Introduction
Statistics by various federal bureaus about the incarceration rates in United States reveals that there is a steady rise on the number of crimes and this is the reason why U.S. prisons experience a constant increase of the number of locked up criminals.
According to Laurence (2009), America has the highest number of locked up criminals seconded by Russia and majority of them are non-white citizens. A good example is California, a world reputable state due to its stable and large economy.
Statistics
Approximately fifty two percent of California State is made of non-white citizens. The statistics indicates that the state has social and racial tolerance but the prison population is approximately 70% non-whites with 32% being black Americans compared to the state population of 7% African Americans citizens (Laurence, 2009).
When comparing between the general population and those who are incarcerated, 32% is a very high percentage. The black populace in U.S. prisons is therefore high due to increased incarceration rates.
Majority of the California offenders face incarcerations due to drug related offences. Texas has an African-Americans population of approximately 14%, but equally a huge population of the incarcerated inmates of approximately 54%.
The table and chart below shows statistical information that compares between population of African Americans in various states of America and those incarcerated in the state’s prisons.
It is evident that crime is far reaching, since incarceration decisions often goes beyond the wrongdoers and affect their communities, races and families.
Why the members of a minority groups such as the African Americans are more prone to crime related arrest compared to their White Americans counterparts is a question that requires comprehensive research study. The differences of crimes between these two racial groups have a stronger basis on violent crimes, such as the homicide cases (Laurence, 2009).
U.S. citizens of the African American origin are more associable to crimes against persons, which include violence as opposed to property crime or public-order crimes that have a link to illegal activities such as gambling or prostitution.
Generally, in all states of America, the African Americans comprise of an approximate 13 % of the entire population and nearly as much African American face conviction as the white Americans.
Factors Influencing the Contribution of Racial Differences in American Prisons
Historically the African Americans residing in U.S. often faced discriminatory treatments and this made them more prone to prosecution over crimes compared to their White counterparts (National research Council, 2010).
Resent administration is more attentive to discrimination cases and activist groups as well as media are equally quick to point out prejudiced cases especially those associated to the administration. For this reason, current research over the causes of the huge numbers of African Americans behind bars lack a proper connection to aspects of discrimination.
Assessments over the huge differences between the two groups in the criminal justice system are thus quite difficult and the existing distinctions therefore depend on other factors beside discrimination. Some of these factors may be prior assails by the offender or severity of the offence.
Due to difficulties involving discrimination cases during arrest, indictment or ruling, some analytical procedures can indicate possibilities of causes such as comparison between criminal and victims of similar crimes.
What are the racial compositions of various crimes offenders such as violence compared to racial distribution of victims who suffer similar criminal attacks? This comparison however presents some hypothetical results and a rough comparison of crimes.
Other related factors may contribute to the racial differences such as involvements in the justice system, influences by neighbourhoods, lifestyles, education backgrounds and economic status.
A huge population of the African Americans receive poor payment in the official job markets, and therefore their poor earnings force them to seek other means of earning more income such as drugs trade or violence (National research Council, 2010).
The legal income of the low–skilled persons especially the African Americans continues to deteriorate due to current economic crisis causing them to engage illegal activities to compensate the poor paying legal jobs.
The policies implemented on matters concerning crime also have a huge influence over the numbers of African Americans in prisons since these policies influence different opinions over engagement in criminal activities, victimization and types of punishment ruled over perpetrators.
Differences involving judges’ verdict and law enforcement procedures often fall upon racial dissimilarities. Involvements in minor crimes are also habitual influences of other related major criminal activities.
African Americans are often involved in public-order crimes such as drugs trade and prostitution to boost their income. The crime involvements lead to other non-drug crimes such as violence and crimes against humanity, which lead to imprisonment.
The other possible cause concerns poor representation in the judiciary systems. There are varying racial and poor ethnic representation among members of the criminal justice system, and this can easily lead to discrimination in favour of a certain race. Legitimacy of a system occurs when there is equality and transparency.
According to the National Institute of Justice (2001) report, current U.S. administration is keen on equal representation by implementing policies that balance crime report departments to cater for diverse populations. Despite the good efforts on the prisons and police department, the judiciary still lacks fair representation.
Due to the various historical recordings regarding the issue of discrimination, African Americans still have the notion that legal systems will always act against their operations, thus the need for them to react against the harsh and unjust treatments.
They often repel the criminal justice systems and the administration in protest against their arrests but end in prisons due to their crime to fight crime perception (Bureau of Justice Statistic (BJS), 2009).
According to Bureau of Justice Statistic (BJS) (2009), African Americans are seven times more likely to face incarceration compared to white Americans, especially among young men particularly those who have had little or no education. The statistics also indicate that majority of the young African American men, who have only achieved high-school education levels are or have been to prisons.
There is a collapse of the urban market for the low-skilled earners, thus the emergence of job-less ghettos. The lack of industrialization lures the young men into criminal activities to support their basic obligations.
Even though the rehabilitation programmes in prisons produce skilful people, reformed criminals cannot desist from further crimes due to lack of resourceful support by the government, to access stable jobs or incorporate the learnt skills to generate better income.
Historical Analysis of the African-American racial Existence
As per the history (Takaki, 2008), indicated that African-Americans came to America back in 1619 as servants hired under an agreement but ended up as slaves.
According to Takaki, slavery originated as a hidden agenda. The Americans were concerned with the racial significance but the consequences were evident during the nineteenth century when there was political debate over slavery. On a close reference to Takaki’s writing, African Americans must have been great contributors to the economy due to their labour forces.
Although the debate almost drowned the nation, the issue of African Americans segregation was still evident through their civil rights associations to push for equal civil rights and social ranks particularly in the judicial system.
African Americans actually had a minority group-representation in the system, but their struggle had a huge impact over the America’s social, political and moral vision for liberation. From his confinement, Martin Luther king expressed his concern over freedom and fought for civil rights, which is evident of the America’s fate today.
According to Takaki (2008), African Americans have hugely contributed to America’s ethnical and racial diversity. One example of institutional discrimination illustrated in Takaki writing (2008), include the cruelty one man African American origin had to undergo of being denied lecture classes at Harvard Medical School due to complaints from some of his white fellow students. This was a clear indication of possible emergence of discriminatory statistics in prisons.
Conclusion
America is drastically changing from the original concept of racial discrimination that saw many Africa Americans incarcerated by the unjust judicial system where there was no equality of rights. Democracy and transparency of the justice system makes people to realize their sense of belonging and importance of a united nation.
Perplexity has carried away most Americans such that their national identity and its future are more important than racial differences. Racial diversity is also allowing people to include different groups’ viewpoint and understanding.
There is ample need for the existing racial groups to develop a way of learning, understanding, appreciation and accepting each other’s differences. This would involve acceptance of different cultures, historical backgrounds and economic differences as the only way to improve high imprisonment of people from a particular group.
The future of America with regard to racial imprisonment depends on value for the country’s image. America belongs to many races or groups and a system that represents different people is the best change for the United States.
References
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). (2009). Ensuring the quality, credibility, and relevance of U.S. justice statistics. New York, NY: National Academies Press
Laurence, E. R. (2009). Bureau of Justice Statistics Funding to States to Improve Criminal Records. Pennsylvania, PA: DIANE Publishing
National Institute of Justice. (2001). Crime and Criminal Justice reports, New York, NY: annual report.
National research Council. (2010). Strengthening the National Institute of Justice.
Committee on Assessing the Research Program of the National Institute of Justice. New York, NY: National Academies Press.
Takaki, R. (2008). A different Mirror: a History of Multicultural America. Britain: Back Bay and Co.