Discuss how the American criminal justice system has impacted the Black community, 1880-2011 - Essay Example

of Paper: American Criminal Justice System and Its Impact on Black People The present research paper sheds light on American criminal justice system and discusses its impact on people of Black community in America. This paper also describes that how black people have suffered at the hands of different state agencies. Criminal justice system plays a very prominent role for African American people. Since long time different scholars and writers have written about criminal justice and race in America.

This issue has also attracted the attention of international institutions working for social justice, equality and peace in the world. One can find extensive research material on African American criminal justice system. There is a great inequality visible in the criminal justice system of America. It has been pointed out by Pastore and Maguire (2000) that African Americans comprise of only 12 percent of U.S total population but they make 29.7 of all arrests. Since beginning of the court system in America, black people have been given fewer privileges and rights.

Dred Scott decision considered the black slaves as property of their masters who purchased and brought them to America. According to one report of Justice Department, quoted by Free (2003), illustrates that number of African American youth is six times more than that of white people found in jails. These black criminals often get harsher punishments than White criminals. These disparities are crystal clear when comparison is made between non-Hispanic African American females and non-Hispanic White criminal females arrested by authorities (Beck & Karberg, 2001).

With passage of time, the condition of these detained African American criminals has worsened . It has been found that when cases of these people are brought into courts they mostly take more time than the cases related to white criminals. It can be concluded by these research studies that American Criminal Justice system does not treat Black people on equal footing as the White counterparts. This criminal justice system has discriminatory attitude towards Black community. Therefore, Black people consider themselves as ill treated by justice system of America.

References Beck, A., & Karberg, J. (2001). Prison and Jail inmates at midyear 2000. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistcs. Free, (Jr) De Marvin. (Eds.). (2003). Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans. Westport CT: Praeger Pastore, A. L.,& Maguire, K.(Eds.). (2000). Source book of Criminal Justice Statics 1999. Us Department of Justice. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.