Racial Disparities in U.S. Mass Incarceration and Systemic Bias in the Criminal Justice System
Statement of Research Problem
The United States is one of the countries where an increasing percentage of citizens are found in incarceration facilities. It is agreeable that imprisonment can potentially address the crime problem and make neighborhoods safer. However, the current criminal justice system appears to apply biased tactics and strategies to identify, convict, and sentence offenders. According to the Sentencing Project (2018), around 27 percent of all imprisoned people were from the African American community.
The affected individuals could not lead high-quality lives or support their respective family members. Ethnic minorities in this country have continued to experience numerous social and economic gaps that hinder their achievements. Police officers appear to target individuals from specific racial groups and victimize them accordingly. The disproportional percentage of inmates in terms of race in the country reveals that a systemic issue exists in the country. The promoted prejudices continue to worsen the overall experiences and outcomes of most citizens.
The current literature has revealed that minority racial groups remain the majority in the criminal justice system. However, the exact nature, complexity, and contributing factors of this scenario are not clearly understood. Completing a study that focuses on this bias and its impact on ethnic minorities could shed more light (Blankenship et al., 2018). Additionally, the analysis will help more policymakers and police officers to be more involved, promote equality, and consider how they can guide more citizens to achieve their social and economic goals in the U.S.
Research Questions and Choice of Sites
The specific research problem revolves around the increasing number of citizens from minority groups in American prisons. While they represent a smaller percentage of the national population, they remain highly targeted within the criminal justice system. A detailed study could provide additional insights into the issue and offer new suggestions to address the situation. The proposed questions for the intended research include:
- To what extent does racial bias in the U.S. contribute to an increasing number of minorities in American incarceration facilities?
- What measures could stakeholders in the criminal justice system consider and implement to address this systemic problem?
To gain a clear understanding of how this problem impacts the country’s criminal justice system, the analysis will focus on several state prisons. The study will focus on the available data from the past five years. This period will help the scholar get additional information about the complexity of this issue and how it disorients the lives of more citizens.
The focus on prisons will enable the researcher to complete the investigation within a three-month timeframe. The investigation will target all racial groups and their percentages in various prisons in the selected states (Blankenship et al., 2018). These choices were made by considering the current literature on racial disparities in incarceration and the absence of timely guidelines to address the situation. The completion of the study could offer additional insights and help different stakeholders to mitigate the challenge.
Research Design
Website Data Collection
The use of an effective research design is crucial for collecting adequate information about the subject matter. To complete the study successfully, the investigator will rely on two methods to gather the much-needed ideas. First, the researcher will consult or visit the websites of the selected prisons in order to gain access to the number of inmates based on their racial backgrounds. These figures would help shed more light on the percentage of individuals in prison and the major crimes committed.
The collected data will then be compared and contrasted with the recorded information in various literature materials (Blankenship et al., 2018). This approach will help the researcher learn more about ethic disparities and the manner in which underserved members of the community tend to have increased chances of getting incarcerated.
Interviews
Second, the use of interviews would be considered, involving two police officers, two judges from various courts, two members of society, and two correctional officers in the process. The professionals would be presented with several questions focusing on their views regarding the systemic problem of bias in incarceration. Such individuals are informed or aware of most of the issues affecting the targeted sector.
The interviewer will go further to gather additional insights from the respondents regarding some of the best approaches to tackle this problem (Blankenship et al., 2018). The presented ideas would be taken into consideration when composing the final report. The involvement of these key stakeholders will increase the chances of getting quality and reliable information from the study.
Getting Access to Data
To gain the required access, it will be necessary to visit some of the prison departments that do not publish inmate data on their respective websites. This process will allow the relevant leaders to provide access. The researcher must comply with the outlined regulations regarding access to and use of the available data (Blankenship et al., 2018).
To get the intended information from the identified respondents, it will be possible to write letters or e-mails to them. These individuals would be expected to respond accordingly and show their willingness to participate throughout the process (Hope & Bañales, 2019). They will be required to provide additional insights regarding the nature of this social problem and offer informed perspectives on how to address it.
These decisions have been made based on the nature of this study and the anticipated objectives. The use of the prison department’s websites means that the available data would be reflective of the number of people already incarcerated. Liaising with the relevant leaders or managers of such institutions will provide timely access and guide the researcher to authentic information (Blankenship et al., 2018).
Additionally, identifying different stakeholders and interviewing them would help the researcher gather meaningful information about mass incarceration. These individuals appreciate the nature of social problems affecting Americans and propose evidence-based solutions to address them.
Literature Review
Persistent Disparities in American Society
Disparities remain a problematic issue affecting American society due to the absence of sufficient policies and mechanisms to empower all citizens equally. In a study by Blankenship et al. (2018), it was found that people from minority groups experienced numerous challenges, ranging from poor health outcomes to underrepresentation. In incarceration, African Americans and Latinos tend to constitute the majority in most of the country’s incarceration facilities.
Systemic Biases in the Criminal Justice System
In another investigation, Hope and Bañales (2019) observed that an increasing level of racialization was evident in the manner in which different groups were imprisoned. Specifically, blacks were observed to be incarcerated at a higher rate in comparison with whites in the country (Hope & Bañales, 2019). The article appears to answer or respond to the issue described in the first research question. In some instances, some of them would receive longer or harsher sentences for committing minor offenses, such as drug possession. These observations revealed that systemic biases formed an integral attribute of the country’s criminal justice system.
The Impact of Incarceration on Minority Youth
The existence of disparities in the manner in which different groups are identified and victimized at a younger age exposes them to inappropriate behavior. For instance, Hope and Bañales (2019) observed that young African Americans who found themselves in prisons for committing misdemeanors had higher chances of engaging in more serious criminal activities. This issue revealed that the problematic issue of mass incarceration contributed significantly to additional gaps that worsened the overall experiences and outcomes of different members of American society. Those who were unable to find stable jobs or engage in economic activities continued to grapple with additional predicaments in their lives, thereby being unable to provide for their basic needs, including food. The historical injustices and disparities in the allocation of resources worsened the situation for most of the people belonging to various underserved communities.
Socioeconomic Consequences of Historical Inequality
The complexity of race relations in the United States could shed more light on the current status, whereby more people from minority groups appear to form the majority in prisons. The absence of proper support mechanisms and community resources has worsened their overall outcomes. This reality has compelled some of them to engage in criminal activities, thereby increasing their likelihood of imprisonment (Williams et al., 2020). Some might even be incarcerated for committing minor offenses, a malpractice that is widely associated with longer jail terms. These forces have worked synergistically to negatively influence the overall experiences and outcomes of more minority groups.
The Need for Sustainable Solutions and Further Research
Based on these observations, civil societies and stakeholders have appreciated that systemic disparities exist that negatively affect African Americans and other minorities. Their efforts are yet to present meaningful changes that could eventually help transform the overall experiences and outcomes of most of these underserved populations. The nature of this gap suggests that additional studies and investigations are recommended to empower more people (Hope & Bañales, 2019).
In the selected articles, it is evident that the authors attempt to highlight some of the obstacles and emphasize the importance of finding sustainable solutions to these problems. These aspects align with the second research question for the proposed study. By considering this literature, it is notable that it addresses the pertinent issues highlighted in the outlined research questions: the extent of disproportionate mass incarceration and the focus on timely solutions. Additionally, the selected subjects and sites would help shed more light on the issues raised in the Literature review, as they are all correlated.
Research Ethics
Autonomy
Ethical concerns might arise when undertaking research studies involving human subjects. The first possible harm that could arise is that of autonomy, whereby the researcher might disregard the rights and expectations of the respondents. This challenge may arise when the investigator decides to misuse the acquired information or make it accessible to unauthorized individuals. To address this issue, it will be possible to encourage respondents to provide their initials and refrain from offering any personalized information (Williams et al., 2020). The researcher will ensure that the collected insights are grouped and utilized to develop a common argument or discussion from the study.
Privacy
The second ethical issue is accessing the prisons’ websites. This problem can arise when the researcher decides to gain access and start acquiring or viewing unnecessary information, such as prisoners’ crimes, personal details, and health issues. To maximize privacy and authenticity, professionals must adhere to the outlined code of ethics when using public data (Richardson & Kutateladze, 2020). The highest level of conduct is necessary to ensure that the completed investigation effectively addresses a public concern. Considering these issues will support the completion of a high-quality and functional research study.
References
Blankenship, K. M., del Rio Gonzalez, A. M., Keene, D. E., Groves, A. K., & Rosenberg, A. P. (2018). Mass incarceration, race inequality, and health: Expanding concepts and assessing impacts on well-being. Social Science & Medicine, 215, 45-52. Web.
Hope, E. C., & Bañales, J. (2019). Black early adolescent critical reflection of inequitable sociopolitical conditions: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Adolescent Research, 34(2), 167– 200. Web.
Richardson, R., & Kutateladze, B. L. (2020). Tempering expectations: A qualitative study of prosecutorial reform. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 58(1), 41–73. Web.
The Sentencing Project. (2018). Report to the United Nations on racial disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system. Web.
Williams, J. M., Wilson, S. K., & Bergeson, C. (2020). Health implications of incarceration and reentry on returning citizens: A qualitative examination of black men’s experiences in a northeastern city. American Journal of Men’s Health, 14(4), 1–16. Web.
