Preview

Minorities and Women in Criminal Justice

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1070 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Minorities and Women in Criminal Justice
There are many key issues impacting minorities and women in the criminal justice system . Sexism still exists in the United States. Sexism against women is shown in the media and indicates that sexism still pervades in our society. Another key issue is the overrepresentation and disparities among minorities in the criminal justice system. After the act of September 11, racial profiling and other acts of racial hate crimes suggests that racism occurs. Another key issue that indicates that racial disparities occur in the criminal justice system is the overrepresentation of minorities in the Juvenile Justice system. Sexism against women- Sexism still pervades in our society. A clear example of this is the way Hillary Clinton was treated in the elections. Hillary faced many gender-based abuse by the media and many individuals. “Multiple studies on women in national security have shown concerns about the progression of women into senior leadership positions (Erbe, 2008).” Some feel women are inferior to men, this is clearly a form of sexism. Statistics from U.S. Bureau of Justice indicates that women are much more likely than men to experience “nonfatal intimate partner violence”. 30% of female homicide victims are estimated to have been killed by intimate partners in comparison to 5% male homicide victims. In the past, women were not included in higher education. When women were included in higher education , they were encouraged into majors that were less intellectual. Women have been excluded from participating in many professions. Based on a 2009 study conducted by Cornell University on the topic of CEOs, research suggests that while being obese limit’s the career opportunities of both women and men, being a bit overweight harms only female executives and may actually benefit male executives. There’s also a disparity of wages between men and women. Today, women earn 75% of the income of men. Research conducted suggest that mothers are 44% less likely to be


References: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act) Act of 2001. Retrieved Aug 14, 2009 from: www.eff.org/censorship.terrorism.militias Despite Democrats Opposition, House Reauthorizes Patriot Act. Retrieved August 14, 2008 from: http://proquest.umi.com. www.Aclu.org http://www.homelandsecurity.org

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The most significant amendment to the bill was The Patriotic Act of 2001 after the country faced the biggest attack from a foreign terrorist group. The United States Department of Justice announced that it would seek legislation that would give powers to state authorities to protect the homeland from such activities and attacks in the future. The proposed legislation was to give federal authorities the ability to monitor internet use, intercept emails and phone calls as well as wiretapping conversion between citizens and non citizens. The Act would also permit the detention of non citizens who are deemed to be dangerous to the home land (Center for American Progress 2005). This Act is by far one of the most controversial legislation in the history of the Congress. This paper looks to analyze the provisions of the Act as well as the pro and cons that came along.…

    • 1756 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout the policing history of women and minorities they have struggled to be seen as equal in the law enforcement. Women have been forced to deal with discrimination within ranking and even overlooked for promotions that they were well qualified for.…

    • 297 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout policing history the role of women and minorities has been a long and hard fought battle. Discrimination had been very prevalent fifty or sixty years ago when women were hired to become matrons doing office work or helping with women and children of sexual abuse. Minorities were forbidden to become police officer until the Nixon Administration era, when the federal government encouraged employers to employ women and minorities and keep track of their progress in what is known today as affirmative action programs. Minorities were hired to police their own neighborhoods, since white officers were afraid to go there. Some would say that affirmative action is a form of reverse discrimination and such laws will only stir-up racial hatred. I think we have overcome that hurdle, because I see that there is a multitude of races among the police force today, women and minorities are actually qualifying for top positions within the departments. Discrimination will always exist mostly behind the scenes. Today, women and minorities’ roles have changed for the better, they are able to move up in rank as high as chief of police, and can patrol any area, and it is all based on tenure and performance instead of gender or race. Once looked upon as a joke, women are now getting the respect from their fellow officers, and separate locker rooms.…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Race-based theory plays a major role in predicting substantial and institutionalized discrimination that is always aimed at minorities within the systems of criminal justice. Racial discrimination in the criminal systems is mainly carried out by police, judges in the courts and agencies which carry out corrections in the United States. Evidence of criminal discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics found in the United States highlights some of the discrimination incidences that the minorities go through. Discrimination against minorities is popularly explained as a purpose of little position of their socioeconomic actions rather than indigenous or racial status. There are two race-based conflict theories which address the discrimination…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In response to September 11, the United States reshaped its anti-terrorist strategies to prevent future attacks by targeting terrorists, foreign and domestic, known and potential. October 26, 2001 the USA Patriot Act was signed into law, it facilitates the prosecution of terrorists, by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and…

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This paper will primarily focus on racial disparity in sentencing. While studying the different problems associated with racial disparity we will also look at why racial disparity exsist within sentencing. In society today there are a diversity of citizens, offenders, and leaders within the court system. However, race still plays a big role in the criminal justice system especially during the sentencing portion of a trial or hearing. Although racial dynamics may have changed over time, race still exerts an undeniable presence in the sentencing process. “ This ranges from desperate traffic…

    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Habitual Offender Laws are made to target poor minority groups. More than half of California’s adult male population is Latino or nonwhite (55%), but three of every four men in prison are Latino or nonwhite: 41% are Latino, 29% are African American, and 6% are of another race.…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Disparity and discrimination in the criminal justice system causes lack of equality based on the certain individual’s religious beliefs, color of skin and background. We live in a world where discrimination and disparities should no longer exist but unfortunately they do. The people around us are the ones who make the world what it is today therefore seeing someone for the way they look and not looking deeper into ones personality is very immoral and unethical. Stereotyping against individuals because of stories you hear will cause false judging and more conflict. Discrimination and disparities are always visible even within the criminal justice field because each individual in the field has their own attitude and beliefs regardless of what the law states.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Differences in perceptions about the fairness of the police, the courts, prisons, and jails among racial and ethnic groups have been widely noted. National survey data indicate that blacks are more likely than whites to believe that the criminal justice system treats blacks more harshly (Crime and Criminal Justice 7), and some research based on particular groups or cities finds that both whites and members of minority groups believe that discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity is a problem in the administration of the criminal justice system.…

    • 1737 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    One need look no further than the school cafeteria to see girls belittle, criticize and ostracize one another beginning at a young age. Even mothers are oppressive and competitive with one another. A working mom, for example, is often looked down upon by stay at home moms (who are presumably being supported and cared for financially by their husbands). Women in positions of power are often harder on female subordinates than they are their male counterparts. It almost seems as if they have been forced to act more “masculine” in order to be seen as worthy of holding positions of power. Hillary Clinton, for example, is a fine example of a woman in a position of power. The American public had many expectations and demands for her, first citing that she was too “masculine” of a women (presumably because she was vying for a leadership position) and then when she did demonstrate what is deemed a more feminine act (crying) she was again criticized – by both men and women alike. Hillary was complicit in the way she catered to the demands placed on her (and some may say even more complicit by staying married to her unfaithful husband).…

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The role of race plays a prominent role in the U.S. criminal justice system. The United States claims to have a race-neutral criminal justice system but the number of arrested black men is significantly higher than white men even though whites are just as likely to be guilty of several crimes, especially drugs. The system, according to Alexander, leads to discriminatory results throughout each stage of the criminal justice process. The rates of black imprisonment cannot be explained by crime rates because discrimination in the system invalidates crime rates. Racial disparities start with the initial stop, search and arrest to the plea bargaining and sentencing, keeping the undercaste majorly black and brown. I believe a major ethical issue…

    • 169 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The criminal justice system in America is what helps to keep the population safe from harm, but it seems to be driven by racial biases. With over 2.2 billion people behind bars, mass incarceration is an issues facing the correctional system in America (Smith, 2015). These individuals have been sentenced to non-violent drug crimes and are mostly people of color. It is estimated that the likelihood of a black felon being sentenced to prison is 26 percent higher than that white individual found guilty of a felony (Sutton, 2013). Sentencing disparities in America are a fundamental issue in the criminal justice system. It is a real problem that affects the black population. Racial threat theory and social disorganization theory can be used to help…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the United States government has taken steps to reduce the threat of future terrorist attacks and also to apprehend terrorists before they have the chance to commit crimes against the United States and its citizens. Some actions that the United States government has taken since 9/11 would be creating a more effective investigation and criminal prosecution department, structural changes to the Justice Department and its component agencies, instituting legal changes to help intelligence and law enforcement officials, and partnering with domestic and international counterparts to better combat the growing threat of terrorism. Just to name a few.…

    • 1398 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Developed “to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes” the USA Patriot Act, bears the formal name ‘‘Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act, 2001, p. 1). Heretofore referred to as the “Patriot Act” the USA Patriot Act was signed into law within 6 weeks from initial draft to final approval supporting the enforcement of laws for the ultimate protection of the United States and her citizens by granting access to persons and information with liberal criminal and civil procedure exceptions. The Patriot Act immediately granted broad-based interrogation, surveillance and isolation abilities to law enforcement when investigating “crimes against terror” (US Government, 2011)…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    One major way is women are shown to have lower wages than men. According to AAUW, who have been supporting women since 1881, women are being paid 21% less than men. This isn’t even because of their education level or the jobs they choose. There is a survey that says the higher education a woman has, the bigger the wage gap is between the two genders. Along with the wage differences, this current event also speaks about the new jobs that women now occupy. They have gone from being ordinary housewives to running for government positions and creating their own businesses. Though women are now running for government jobs, there are more male than female represented in it. Even after the hardship, woman endured over a century ago, there are still many problems that they face during this…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays