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

Racial wrong is non bizarre to modern day society, it has been with us for a long time, this has been coupled with the belief that authentic racial groups be less intelligent, or backward compargond to blank European stock, nowhere is this more(prenominal) than true than in the execrable still whenice organisation. In 1869 Francis Galton published a book called patrimonial Genius this contained a chapter called The Comparative Worth of Different Races which considered that color Ameri tail assemblys were genetically inferior to white Americans.Galton utter that dimmeds scored on fair 15 IQ points below whites. (Coleman 1987) We can see that deep down the field of wicked rightness, and with Galtons fix considered that black populate were bound to be treat other(a)wise due to a belief born out of misapprehend of the nature of culture and individual genius differences, the hereditary argument has never been scientifically proved or disproved. The 1991 census s howed that 5. 5% of the tribe were from an ethnic origin, with 1. 6% of these world black from an Afro-Caribbean background.It was account that a mellow amount of the ethnic minorities was of younger large number than in the general population, and it can be seen that this alone could be a primer for the proportionately laid-back level of blacks in the brutal jurist corpse , outlet on the grounds that in the endemical population it is the younger generation, those aged 14-25 geezerhood that cave in the vast majority of disgust. shame by ethnic minorities, and in crabby young black males can in like manner be seen to be a affectionate situation, and whitethorn be a crossroad of sheer logistics.Many new immigrant families decease into what is perceived as a high crime area, particularly inner metropolis areas, where housing may be cheaper and unemployment is higher(prenominal) than at a national level. These areas may receive more police watchfulness than richer areas and at that placefore the new immigrant families come to the assistance of the police more than those in more rural areas. xenophobia may in addition bring on the police to everyplace react when dealings with black families. A study by Goreman & angstrom unit Coleman (1982) looking at genius and attitudes within the British police force, showed that the average police constable was indeed racist.They asked in the study for police officers to write a short essay, some of the comments were vigorously racist, comments much(prenominal) as, Certain members of the coloured population that l involve met are OK only if the majority of youths of the West Indian community of interests are savage ignorant immoral thieving bastards , . almost of them are just dirty , over 50% of untune is caused by niggers , smelly backward populate who will never change (Coleman 1987).In the last 10 twelvemonths most public agencies, including the police force, have organize equal op portunities policies, these apply non only to recruitment but also to the elbow room deal are tempered, and is e fussyly required in the criminal justice system where there are disproportionately more blacks than whites in the prison system in comparison to the size of the black population in society as a whole. It was reported in 1982 that black peck made up 18% of the prison population, but only accounted for 5% of the general population.The learns are worse for Afro-Caribbean males, 1% of the population, but 11% of the prison population. (Home built in bed 1982). During the 1980s it became apparent that blacks were more plausibly to be stopped by the police. The British annoyance Survey in 1988 found that 14% of Asiatics, 15% of whites, but 20% of Afro-Caribbeans reported being stopped by the police in the preceding year (Skogan 1990) The British Crime Survey also reported that there was some express that crimes detected by the police and those reported by the public seemed to have a racial bias.Blacks and Asians also complained more than whites around the way they were treated once hinderanceed by the police (Skogan 1990). On the subject of arrest it seems also that blacks are treated differently in this process. A survey 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) & adenylic acid (1989) support these findings.Landau &type A Nathan (1983) reported that there is evidence to suggest that blacks will be cautioned less than whites, a white pip-squeak is four times more possible 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 place at crown court than whites.A Home Office Statistical bare (1986) showed that blacks in prison were more likely to have less previous convictions than white men in similar circumstances, the figure for whites was 62%, Afro-Caribbeans 48% and for Asians 20%.The of import finding from these and many other statistics is that black people are dealt with, whether as suspects, offenders or defendants, in a extremely disproportionate way, it can also be seen that they are treated more raspingly than their white counterparts at virtually every(prenominal) stage of the criminal justice process. It is because 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 principal(prenominal) group in society has a degree of power, seen to be unique and special in relation to religious, social and heathenish traditions of the particular society, therefrom creating an unequal healthy system that is biased against eth nic minorities. This can be seen to be the stem from which racial disparities 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) raise argues that the law is a national ecesis and part of a national identicalness that is born out of centuries of tradition, and hence unless changed does not take account of relatively late immigration of ethnic minorities to this country. It can be argued that there are two main reasons for blacks being disproportionately stand for in our criminal justice system, firstly that they commit more crime, and secondly that they are treated in a different and mayhap harsher way, so as to be over represented in the criminal justice system.Research in the USA has shown that crime is in item higher amongst blacks (Wilbanks 1987). This ensure has been criticised, for ex adenylic acidle by Reiner (1993) stating that to exclude out-of-door variable s that effect such findings is almost impossible. Reiner (1989 & 1993) concluded 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 further from conclusive.Smith (1994) criticises Reiner for this view, believe 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 free 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 indeed makes it difficult for minorities to gain employmen t, especially in times of high unemployment and recession. This can wind to feelings of rejection, lack of self-esteem, poverty, lack of self-respect 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 difficult to exercise reign over their children in areas where social tally is at its lowest.Whatever the reason for higher black crime, whether a statistical wrong, or innate 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, too 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. capital of the United Kingdom Unwin Hyman. Galton, F. (1869) Hereditary Genius, an enquiry into its laws and consequences (2 ed. 1978) capital of the United Kingdom Friedmann. Coleman, A. & Goreman, L..(1982) Conservatism, Dogmatism, and totalism in British police officers. Sociology, 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 & arbitrator, Models of Interpretation. IN L, Gelsthorpe, & W, McWilliam (Eds) Minority social Groups and the Criminal Justice System. Cambridge Cambridge Institute of Criminology. Skogan, W. (1990) The law 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 enchiridion of Criminology. Maguire, M. Morgan, R. & Reiner, R. (Eds) Oxford Claenden Press. Walker, M. (1988) The Court inclination of five-year-old 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 Criminology. 29. (4), 353-67. Wilbanks, W. (1987) The apologue of a Racist Criminal Justice System. USA Brooks/Cole.