Revise your rough draft to a 2,450–2,800-word (excluding title page and reference list) persuasive essay based on the feedback you have received.
Include the following components in your essay:
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Consider the following in your writing:
- A minimum of seven paragraphs, which all establish a highly developed viewpoint and purpose.
- Each paragraph of the paper should also demonstrate a high standard of professionalism consistent in tone, language, and standards of formal writing.
- Your content must be original, well defined, organized, and accessible.
- Your final draft should be easy to read, well organized, and free of grammatical errors.
- Finally, you must use syntax to incorporate each of the following stylistic criteria: accessible, accurate, supported, precise, and concise.
Format your work consistent with APA guidelines.
Include APA headings (at least level one).
Include a minimum of five peer-reviewed sources.
Cite your sources and include a reference list.
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Racial Discrimination among Minorities in Prisons
Gabrielle Jenkins
Purdue University Global
Dr. White
March 2, 2021
Are Racial Minorities Treated Fairly in Prisons?
Introduction
Racial and ethnic discrimination in sentencing, policing, and jailing is evident in the US criminal justice system’s statistical data. There are significant disproportionalities in justice involvement for people of colour, especially among black people. The people of colour are overrepresented and maltreated in correctional facilities. Although policies and practices have minimized discrimination in the US prisons, there remains unconscious bias and unfair treatment in the use of discretional power by staff in decisions about inmate discipline or rewards, the selection and recruitment of employees, and how prisoners treat racial minorities (Jackson et al.,2010). Furthermore, there has been relatively little consideration for adjustments in the prison system. However, there is a need for changes inside and outside the justice system to achieve fairness among racial minorities.
According to critical statistics on race and ethnicity in prisons in the US, the black Americans in the general populations account for 13% per cent. The per cent of black people who are in jail are about 40%. The incarceration rate for white versus black American inmates is 450 versus 2,306 per 100,000 individuals. The arrest rates for white versus black American counterparts is 2,795 versus 6,109 per 100,000 (Massoglia et al.,2013). Moreover, by 2018, the number of arrests for black Americans was 2.8 million—the percentage number of those on probation at 30%. However, the racial and ethnic disparities dropped between 2000 to 2016 across the prison, parole, and the US’s probation population.
Historical Background for Racial Disparities in Prisons
Mass incarceration began in the 1970s. The US prison population growth was an intentional policy. The reinforcement of the policy by campaign heroics aimed at rising crime. The notion was inflamed by powerful people like state and local executives and legislators who demanded more strict sentencing laws. The prison administrators were also forced to accommodate the increasing population with limited resources.
Despite the unprecedented rise in the jail population during the 1970s, the environment was conducive for development way before. There were numerous people sent to prison during mass incarceration than at any other period (Tyler, 2010). Additionally, the policies that fuelled the issue were grounded on the narrative of public anxiety about alleged and actual criminal behaviours due to ethnic and racial indifferences and correction facilities’ use to control them.
The narrative is evident in the American history. From America’s foundation to the present time, there are of criminal behaviours and patterns of unfair imprisonment of a specific group in the society like immigrants, native Americans, black people, and refugees (Jackson et al.,2010). The persistent and unfair impact on minorities is further experienced while in prison. Various factors facilitate the rate of racial and ethnic unfair treatment.
Primary Justifications for Racial Prejudice among Minorities in US Prisons
Implicit bias is a significant cause for minority disparities. Societal perceptions play a massive role in racial and ethnic preferences within correctional facilities. For instance, it influences the results of criminal justice. Comprehensive research shows that beliefs linked to threats and dangers to public safety are associated with people of colour.
The narrative of discrimination is founded on lies, myths and stereotypes about the minorities in society. The notion must be reckoned to reform prison practices. The prisons are entwined with the legacy of generational racial and social injustices and slavery. Unfortunately, every new era is built on earlier courses, physical infrastructure, and values (Jackson et al.,2010). Mass incarceration occurred in a period of massive encroachment on ethnic and racial minorities’ liberty, more so among black Americans.
Media also portrays crime by unfairly focusing on news stories that involve serious offences by racial minority groups (Massoglia et al.,2013). Accurate and careful media reports representing the true incidence of crimes and perpetrators, and victims can help change crimes’ negative perceptions. In turn, it would alter the discriminatory beliefs among inmates.
Studies also show increased expectations of prejudice among the minority group; thus, it contributes to a higher negative experience in the interaction with the fellow racially minor individual. It is a behavioural confirmation among the affected population in the correctional institution.
The high rate of black incarceration and white offenders’ minimum levels is another reason for racial disparity. It shows biased decision-making in the criminal justice system (Massoglia et al.,2013). The criminal justice framework is held together by practices and policies, both informal and formal, that directly impact the extent one penetrates the system. Harsh punishment policies enacted in recent decades were implemented even after the decline of crime. For instance, strict drug laws are crucial in the persistent racial and ethnic prejudice in state prisons.
The third explanation for persistent racial prejudice in state correctional institutions is the structural disadvantage. It impacts people of colour even before they face the criminal justice system. According to savvy criminologists, African Americans are part of the people living in poverty-affected neighbourhoods and communities. The racial minority group is connected to socio-economic vulnerabilities that result in increased crime rates (Tyler, 2010). The majority of whites live in highly advantaged areas, while the black community reside in highly segregated and city neighbourhoods that face a high degree of violent offences.
The effect of structural disadvantage starts early in life. Structural differences caused by race or class affect the youth of colour, thus impacting negatively through unstable family systems or high unemployment rates. Besides, exposure to community or family violence contributes to crime and, consequently, high racial maltreatment in jails.
The opposing views of fair treatment in prisons are considered wrong. The opponents are grounded on theoretical opinions as per the basic principles in prisoners and correctional staff’s proper treatment. For example, legislators or government agencies may ideally portray the facilities to be lacking prejudice. However, a critical analysis of the prison system indicates increasing rates of discrimination among minority groups.
One recommendation that can alter the racial indifferences among inmates and staff includes utilizing structured communications in prison. It is a prison initiative aimed at consistent performance and just outcomes among prisoners and staff. It affects pervasive, unconscious race bias and has a potential impact on racial disparities in changing results. Structured communication has significance in predicting behaviour (Massoglia et al.,2013). It helps mitigate the effects of cognitive overload, stress, forgetfulness, and over-familiarity. Moreover, the method reduces disproportionate outcomes without addressing explicit racial attitudes.
Race equality also requires effective leadership in prisons. It entails executive members offering full support and engaging in teamwork to meet the workplace’s agenda (Tyler, 2010). There are also prisoner forums pivotal to racial and ethnic equality.
Conclusion
The emergence of racial strife is a crucial issue in all correctional programs. The essay’s racial, ideological bases show the major contemporary concerns in the system of criminal justice and prison department (Massoglia et al.,2013). The prisons are ethnically and racially diverse, thus vulnerable to conflicts and unfair treatments among the inmates or staff.
The prison system is characterized by unconscious bias and unfair treatment in discretional power by staff in decisions about inmate discipline or rewards despite the reduction of discrimination cases. There are also correction policies and practices that have positively impacted racial disparities. The selection and recruitment of employees and prisoners’ relation with racial minorities is an essential aspect of the prison system analysis. The US correctional facilities still have racial and ethnic prejudice as a result of societal perceptions and the structural disadvantage among the racial minorities like the black people (Jackson et al.,2010). The perceptions are rooted from the historical views of the people of colour as public threat and danger to the safety of American white citizens.
Despite the slow pace of reform in mitigating the impact of mass incarceration and racial and ethnic differences and prejudice, there are movements addressing state prisons’ cohesion. There has also been the reform of drug laws with disparate racial implications. For instance, a legislature was passed in 2010 to modify strict rules linked to drug-free school zones. New Jersey has also enacted significant reforms in the parole system (Tyler, 2010). Nevertheless, there is a need for more positive changes in the prison system policies and leadership to minimize or eliminate racial prejudice in correctional facilities.
References
Jackson, J., Tyler, T. R., Bradford, B., Taylor, D., & Shiner, M. (2010). Legitimacy and
procedural justice in prisons. Prison service journal, 191, 4-10.
Massoglia, M., Firebaugh, G., & Warner, C. (2013). Racial variation in the effect of
incarceration on neighbourhood attainment. American sociological review, 78(1), 142-165.
Tyler, T. R. (2010). Legitimacy in corrections: Policy implications. Criminology & Pub.
Pol’y, 9, 127. Phillips, C., & Bowling, B. (2012). Ethnicities, racism, crime and criminal justice. The Oxford handbook of criminology, 370-397.
