Racism in Criminal Justice

 Jonah Mayral Boyle

Mr. Roddy

IHSS
9 April 2020

Racism in Criminal Justice and the War on Drugs

Racism in criminal justice is a very relevant issue today, and the number of the imprisoned has increased, and the racial disparity grows more significant. For example, African Americans are incarcerated at alarmingly higher rates than white people. In many states Black people are incarcerated at a rate five times higher than white people. In others this number is twice as high. In addition, in twelve states, over half the prison population is Black, with Maryland taking the lead with about 72% of its population being African American.  Even in Hawaii, the state with the lowest racial disparity in imprisonment, still incarcerates Black people at a rate 2 times higher than White people. 

A lot of these racial disparities showed themselves through the War on Drugs. People of color are highly more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, and incarcerated than white people, especially in the case of drug-related crimes. On average, despite comparable usage and possession rates, Black people are nearly four times as likely to be arrested and charged with  possession of marajuana. In other states, Black people are nearly ten times more likely to be arrested. These numbers have only been growing in the past decade.

In addition, between 2007, and 2013, about a quarter of a million people were deported for drug use. Racist logic also associates drug use and violence within the U.S. with immigrants and Black people, creating negative stereotypes, reinforced by influential political figures, and creating a stronger base for both implicit and explicit biases in the criminal justice system. 

This issue also extends far past it appears. These forms of racial disparity in our criminal justice system also feed voter suppression. One in 13 Black people of voting age are denied the right to vote due to laws that disenfranchise and suppress the votes of those with felony convictions. 

In order to begin to change these injustices, progress must be made. Stronger bias training on the police force must happen, and laws that prevent or make it difficult for those with felony convictions to vote, or have access to healthcare, affordable housing, employment, childcare and child custody and more must be broken down, and more.



Sources: 

  1. https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/

  2. https://norml.org/marijuana/fact-sheets/racial-disparity-in-marijuana-arrests/ 

  3. https://drugpolicy.org/issues/race-and-drug-war 

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