Racial Disparities In The Criminal Justice System

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
Not only did minimum sentences add to the explosion in population, but it also added to the racial disparities. This is because one hundred grams of crack cocaine equaled one gram of powdered cocaine in the eyes of the criminal justice system. Crack cocaine is a drug often found in the inner city where people of color and economically disadvantaged people live, compared to powdered cocaine that is used by upper class white individuals. Judge John Geeson, a U.S. District Judge in the eastern district of New York, claims that an injustice is happening because of minimum sentences because only seven percent of the people affected by minimum sentencing laws are actual kingpins in the drug world (Smith,
Most often called racial threat theory, which states that when the majority feels threatened by the minority (economically or politically) they will take action. This action will be in the form of legislation and the threat does not have to be real. Laws are created and the minority community is strictly targeted by these laws. Solutions to this problem would be to enact laws that do not specifically target the minority community. Also, ensuring that the police are not using racial profiling to target the minority community when enforcing laws.
The third ideology is complete denial that sentencing disparities occur. The solution to this would be increased research on the subject and publishing the finding. Simply educating the public that these things are occur. When the public calls for change then the government will be forced to enact changes. Even simple facts like, the probability of a black felon being sentenced to prison is 26 percent higher than that of a white individual who committed a felony, even though the Supreme Court has stated that strictly one’s race cannot be used to determine ones guilt or punishment (Sutton,