Aamir Khan

 

            Criminal justice policies across the country have resulted in mass arrest, prosecution, conviction, and incarceration of people of color. Consequently, African-American and to a lesser extent, Latino communities have been casualties of the domestic “wars” on drugs and crime. Racial disparity in sentencing can cause problems within a community. Public outcry can stir tension between the police and the community, people from different backgrounds, and can even cause riots like in the case of Rodney King vs. the L.A. police department. This is why it is important for the justice system to be aware of the disparities in sentencing, and make an effort to fix the problem. Before the problem can be fixed the problem needs to be identified.

According to the research conducted by Beck, Karberg, and Harrison there have been more blacks incarcerated compared to other races. When incarceration rates by State are estimated separately by gender, race, and Hispanic origin, male rates are found to be 11 and a half times higher than female rates; black rates 6 times higher than white rates; and Hispanics rates 2 times higher than white rates. The largest differences in incarceration rates between men and women are in Massachusetts (18 times higher for men) and Maine (17 times higher for men).  The largest differences in rates between whites and blacks are in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota (approximately 13 times higher for blacks), and between whites and Hispanics in Connecticut and Pennsylvania (7 times higher for Hispanics), Massachusetts and North Dakota (6times higher).Wisconsin led the Nation with an estimated 4,058 black prison and jail inmates per 100,000 black State residents, followed by Iowa (with 3,302) and Texas (3,287).  New Hampshire with 1,747 Hispanic inmates per 100,000 Hispanic residents, Pennsylvania (1,680), and Connecticut (1,434) had the highest Hispanic rates.

Because racial profiling, discrimination, and the disparities within the criminal justice system seem to always be a topic of concern, the best way to understand what is happening is to research the problem to gain a better perspective and point of view. The need to find the reason behind the higher numbers of minority inmates, to that of white inmates, is crucial to a fair and balanced judicial system.