Statistics constantly show us the good and bad of our country. Over the years over 25% of our population are locked up for a crime they have committed or maybe one that they have not. The United States of America is viewed as one of the most advanced nations in the world, but has one of the largest prison populations in the world. Our country is home to 5% of the population, but 25% of the world's prison population. So that means that 1 in 4 people that are incarcerated in the world are incarcerated in the United States. This is a statistic that shows us a negative look at our country. More than 60% of the inmates are considered to be apart of the poor community. This is an important fact because it plays a major role in the overpopulated jails. The less money you have, the less of a chance you have to win your case and receive a short term or maybe be able to walk free. Having the ability to afford an upper class attorney raises your chances of a better outcome tremendously. So not only is the criminal justice system knocking minorities down because of their race but also because of their economics. Statistics state that 49.9% of African Americans are born poor, 44% of Latinos are born poor and only 19% of Caucasians are born poor. The numbers show who is really suffering from these issues because of the households they are born into. Those that are not born with a …show more content…
In order to address the disparity and injustice in the criminal justice system we have to admit that this gap was started with slavery and now the prisons are being used as a source of income just as slavery once was. The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery with the exception of those being punished for crime. This loophole has allowed prisoners to be used as a source of income. Issues like this are so difficult to address because there are so many big corporations involved. This is meaningful because we have to be aware of some of the factors that fuel the growth in incarceration. Next we have to begin to see drug addiction and use as more of a public health issue. Only then can we begin to treat the problem rather than punish the victims. The most important issue to be addressed is changing the way we view race in our country. If we are unable to view everyone as equal then no change can ever begin. Viewing everyone as equal will help address police brutality, racial profiling, racism and many other issues discussed previously in this essay. This would allow our country to elect official that would change laws that would not show bias to any group of people. Change is a long term statement, it takes time to make change and it also takes unity. Although without time and unity no change will occur and the world will remain at a stand still. The United States has allowed power, race, and income to divide