Problem Statement
The United States correctional facilities have a proportionately higher number of the minority population. This includes Hispanics and African American. As of 2004, close to half of all males incarcerated in the United States’ prisons was African American. The same case applies to women in prisons within United States. In this regard, there has been so much academic and research interest in that field. This paper seeks to answer the question if this happens by reason or design.
Closely connected to this is the issue where there are allegations of harassment and mistreatment of these minorities inside the prisons. Data may not be available to authenticate these claims, but people who have gone through that system continue to make these allegations. This paper will have in-depth look into the issue of disparities at sentencing and within the correctional facilities in the United States. Of interest is whether it exists or it is just an allegation (Heather 2008).
The Problem
Currently, African American males make the highest proportion of the total inmates in prison (Geranios 2011). They constitute 35% followed by white males at 32%. Hispanics are third at 17%. This data also paints a picture where the majority of the minorities in prison are between 20 years and 30 years of age. However, majority of the white males in prison are between age 35 and 44 years. This shows that many minorities suffer the fate of not having family and been beneficial in society because the prison system takes away this. However, it may present a problem with upbringing during teenage years. Most of these inmates are without stable family backgrounds (Heather 2008).
On the other hand, whitest males have good upbringing. The same case applies to African American women. They form the majority of the women incarcerated across all categories. There are cases of mistreatment in prisons. For example, cases where there is no heating in prisons. The authorities have strongly opposed this.
From the data above, it is evident that many African American males and females are incarcerated at the ages when they should be in college. There has been this media and nongovernmental and interest groups outcry that suggests that there more African American inmates in prison than in college. This is obviously outrageous but it paints a grim picture of what interest groups view the American correctional system.
It indicates that they think it is unfair to the minorities. The fact that there are cases of mistreatment in prisons makes allegation look credible. However, considering the fact that there are many minorities in prison, the parole of the prison system is made up a majority African Americans and Hispanics. This tends to negate the allegations of mistreatment as they are supposed to identify with their own (Associated Press 2006).
Significance and Implications
These allegations paint the justice system in a bad picture. This is because many minority leaning pundits believe that this does not happen by accident. There is an argument that this happens by design. However, this is just outrageous. This is because the American system employs the jury way of decision-making. The jury is constituted based on the plaintiff and defendant attributes. For example, if both are Hispanics, the jury majority should have Hispanics. Hence, the chance of designing the incarceration of your own is not supported by the system (Heather 2008).
Another school of thought suggests that the justice system perpetrates the problem instead of solving it. In the long-term, lack of college education of over a third of the minorities. This is because at a time when they are supposed to be obtaining an education they are sent in prison. Once they are outside, the time for them to attend college is gone. Hence, the justice system needs to be overhauled to ensure that it does not punish. Rather, it should find a way that the perpetrator pays for their social misdeeds without denying them a life. This makes it worse because these are minority groups. Additionally, this does do not frequently happen with white males.
This is because majorities are incarcerated at the age between 35 and 45. At this age, a person has completed college and started a family (Heather 2008). Hence, there will be little sentiment when the person gets out of prison. This is not the case with African Americans. In late 2010, a report commissioned by the government showed that close to 12% of African American children has a mother in prison (Black Demographics 2012). The percentage is almost double of the children who do not have fathers in their young upbringing. This shows that prisons breaks down close to 30% of minorities’ families going by this sample.
According to psychologists and sociologist, this creates a cycle of incompleteness in children. In the end, the problem of irritability, desperation and frustration creeps and the cycle of crime and anti social behavior leads the minorities’ kids in prison. This creates a generational problem (Black Demographics 2012).
Causes
There is no one single cause of incarceration of majority of minorities in the United States. As stated earlier, many schools of thought try to explain this situation. Psychology and sociology experts argue that the system may be the problem. However, the prisons department says that these prisoners, even while in prison, display high levels of irritability and tendency to be on the wrong or to do wrong. Others blame poverty, which is attributable to desperation. Meanwhile others blame the United States prison system, which is too high handed, and tough. They argue that instead of rehabilitating, the system punishes or focuses on punishing the individual without regard to the after life in prison (Heather 2008).
Possible Solutions
The issue of disparities in the United States correctional facilities has attracted the attention of many government and non-governmental institutions with special regard to coming up with solutions. However, there is no one basic solution. The most flaunted solution is an overhaul of the American justice system. The allegation is skewed towards the fact that it is not fair. Regardless of the fact that this may be just propaganda, it warrants attention by the United States government. It should look into ways of amending the jury methods it uses. Sometimes the composition may not reflect the constitutional requirement (Department of Justice 2011).
The other thing is the family values. The government needs to realize that the family is the smallest unit in society but the most critical. When a child grows in a disjointed family, the probability of the child developing problems in adulthood is high. Hence, a rigorous system needs to be put in place that does not deny the minorities a chance to have a family. This also applies to college education. This is because, as the government indicated recently, a person with a college education has a five times chance of getting a job in the United States compared to a person without. This automatically denies 30% of African Americans livelihood (Black Demographics 2012). The only other option is to try to survive using other means. This can be resolved.
Recommendation
Minorities in the United States are at a disadvantage. The government needs to improve this case. The correctional systems need to change their mission of punishing into rehabilitating. This is the official government stand but the implementation has been poor. Stricter regulations need to be constituted to enhance this anomaly. The government also needs to realize the importance of family and education in society. This means that young people at the age of 18 years to 30 years should not serve long sentences, which deny them a chance to attend college. While in prison, the young males and females need to work and make a living and the money channeled towards financing college once they are out. The government needs to employ more counseling and rehabilitation staff in prison and improve work at the same time.
This will solve tow problems. First, the inmates will have an income when they leave prison. They will also have something to expect. That is the possibility of starting family and commencing college. In the end, the vicious cycle of poverty, which has also been attributed to the lawlessness among African Americans and Hispanics, will drastically reduce. Therefore, it is up to the government to create an enabling environment (Heather 2008).
References
Associated Press. (2006). Hispanic, Black Inmates Fight Anew In L.A. Jail. Web.
Black Demographics. (2012). African Americans and Crime: Incarceration. Web.
Department of Justice. (2011). Justice across USA. Web.
Geranios, N. (2011). Most Inmates in State Prison are Violent Offenders. Web.
Heather, M. (2008). Is the Criminal-Justice System Racist? Web.