every 100 adults.” (Economist.com) The majority of inmates are minorities. “The incarceration rates disproportionately impact men of color: 1 in every 15 African American men and 1 in every 36 Hispanic men are incarcerated in comparison to 1 in every 106 white men.”(aclu.org) So, why is the majority of American prison population is minority’s ?

There are many causes

Everyone is affected in one way or another. Prisons are overcrowded and the government has to spend billions on the prison system. Taxpayer’s money fund the cost of prisons facilities, programs, services and security staff. The children of the inmates are affected because they are been raise without a father role model to teach them how to properly function in society and this increase the chances for them to end up in jail. Prisoners lose freedom to be with their love ones. Police interaction with minorities are getting more violent and deathly. Low and middle class communities are affected by the racial injustice because it built resentment and distrust in our law enforcement and criminal justice system. The bottom line is if do not have racial equality in America things are only going to get