Disparity in the prison system - Research Paper Example

The contemporary United States of America consists of several racial groups and disparities in the justice system have resulted in an overrepresentation of given ethnic groups. For instance, African- Americans constitute 13% of the general U S population, yet they constitute 28% of all arrests, 40% of the inmates in jails and prisons, and 42% of the population on death row. Hispanics too are over-represented in the criminal justice system. The white population which constitutes 67% of US population, accounts for the largest proportion of arrest cases, 70%, yet only 40% of this somewhat privileged grouped find their way into the correctional system and only 56% faces death penalty.

Apparently, people of color are unequally treated in the criminal justice system, and this poses a serious challenge to the justice system.Therefore, this paper explores the boundaries of this inequality with respect to three races that historically have endured the greatest disproportionate minority contact in the American society. In terms of arrests made, the rates at which African-Americans were arrested, within the defined cohort, remained comparatively high. For the period spanning 2003 and 2006, African Americans were 2.

5 times arrested more than their White counterparts were. Moreover, the rates were even much higher for particular categories of offences. For example, the rate at which the Blacks were arrested for violent offenses and drug delinquency each approximated 3.5 times that rate at which Whites committing similar crimes were detained. Moreover, African-Americans were arrested six-times over the rate at which the whites were arrested for murder, robbery, and gambling and the arrests proceeded through unbearable over-presentation with an exception of alcohol-related delinquencies.

In terms of court processing, Hispanics were admitted to prisons at a rate twice that of White admissions. African-Americans were more likely to be sent to prison and