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Disenfranchisement Vs Street Crime

266 Words2 Pages

Not only are the outcomes of these felon disenfranchisement laws racist, but they are also classist. It is not news to many that the criminal justice system of the U.S. has many loopholes for rich people to pay their way out of jail time. The wealthy can afford top lawyers, pay bail, pay fines, and live in neighborhoods less frequently patrolled by the police. Defense lawyers for felony crimes can cost anywhere from $1000 to $2500 a day, and bail and fines are not on a sliding scale based off of income (NOLO, 2010). For an impoverished individual making only $1500 a month, the financial obstacles to fighting a winnable court case make conviction nearly inevitable. To contribute to the financial advantage the rich have, the wealthy generally commit more white collar crimes than street crimes, which are treated as lesser in the overall criminal justice system. Street crimes are far more visible than white collar crimes and those charged with street crimes are more likely to face justice than those charged with white collar crimes (Martinez, 2014).

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