Racial Disparities In Criminal Justice Essay

Abstract
This argumentative essay addresses the research question, "What are the root causes of racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and what policy solutions have been proposed to address them?", it explores the root causes of racial disparities in the criminal justice system in the United States and the policy solutions that have been proposed to address them. The essay argues that systemic racism and implicit bias are the primary causes of racial disparities within the criminal justice system. Systemic racism is evident in racial profiling, discriminatory sentencing, and over-policing of communities of color. Implicit bias influences decision-making by police officers, judges, and juries, leading to more punitive decisions

Systemic racism refers to the ways in which policies, practices, and cultural norms within a society perpetuate racial inequality and injustice. Within the criminal justice system, systemic racism is evident in a variety of ways, including racial profiling, discriminatory sentencing, and over-policing of communities of color. Racial profiling, or the practice of targeting individuals based on their race or ethnicity, has been shown to be a significant factor in the disproportionate representation of people of color in the criminal justice system (López, 2014). Research has found that Black and Latinx individuals are more likely to be stopped, searched, and arrested by police than their white counterparts, even when controlling for factors such as crime rates and socioeconomic status (Eberhardt, Goff, Purdie, & Davies, 2004). Moreover, studies have shown that racial bias among police officers is a significant factor in these disparities (Risse, Zeckhauser, Chon, & Karlan, 2017). Discriminatory sentencing is another example of systemic racism within the criminal justice system. Studies have consistently found that people of color are more likely to receive harsher sentences than white individuals who have committed similar crimes (Mauer & King, 2007). These disparities are not explained by differences in criminal behavior or past criminal records, but rather by the implicit bias

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