The Criminal Justice System - Assignment Example

The police department does not provide enough facilities to the detectives (Gonnerman, para 8).
• There is disunity among the law enforcement agencies (Gonnerman, para 6).
• The witnesses will not come out to testify against the criminals in a court of law for fear of their lives (Gonnerman, para 7).
• The members of the community do not trust the police, especially the white police officers for racial reasons.

In addition to these factors, the rate of crime in these poor neighborhoods is high due to poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Such communities are characterized by gangs, and the young male is forced to join a gang when they come of age since there are few options for them to pursue.
I agree with the writer concerning her findings on the criminal justice system in these neighborhoods. The failure of the justice system is not entirely the problem. Judging from the way of life of these communities, it can be said that the government has failed in its responsibility to its people.

The phrase “low hanging fruit” means an easy target or something that is easy to accomplish. In her article, Gonnerman (2015) points out that the murder cases in these black-American communities have not been given a priority to solve. This means their cases are easy to solve since they do not need much attention. This puts them in a different class from other communities such as the white communities whose cases are a priority and need much time and resources to handle. This brings out the meaning of the metaphor “Low hanging fruit” as depicted in the passage (Para 11).

If I were the dictator leader of such a state, I would solve the problem by fast providing what the community needs; education and employment. The government needs to invest in such neighborhoods, and provide enough education facilities to the community. In addition to that, the government should pass and implement a law that every young person should attend school. This will diminish the level of illiteracy and unemployment thus cutting down on the rate of crime. Afterward, the work of the criminal justice system will be reduced, making them more effective. Read More