Racism and the American Criminal Justice System

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how racism exists at all levels of the criminal justice system and how in particular, it affects minorities. The paper looks at everything from pretextual stops, Terry stops and plea bargaining, to sentencing and to the death penalty.

From the Paper:

"The next step to consider is the arrest and the interrogation. Since many arrests are made in bad neighborhood, the arrestees tend to be minorities, poor, and uneducated. This is corroborated by the fact that not only are a majority of people in prisons minorities, but a majority are illiterate and poor (about 75% in New York State prisons). A poor, uneducated person from a crime-filled neighborhood is more easily manipulated and intimidated by the police than a white suburbanite (Gustafson, Star Tribune). Perhaps a minority in the former situation will not take full advantage of his/her right to remain silence or of his/her right to an attorney because s/he doesn't fully understand these rights; studies have determined that many minorities need more education about their legal rights"

More papers on Racism and the American Criminal Justice System:

• Argumentative Essay # 85110 : "Racism in the Criminal Justice System"
• Essay # 46233 : "The United States Criminal Justice System"
• Essay # 64192 : "Minorities and the U.S. Criminal Justice System"

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