“79% of white police officers who work primarily in black neighborhoods admitted to being biased against black people.” This is an alarming percentage of officers and yet we still face this problem today. Racial discrimination does not only affect police officers, but also convictions, trials and arrests. The United States' criminal justice system is designed to ensure that there is no discrimination, but why aren't there more to stop it? More reforms and policies need to be put in place to minimize racial discrimination in our criminal justice system so that we can treat everyone fairly and not favor one race over another. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay I'm a psychology major with a minor in criminal justice and this is a very important topic to me. Department of Criminal Justice officials need to realize that racial discrimination is on the rise and that more people are guilty of it than researchers initially thought. The media may not report everything that is happening in the world, but these issues are buried deep in the ground and their roots are trying to come to the surface, all the while continuing to sink deeper and deeper. If the criminal justice system in the United States does not change its ways, it could cost more lives and more families of color will be affected by those serving life in prison instead of the minimum sentence that has the final say. In the United States, African Americans are targeted more than whites in the criminal justice system and because of this, there is a sense of lost hope. There are stereotypes prevalent on both the left and the right, which lead to lack of trust, despair, and even less approval of government. African Americans who have a higher level of education than those with less education tend to feel targeted because of the color of their skin and will do things like not vote in elections because they have the impression of not counting for those who hold authority such as the government. . This can be explained by the fact that "because feelings of distrust and government responsiveness affect individuals' desire to get involved in politics, politics also determines participation rates." Additionally, African Americans who are more educated are more aware of what is going on and are more likely to face discrimination. Indeed, around the world, African Americans, especially those with darker skin, are seen as dangerous individuals who commit crimes, provoke violence and use drugs. There have been surveys like the one done by the U.S. Department of Justice that concluded that "African Americans may be subject to traffic stops by police at similar rates to whites; they are three times more likely." to be searched after being arrested.” appear more suspicious and are seen as creators of crimes under the law. The war on drugs has also had an impact on African Americans, especially because of the amount of punishment they receive when they go to prison and serve their time. “Courts have ‘common’ rates for certain types of crime, which also informally guide outcomes based on what justice actors mutually believe to be the appropriate outcome for a given crime.” More and more African Americansare sent to prison with sentences like life for having a kilo of crack while the minimum sentence ranges from 2 to 10 years. White people use more crack cocaine and when they are arrested, they receive a sentence less than life in prison and are not profiled because of the color of their skin. Minorities are targeted more often and African Americans fall into this category, which increases discrimination and what police officers do to them, especially in how they treat African Americans. With discrimination in place, the most serious and serious thing a police officer can do to someone is shoot them and this is becoming an alarming problem in the African American community. “Between 50 and 60% of people killed each year by the police belong to minorities.” These types of events create a lot of backlash and public outcry when the media reports on them, which is not always the case due to factors such as other information taking over or The media doesn't feel it's important to talk about it. The victim's family or loved ones do not get justice as often as the officer claims there was a reason to use excessive force. This has been observed in incidents where police officers shoot because they believe a weapon is about to be drawn or the person they are looking for is about to flee. In December 2012, there was an incident where Jamaal Moore, who was only 23 years old, was shot and killed by an officer. Jamaal was minding his own business on the street in Chicago when a riot broke out around him and one of the police officers at the scene considered Jamaal a suspect in the riot. He was handcuffed, lying on the ground, with no officers nearby, where he was then shot, but there was no evidence to show why he was shot. This case was not widely known around the world because there was a "national outcry over the number of homicides in Chicago." The police blamed the situation on the fact that the police had become tougher, but when there is bloodshed for someone who has done nothing to cause harm, where do you draw the line? Reforms are in place to try to stop and prevent this from happening and people around the world are trying to prevent police brutality from happening again. The Black Lives Matter movement is a movement that became popular in 2013 and originally started as a hashtag. and this movement was created to try to stop police brutality and shootings. Many African Americans have been killed by cops even though they did not pose a threat to the officers. People of all racial backgrounds are part of this movement and have coined the phrase. More often than not, you can find a Black Lives Matter movement rallying at a more local event or protesting in public. They use phrases like "Arrest him" when referring to someone's hands being raised and telling the officer not to shoot them in an attempt to raise awareness. This movement is popular and creates awareness of what is happening in the African American community and racial discrimination. “Ultimately, Black Lives Matter could help intensify the growing pressure on the contemporary labor movement to revive its social justice roots.” Some would say that police brutality is not a thing and that the police were doing what they had to do because they felt like their lives were in danger or the lives of others were in danger. According to Heather Donald in National Review, "local officials have proudly declared themselves incapable of functioning without oversight."federal.” In a study by Robert Bernasconi in CR: The New Centennial Review, he states: “Weapons are found very rarely. » Minorities appear more dangerous because that is how the public and media perceive them, which results in law enforcement and arrests as well as unjustified shootings. Innocent lives are taken and every time police officers use their right to use excessive force, the public outcry weakens and is pushed aside. There is not much being done to show what is really happening and there will always be people who show no sympathy for the victim or their loved ones, which only makes the problem worse. Movements like the Black Lives Matter movement can create a voice and cause an outcry. Some celebrities are even involved in this movement and can use their fame to speak out to the public and try to make change. People look up to celebrities, which can increase awareness, which can in turn force a change in police brutality and arrests. Reforms need to be put in place for the criminal justice system with courts and corrections because "minorities are treated more punitively than similarly situated whites, from arrest to conviction in many jurisdictions ". The type of lawyer a person gets depends on the quality of a lawyer they can afford, and because African Americans are placed in the minority category, they cannot afford a good lawyer who can help them determine their sentence. What people tend not to realize is that a defendant's family history, as well as their poverty level, plays a significant role in determining what sentence someone will receive. According to Matthew Clair and Alix Winter in Criminology, "judges said they considered creative ways to hand down alternative sentences, such as drug rehabilitation, for defendants." Drug rehabilitation for defendants can help defendants get on the road to recovery so they can serve less time and spend more time with family who would not appear in court as often if they were sentenced to life. This happens a lot for minorities, especially those of color, and whites have less time or are more effective at plea bargaining because they can afford a better lawyer, putting the odds in their favor. Many African Americans would benefit greatly if judges were fully aware that a defendant's social and racial class contribute to racial disparities. This will show that there is more to the color of someone's skin and that everyone is human. No race is a monster race and deep down we are all the same but with different beliefs, but if we work together we can create equality and a better environment. Some would say that instead of minimizing sentences and creating programs to help defendants, these should not be in place because there is no racism in the courts and at arraignments. According to Heather Donald in the Wall Street Journal, “racial disparities in prison do not stand up to reality.” Heather believes that crimes committed in prison have nothing to do with a person's race and that when it comes to drug incarceration or any other type of incarceration, a person's race plays no role. role. This may be true, but in a study by Matthew Clair and Alex Winter in Criminology who surveyed judges, one judge said, “We are all vulnerable to bias. » In their..