Racial Disparity In Prison

Submitted By johuff9331

Words: 511

Pages: 3

Open Document

There were 1,525,924 persons incarcerated in state and federal prisons at the end of 2005. The Black race takes up 40 percent of this number while whites are only 35 percent and Hispanic is only at 20 percent. (Harrison & Beck. 2006) This means blacks comprise about 12 percent of the US population which is about two fifths of the prison population. Males are even more dramatic for disparities, especially males in their twenties and thirties. In 2005, 8.1 percent of all black males ages 25 to 29 were doing time in a prison. White males were only 1.1 percent and Hispanic males were only 2.6 percent. The pattern for females are similar, however the numbers are much smaller.
The statistics are continuously changing. Most statistics do not include the millions of people arrested and released every year without being formally charged. These also do not include juveniles, military prisoners and mental patients. Prisons all over the world are full of inmates aka cons. Many of these cons have done violent crimes. Prison disparity is in every prison. Sometimes the outcome of a trial is due to the race the defendant is. There are prejudice persons and judges still out there. However, racial disparity is common in prisons. The racial disparities in prisons have been there for years. The guards will let a certain racial gang in prison help run the cell blocks and keep other cons from doing wrong. This allows the guards to have help in matters that go on in prisons. If your ever in a prison then you will know that there is a certain “gang” that will take leadership with other inmates and other “gangs”.
Some guards will allow their “trusted cons” (inmate helpers) get special privileges for their help in keeping their cell block calm. Some guards will let them get longer “yard” time, seconds on supper or even an extra phone call. However, some guards will

Literatuire review Essay

decisions which they base off of their prejudices every day. The following studies and analyses provide insight on minorities’ differential treatment in the judicial system causing severe sentencing disparities. Racial Disparity in Sentencing In the study Patterns of Death: An Analysis of Racial Disparities in Capital Sentencing and Homicide victimization, the authors Samuel Gross and Robert Mauro examine the effect race plays in Capital Sentencing. This study observes 8 states sentencing of capital…

Words 4273 - Pages 18

Essay On Mass Incarceration

makes America the country that possesses the largest prison population in the World. Many factors that contribute to the problem of Mass Incarceration. Drug offenses along with mandatory minimum sentencing contribute greatly to the overcrowding of prisons. Racial inequality is also debated as being a factor that contributed to mass incarceration. The lives of prisoners are very negatively affected by the problems of Mass Incarceration and prison overcrowding, Mass incarceration is an awful trait of…

Words 924 - Pages 4

Essay on Gagui Elisa

Black, White and Latino Race to Prison. Black, White and Latino Race to Prison. Introduction The incarceration rate in the United States is the highest among the wealthy nations. It is very compelling to know that the United States is 5% of world population and has 25% of the world prisoners. Two million and three hundred thousand people are in jail, and 730 out of 100,000 persons and nearly one million of total 2.3 million are African Americans. They are incarcerated nearly six times than the…

Words 1786 - Pages 8

Mandatory Minimums

where justice is served? Or will the sentence add to the growing number of inmates in state and federal prisons, thus augmenting the issue of overcrowded…

Words 1203 - Pages 5

Final Course Project Essays

Criminal Justice System: Is there Disparity Among the Races Diane Bruzdewicz SOCS350 Cultural Diversity in the Professions December 13, 2013 US Criminal Justice System: Is there Disparity Among the Races Is there is a disparity in the United States criminal justice system among the races that seems to be unchanged over the years? In fact, the disparity appears to be increasing and becoming more pronounced even in today’s society. The difference in the numbers between blacks, Hispanics, and whites…

Words 2228 - Pages 9

Fait Sentencing Case Study

are two young men who received harsh prison sentences for their crimes. Their crimes did not involve weapons or violence and these young men had no previous felony convictions. These men were first-time non-violent drug offenders who received cruel and unusual prison sentences under the mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws. Swift was sentenced to prison for seven years for possession of one ounce (28 grams) of crack cocaine. Tank received an eighteen year prison sentence for possession and intent…

Words 866 - Pages 4

Arguments For Prison Reform

Prison Reform Many believe that prison reform will not benefit the criminal justice system in this country. Prison reform is the process in which the prison system tries to reduce the amount of prisoners in prisons across the country. There is a very high number of prisoners locked up. The argument is that people should not be put into prison for non-violent; crimes that is why the prison system is overcrowded. People who are for prison reform think that the answer lies within eliminating harsh sentencing…

Words 1744 - Pages 7

Essay on The raicial disparity in the word

MUCH" QUESTION IMPORTANT? Race differences in criminal involvement and racial pattems in the criminal justice system have been important topics since the beginning of American criminology.' The question of whether there are meaningful racial disparities in the justice system has been important since the 1960s.^ In recent decades, a considerable literature focused on racial profiling by police and racial differences in imprisonment, sentencing, and other areas of criminal and juvenile justice…

Words 785 - Pages 4

Disparity and Discrimination Essays

DISPARITY AND DISCRIMINATION Disparity and Discrimination CJA/344 June 6, 2013 Disparity and is thought to be all throughout the criminal justice system. So much so, that it was brought up as a speaking point at a UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights at a recent session held in Geneva. It transpired that discrimination within the criminal justice systems is not only behavioral but also institutional. Direct discrimination is easy to recognize; it is difficult to discern indirect discrimination…

Words 691 - Pages 3

Argumentative Essay: The John Spenkelink Murder Case

intend for John to take the rap. It just worked out that way." Soon after the Spenkelink execution, former San Francisco official Dan White received a prison sentence of seven years and eight months in prison for killing two people—the Mayor of San Francisco and another city official. Anyone who follows the news can point to similar disparities. Would the outcome be much different if we decided for life or death by rolling dice or spinning a roulette…

Words 110 - Pages 1