Dysfunctional Prison System

Even though Tom Robinson was innocent he still was wrongly accused, then apon going to prison Tom Robinson was later shot 17 times. One would think if he was breaking rules 1 bullet would take care of things, but 17 shots is clearly a act on hate and racism. Another quote that helps determine how Lee used Robinson to expose the truth about the justice system is, "Tom Robinson 's a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world 's going to say 'We think you 're guilty, but not very ' on a charge like that. It was either a straight acquittal or nothing" (Lee 219).

Numerous studies have provided different perspectives and evidence on the impact of racial inequality in the criminal justice systems, specifically how these racial inequalities affect black Americans. Lisa Miller found in The Invisible Black: Victim, “mistreatment by law enforcement, law-makers, and federalism” in the racial bias toward black Americans (2010). Pettit and Skyes in Civil Rights Legislation and Legalized Exclusion, point out that black males are more likely to end up in jail (2015). A sociologist named David Garland contrived the term “mass incarceration” to explain high incarceration rates in the United States (U.S) (Pettit and Skyes 2015). Currently, the highest incarceration is among black men of 1 in 15 (Miller 2010).

From the title we get a dose of metaphorical meaning. He starts this poem of by saying “Liberty Needs Glasses” and giving the reader an idea that this poem may be on how liberty is is blind in the eyes of Tupac. Concrete details like “justice bumped into mutulu” and “ trippin on geronimo pratt” shows us readers that the blinded Mrs. Justice got the two African Americans [Mutulu Tupac’s stepfather, and Geronimo Tupac’s godfather] got very harsh sentences like Geronimo spending 27 years in prison and 8 of them being in solitary confinement. But when it came to Oliver and his crooked

The author of this novel demonstrates how it was hard to make new friends of different race and class in such a stratified society. A character in the book named Nick Lawson is a white cop during this time, and he demonstrates racial discrimination towards African American boys throughout the book. Lawson is assigned to the main case in the murder mystery. While being on this case he uses his power of being a white upper class male, to

Being part of a racial minority in the United States at any time history will always be bad since the option of true civil rights is not available. Dr.King in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, he talks mainly about the terrible treatment to racial minorities in this case, black people he mentions how his son asks “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”.(p.3.) If kids can see the negative effects of not having civil rights then it is truly is a problem in American society. As far as America has come it still has major problems and one great advocate is Dr.King who says “It seeks so to dramatize the issue that can longer be ignored”(p.3.) Dr.king knew how big of a problem not having true civil rights can be for racial minorities so he decides to “Dramatize the Issue” which has helped to get closer to civil rights it doesn’t just take one man in order to make changes it takes a whole

The Johnson v. California 2004 Supreme Court case, questioning a prison’s policy to segregate inmates by race, remonstrated by prison officials stating: “that the practice reduces racially motivated violence” (Racial Segregation in Prison). This exposes a biased stereotype of African-American men, making the assumption that they are easily subject to gang violence; therefore, they are unjustly separated from others based on their race and the presumption they are inherently violent. Within this prison, “When cell assignments are made, the inmates are divided into four general categories: black, white Asian, and other” (Racial Segregation in Prison).

But they fail to realize that the system we have now throws anyone in jail no matter if the person committed the crime or not. They also fail to realize that the current system sentencing isn't organized or fair because there are people out there innocent and people who don’t deserve that time that was given for petty crimes. The current system doesn’t seek for justice, they see everyone who gets arrested as a criminal and feels they should be thrown away for a very long time and that isn't fair. Sentencing reforming is highly recommended due to the outrageous modern sentencing practices we have today. People go to jail or maybe even prison for such petty crimes that doesn't deserve the many years that were given to them.

About 1 in 3 black males are likely to go to jail,while 1 in 17 white men are likely to go to jail. Blacks and hispanics make up 58% of all prisons in 2008. It is estimated that if blacks and hispanic people are arrested at the same rates as whites,the jail population would decline approximately 50%. This wouldn’t be possible because there are laws enacted to keep prison cells filled, in order for certain people to continue making a profit from these prisons. These laws are similar to the ones in the time of jim crow, are used as a method to keep blacks down just like slavery.

The justice system sentences black people to harsh punishments for minor offenses, where white people would walk away free for the same crime. Our color blindness prevents us from seeing the racial and structural divisions in society, such as the unequal schools, the isolated jobless ghettos, and the segregated society the justice system has built by locking up African American men for up to half their lives and missing out on their

In the article “Even Prisoners Must Have Hope”, Richard Stratton (the author) talks about his thoughts on the federal prison system in America. Stratton himself had served 8 years in jail for smuggling marijuana. He strongly advises not to make the prisons even worse than they already are. The harsh conditions and other peoples’ vengeful attitudes toward criminals only make the violence and crime continue. According to Stratton, instead of improving the harsh conditions and trying to rehabilitate and help prisoners that could lead to peace, our society inflicts more pain and punishment, enforcing a violent cycle.

To begin, much of the Latino population in the United States are either in jail or living in unsafe neighborhoods. With the stereotypes given to minorities by those in an American society; minorities are likelier to be looked at suspiciously. Minorities are labeled, and in the case of Latinos they are often stopped and frisked unfairly. Police who feel the need to stop a hispanic person in their own neighborhood just help enforce these stereotypes. With this said, it is no question as to why: white Latino men are much more likely than White men, but only half as likely as Black men, to serve time in prison.

The cradle to prison pipeline is a process in which specific newborns (as they age) will be arrested and will be sent to prison. Cradle to prison pipeline demonstrates the likelihood of the incarceration of Latinos and African Americans. The process has a minimal effect towards whites, but a significant effect towards Latinos and African Americans. Since many minorities live in poor neighborhoods, the cradle to pipeline method will more likely occur than whites living in wealthy neighborhoods. The cradle to prison pipeline is an example of regulating the poor and lower classes.

In Nancy Heitzeg article “Education or Incarnation: Zero Tolerance Polices And The School To Prison Pipeline” she argues that youth of color are especially at risk for being pushed out of the school system which pushes them onto the street and then into juvenile. Zero tolerance is severely punishing students for committing wrong doings no matter how big or minor they are. This is most certainly a race crime. I remember reading an article for my social work class that stated the United States has the highest incarceration rate. What is even more alarming is the fact the New York state builds future beds in Riker’s Island and in upstate prisons depending on how many African Americans are born today.

California state penitentiaries who for years managed prisons without court interference were now in a constitutional bind. Those in favor of California policy system argue that segregation by race invariably resulted in the prison system especially among inmates affiliated with gangs and to put different gang members of different races into the same cell would result in violence. In order to stop interracial violence, many prisons in California adopted the system of assigning race-based cells. State penitentiary would argue that they implemented this system not because they believe in racial segregation but for the safety of all inmates. Those in favor of this system also argued that the 2005 Supreme Court ruling jeopardized the safety of inmates, especially newcomers.

These youth live in poverty, have endured homelessness and hunger, witnessed death and murder, and survived sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. It could be argued that because the youth do not know any other way of life that they should not be held accountable for their actions. However, when poor often black youths commit a crime, they do not have the financial resources available to afford the best attorneys or expert witnesses. As a result, these youths are more often found guilty and given harsher sentences relative to the crimes that they commit. The inability to afford proper legal representation has allowed many black youths to serve time in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.