Why Do Minorities Get Longer Jail Sentences Than Wealthy People?

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Do you ever wonder why minorities are getting longer jail sentences than wealthy people? In our society, it is said that everyone is equal and treated fairly. In reality, this is not true. Many minorities are mistreated in a number of ways, and one big one is the sentencing system. In our society, class plays a big part in how you're treated in the courtroom. Wealthy people are treated better and usually will be able to get away without jail time, while for something minor, a minority can get 5 years. An example of what Equal Justice Under Law said was, “A wealthy person can buy their pre-trial freedom, keep their job, and live at home while preparing their defense. An arrestee who is poor must stay in jail for days, weeks, months, or years …show more content…

This is how we know: not everyone is equal, and there needs to be change. I want to start a fight where minorities are not being mistreated and treated as equals. This is an important topic to be talked about because people are being mistreated by the system, even though it ensures justice for everyone. The quote I am using to support this is "the crime of being poor." “Recent years have seen a growing criticism of the criminal justice system on the flawed premise that the system itself is racist. Proponents of this position support their argument by pointing to statistics that show that black men make up 6% of the national population but almost half of the nation's prison population. Or that at any given time, one-third of the U.S. population of black men is under criminal justice control, either in prison, probation, or parole. The end result—a stunning and disproportionately large percentage of black men under criminal justice control—is taken as prime evidence that the very system is inherently racist, at least in its outcome.'' This quote explains that black people don't have a large population in society, yet most of them are in

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