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Racial Bias In The Criminal Justice System Essay

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Racism is something that is still ongoing and has even gotten worse in recent years. No matter what efforts are taken to try and get something to change, equal representation in the justice system is something we may never get. The justice system was and still is racist. From the racial profiling, harsher sentencing for people of color, and the over-representation of people of color in the criminal justice system. According to the NAACP “If Black and Hispanic people were incarcerated at the same rate as White people, prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40 percent.”(NAACP) Mass incarceration became the main source of cheap labor after the abolition of slavery. Though the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, convicts were still being …show more content…

Racial biases can affect jurors' perceptions and judgment. Jurors who are just normal citizens taking part in a duty asked of them can affect someone's whole life by just saying a few words. Racial biases by jurors can lead to biased outcomes in trials, and this bias can deny the right of individuals to a fair trial. The death penalty is one the harshest punishment one can receive in the criminal justice system, however, some studies show racial bias can lead to the use of the death penalty. Biases held by jurors can sway their perception of guilt or innocence which can result in the use of the death sentences for individuals from racial minority backgrounds. This type of bias undermines the core principles of impartiality that the justice system is meant to uphold. The justice system is meant to give equal protection to all, but being biased based on skin color is the justice system not upholding their key belief. The use of racial biases can cause harm to individuals who don’t deserve this harsh punishment just because of the color of their skin. The use of the death penalty should be free from racial bias to ensure that our society is giving everyone equal protection under the law regardless of one's race or

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