Explore How Black People Are Differently Treated by the Criminal Justice System Essay

racial prejudice is not preposterous to modern sidereal day society, it has been with us for a long time, this has been coupled with the imprint that certain racial groups be less intelligent, or backward comp bed to particlee European stock, nowhere is this much(prenominal) than true than in the felon justness agreement. In 1869 Francis Galton published a book called Hereditary magician this contained a chapter called The Comparative Worth of Different Races which considered that total darkness Ameri passs were genetically inferior to snow-covered Ameri stands.Galton stated that smuttys scored on average 15 IQ points below white-hots. (Coleman 1987) We can see that within the field of twist referee, and with Galtons work considered that disgraceful deal were bound to be treated differently due to a legal opinion born out of misunderstanding of the nature of enculturation and individual personality differences, the hereditary argument has neer been scientific ally proved or disproved. The 1991 census showed that 5. 5% of the population were from an heathenish origin, with 1. 6% of these being downhearted from an Afro-Caribbean background.It was report that a high ge ber amount of the heathen minorities was of unseasoneder race than in the general population, and it can be seen that this alone could be a conclude for the proportionately higher(prenominal) level of blues in the criminal nicety remains , going on the one thousand that in the indigenous population it is the younger generation, those old 14-25 twelvemonths that commit the vast majority of hatred. aversion by ethnic minorities, and in particular young black males can also be seen to be a accessible situation, and may be a product of sheer logistics.Many new immigrant families bleed into what is perceived as a high crime area, particularly inner city areas, where housing may be cheaper and unemployment is higher than at a subject level. These areas may rece ive much patrol trouble than richer areas and thitherfore the new immigrant families come to the attention of the law much than those in more rural areas. xenophobia may also cause the police to over match when dealing with black families. A study by Goreman & Coleman (1982) looking at personality and attitudes within the British police force, showed that the average police constable was then racist.They asked in the study for police officers to write a short essay, some of the comments were vigorously racist, comments such as, authentic members of the coloured population that l hold back met are OK solely the majority of youths of the West Indian community are savage ignorant lamentable thieving bastards , . nearly of them are just loathsome , over 50% of trouble is caused by niggers , distasteful backward passel who will never pitch (Coleman 1987).In the last 10 years most public agencies, including the police force, have formed twin opportunities policies, the se apply not only to recruitment only also to the way pack are treated, and is specially needed in the criminal justice system where there are disproportionally more blacks than whites in the prison system in comparison to the size of it of the black population in society as a whole. It was reported in 1982 that black people made up 18% of the prison population, further only accounted for 5% of the general population.The designings are worse for Afro-Caribbean males, 1% of the population, yet 11% of the prison population. ( stem office staff 1982). During the 1980s it became apparent that blacks were more likely to be halt by the police. The British criminal offence resume in 1988 found that 14% of Asiatics, 15% of whites, solely 20% of Afro-Caribbeans reported being stopped by the police in the preceding year (Skogan 1990) The British annoyance Survey also reported that there was some present that crimes detected by the police and those reported by the public seeme d to have a racial bias.Blacks and Asians also complained more than whites closely the way they were treated once arrested by the police (Skogan 1990). On the subject of arrest it seems also that blacks are treated differently in this process. A eyeshot by the PSI (Policy Studies Institute) in 1983 found that blacks were disproportionately arrested, they found that 5% of the population of capital of the United Kingdom were black, but 17% of those arrested in capital of the United Kingdom were black. Further studies by Walker (1988) & (1989) support these findings.Landau & Nathan (1983) reported that there is evidence to suggest that blacks will be cautioned less than whites, a white youngster is four times more likely to receive a caution than a black juvenile. Also black juveniles are more likely to be remanded in custody than whit or Asian teenagers. Walker (1988) also showed that black juveniles are twice as likely to issue at crown court than whites.A Home function Statistic al Bulletin (1986) showed that blacks in prison were more likely to have less prior convictions than white men in similar circumstances, the figure for whites was 62%, Afro-Caribbeans 48% and for Asians 20%.The important finding from these and many other statistics is that black people are dealt with, whether as suspects, offenders or defendants, in a highly disproportionate way, it can also be seen that they are treated more harshly than their white counterparts at virtually every stage of the criminal justice process. It is therefore not surprising that black people have less faith in the police and criminal justice system than white British people.David Smith (1994) argues that the main group in society has a degree of power, seen to be unique and special in relation to religious, social and cultural traditions of the particular society, thereof creating an unequal legal system that is biased against ethnic minorities. This can be seen to be the stem from which racial dispari ties may emerge in the British legal system and criminal process, and may explain why black people are treated differently by the criminal justice system.He (Smith) further argues that the law is a theme institution and part of a national indistinguishability that is born out of centuries of tradition, and therefore unless changed does not cut account of relatively recent immigration of ethnic minorities to this country. It can be argued that there are deuce main reasons for blacks being disproportionately represented in our criminal justice system, firstly that they commit more crime, and secondly that they are treated in a different and possibly harsher way, so as to be over represented in the criminal justice system.Research in the USA has shown that crime is in fact higher amongst blacks (Wilbanks 1987). This view has been criticised, for example by Reiner (1993) stating that to exclude external variables that effect such findings is about impossible. Reiner (1989 & 1993) con cluded that it is the way in which black people are treated differently from white people in our criminal justice system that created the disproportionate levels of minorities in the process, although he concedes that this is far from conclusive.Smith (1994) criticises Reiner for this view, accept that Reiner is contradicting himself, with little evidence, suggesting that it is treatment that cause high black representation in the criminal justice system, but stating that this may not be believed by some, and is in fact inconclusive. It is true that blacks are over represented in the criminal justice process, what is not clear is, why.Whether we like to think it or not there is still a great deal of racial prejudice in this country, and this alone feeds societies morals and thus its policing and criminal law, this prejudice and discrimination therefore makes it surd for minorities to gain employment, especially in times of high unemployment and recession. This can lead to feelings of rejection, lack of self-esteem, poverty, lack of insolence and insecurity. Blacks, as mentioned above, often live in the poorest areas of the cities and therefore come to the attention of the police far more than white youths, parents may also find it strong to exercise control over their children in areas where social control is at its lowest.Whatever the reason for higher black crime, whether a statistical wrong, or internal criminality, for which there is little support, it is clear we will never get at the real reason that blacks are treated differently by the criminal justice system, excessively many people would have too much to lose by finding an answer. 1,407 words. REFERENCES. Coleman, A. (1987) Facts, Fallacies and Frauds in Psychology. London Unwin Hyman. Galton, F. (1869) Hereditary Genius, an enquiry into its laws and consequences (2 ed. 1978) London Friedmann. Coleman, A. & Goreman, L..(1982) Conservatism, Dogmatism, and tyranny in British police officers. Soc iology, 16, 1-11. Landau, s. & Nathan, g. (1983) Selecting Delinquents for Cautioning in the London Metropolitan Area. British Journal of Criminology. 23, (2) 128-48. Reiner, R. (1989) Chief Constables. Oxford Oxford University Press. Reiner, R. (1993) Race, Crime & evaluator, Models of Interpretation. IN L, Gelsthorpe, & W, McWilliam (Eds) Minority Ethnic Groups and the Criminal Justice System. Cambridge Cambridge Institute of Criminology. Skogan, W. (1990) The Police and Public in England and Wales, A British Crime Survey Report.Home Office Research Study no 117. London HMSO. Smith, D. (1994) Race, Crime and Criminal Justice. IN Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Maguire, M. Morgan, R. & Reiner, R. (Eds) Oxford Claenden Press. Walker, M. (1988) The Court establishment of Young Males by Race in London 1983. British Journal of Criminology 28, (4) 441-59. Walker, M. (1989) The Court Disposal and remands of White, Afro-Caribbean and Asian Men(London 1983). British Journal of Criminolo gy. 29. (4), 353-67. Wilbanks, W. (1987) The Myth of a anti-Semite(a) Criminal Justice System. USA Brooks/Cole.