Research Project Final copy 1
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The Disproportionate Arrest Rates of Black Americans Compared to White Americans
Destiny Perry
CRJU 101: Intro to Criminal Justice
Prof. Jones
May 17,2023
Black Americans are arrested at disproportionately higher rates than White Americans,
which is one of the most obvious examples of the long history of racial injustice in the United
States. Black Americans account for nearly 30% of all arrests in the nation even though they
only make up 13% of the population. The impacted people and communities must deal with the
terrible impacts of this discrepancy in addition to the fact that it is unfair.
Racial profiling is one of the key causes of this inequality. Black people are more frequently
stopped and searched by law enforcement even when there is no indication that anything is
wrong. This increases the likelihood of being arrested, even for very small actions.
Based on 2019 research on police relations, 84% of Black adults claim that white people
are treated better than black people by police, whereas 63% of White adults agree with this
viewpoint (Horowitz,2019). For instance, despite the fact that all ethnic groups consume drugs at
about the same rates, Black Americans are more likely to be jailed for drug-related charges. The
over policing of minority populations is another factor causing the unequal arrest rates. Police
officers frequently concentrate their efforts in low-income areas since they are more likely to
have Black residents. Because of this, there are more arrests in certain neighborhoods
—
even for
infractions as small as loitering or jaywalking. These disparities have wide-ranging impacts.
Possible solutions that might reduce disproportionate representations could be hiring
more minorities not only as police, but also in office, and political positions. Another one would
be creating new policies and regulations. And lastly even retraining and recreating the handbooks
that officers and any others in the upper power follow. The reason behind me saying hiring more
minorities not only as police, but also in office is because a lot of incidents that take place or a
lot of discrimination happens when it is white officers and black “criminals/civilians' '. I feel as
though if we were to hire more minorities it would be a fair trial, and less unfortunate
circumstances would take place.
A diversified strategy is needed to address the issue of disproportionate minority
representation in arrest rates. Although there are no universally applicable solutions, the
following two laws/practices may help to lessen this disparity:
Initiatives for community policing and trust-building: Positive relationships between law
enforcement agencies and the communities they serve can be fostered by putting community
policing tactics and trust-building efforts into practice. Law enforcement officers can build
rapport, comprehend local issues, and work together on crime prevention efforts by actively
engaging with community residents. Instead of focusing primarily on arrests, this strategy places
an emphasis on problem-solving and prevention. Mutual respect and trust-building can improve
cooperation, lessen perceptions of bias, and result in more equal law enforcement tactics.
Comprehensive Implicit Bias Training and Racial Sensitivity Education: It is essential to
address and mitigate biases that may be responsible for the disproportionate arrest rates by
providing law enforcement officers with this type of training. These initiatives seek to educate
officers about unconscious biases and provide them with the resources they need to identify and
question their own biases. Culture-related issues, knowledge of systemic racism, and de-
escalation tactics should all be covered in training. These activities can reduce discriminatory
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practices and promote fair treatment for everyone by raising officers' awareness of and
comprehension of the racial dynamics at work.
It's crucial to remember that these laws/practices ought to be a part of a larger plan that
includes systemic changes like just laws, changes to the criminal justice system, and
expenditures on community resources. For changes to be effective and long-lasting, cooperation
between law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and lawmakers is essential.
In conclusion, a thorough and diverse strategy is needed to address the issue of
disproportionate minority representation in arrest rates. Even though there isn't a single solution
that can remove all inequalities, a variety of policies and practices can help bring about
improvement. Rather than depending simply on arrests, community policing and trust-building
activities can encourage cooperation and problem-solving between law enforcement
organizations and communities. Law enforcement officials' understanding of implicit bias and
racial sensitivity training can help them identify and confront their own biases, which will
ultimately result in more fair treatment. But these programs need to be a part of a larger plan that
also involves changes to the criminal justice system and investments in community resources.
Together, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and decision-makers can
endeavor to build a society that is more just and equitable.
References
America's racial and ethnic minorities
. PRB. (n.d.).
https://www.prb.org/resources/americas-racial-and-ethnic-minorities/
Author(s) B Reed. (n.d.).
Issues and trends in police discretion
. Issues and Trends in Police
Discretion | Office of Justice Programs.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/issues-and-trends-police-discretion
Criminal justice fact sheet
. NAACP. (2022, November 4).
https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
Gase, L. N., Glenn, B. A., Gomez, L. M., Kuo, T., Inkelas, M., & Ponce, N. A. (2016,
December).
Understanding racial and ethnic disparities in arrest: The role of individual, home,
school, and community characteristics
. Race and social problems.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509345/
Hananel Director, S., the CAP Early Childhood Policy Team, Wong, T. K., Glass, A., & Custer,
B. D. (2023, May 1).
The top 10 most startling facts about people of color and criminal justice in
the United States
. Center for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-
top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/
Mitchell, T. (2021, September 22). Race in America 2019. Pew Research Center’s Social &
Demographic Trends Project.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/race-in-
america-2019/