Racial Disparities and Criminal Justice in the US and the World

Racial Disparities and Criminal Justice in the US and the World Presented by [Name]

Introduction: The Criminal Justice System in the U.S • U.S. Witnessing Rebirth of Caste-like

system in criminal justice system [Mass Incarceration]

• Millions of African Americans Locked behind bars

• Relegated to permanent second-class status

• Blacks denied rights earned in the Civil Rights Movement (Alexander, 2020)

The problem of Mass Incarceration in the U.S.

• U.S. now the world's leader in incarceration • 2.2 million people currently in prisons and jail • 500% increase in incarceration over past 40 years (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020)

• African American males facing mass incarceration

• Mostly prevalent among social-economically disadvantaged blacks

• Mass incarceration a truth America reluctant to face

Who is Disproportionately Affected in the U.S.: Blacks Males

• African-Americans

most disproportionately affected by mass incarceration

In 2018, 40% of prison population was black males, 29% White males, & 24% Hispanic Males

Black males are highest incarcerated, yet represent only 13% of U.S. population (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020)

New racial caste in America witnesses as Inevitably a new system of racialized social control emerging

Why Blacks Males are Disproportionately Affected • Oppression & exploitation of African-

Americans prevalent in U.S. history: laws & policies unfavorable for blacks & originated formulated to curb crime & drug use which was common among blacks (Alexander, 2020)

• Poverty has disproportionate & negative

outcome in justice system: Criminal justice system harsher on people living in poverty; Blacks & Latinos live in poverty than white counterparts (Braga & Brunson, 2015)

How the U.S. Rates of Incarceration Compare with those of Other Countries • United States has highest level of incarceration globally

• U.S. prison population drastically increasing • Dramatic growth in incarceration linked to series of law enforcement and sentencing policy changes of the “tough on crime” era (Shepherd, 2015)

• Drug offenses represent the highest cases of incarceration

Conclusion • Many black men especially from poor urban regions incarcerated • A racially based caste system has dominated the U.S. prison system • Culture of oppression against blacks and poor economic status attributed to the high incarceration rate

• Massive incarceration is U.S. highest globally, owing to strict laws and policies on crime • War ion drugs mainly targets black males, leading to high incarceration rates • New movement for racial justice to consider problem of mass incarceration

References Alexander, M. (2020). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2020). Prison population counts. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=131 Braga, A. A., & Brunson, R. (2015). The Police and Public Discourse on" black-on-black" Violence.

US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.

Shepherd, B. (2015). Improving outcomes for young black and/or Muslim men in the CJS. Probation Journal, 62(2), 181-183.