Eliminating Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System (Essay Sample)

ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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America, the land of opportunity, is one of the most racially diverse democratic nations in the world. The economic gains of the world’s superpower, however, are not enjoyed uniformly across society since some communities have become marginalized. The main aspect of this marginalization is the contrasting treatment of minorities which occurs across the entire spectrum of the criminal justice system. There are two major steps that can be taken to help eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system as detailed below.
Racial discrimination is not only morally wrong but also violates the principle of equality. Discrimination should be completely done away with in all systems, public or private. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) reports that, of the total 2.3 million incarcerated people in the US, about 1 million are African-American. As of 2008, African-Americans and Hispanics constituted 58% of all prisoners in spite of the fact that they only make up a quarter of the US population. Discrimination in the criminal justice system fosters public mistrust, impeding the system’s ability to promote public safety.[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "Criminal Justice Fact Sheet," Naacp.org, /pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet (Accessed May 2, 2015)] [Jerry Kang and Kristen Lane, "Seeing Through Colorblindness: Implicit Bias and the Law," UCLA Law Review no. 61 (2013):465- 466]
The first step in purging the criminal justice system of racial inequality is improving police accountability. The gap between minorities and law enforcers should be closed by developing national standards that offer guidance on police activities. Such standards should provide advice on traffic stop procedures, the use of force by front-line law enforcement as well as the basic interaction between police officers and the minorities. The set standards should proscribe racial profiling of any kind. By gathering data on traffic stops, Immigration and Naturalization Service enforcement procedures, and all other encounters associated with racial profiling and disseminating it publicly, accountability in the police force is enhanced.
Measures should be taken to improve diversity in law enforcement agencies. Underrepresentation of minority communities in law enforcement agencies is a major catalyst of the hostilities between minorities and the police. The federal government should embrace efforts to recruit minorities into the force by funding the implementation of the same. The recent skirmishes in Ferguson, Missouri and the Baltimore protests are clear examples of the gap between police...