Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Leiani Celestan
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Table of Contents
Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………….3
Literature Review……………..………………………………………....……………….5
Discussion of Findings…………………………………………………………..……..10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………....……………..…..12
Works Cited………………………………………………………………...…………….13
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Problem statement
The justice system was created to serve and guide the people. It is how people are
judged and what is seen as right and wrong. In the United States the justice system is a key
component to the how citizens interact with the government. If the justice system is being
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abused it could affect citizens and their reaction on particular issues. For example the justice
system has been abusive to black bodies so interest groups like Black Lives Matter has lead
protest and spoken out about how the justice system needs to be change in order adequately
The justice system was created with policies which have developed into the modern
justice system we have today. Its sole purpose is to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
However, since this has been in place it has failed to protect all people. Currently black people
make up 13.3% of the United States population however 35% of jails and 37% of the prison
system. With that, out of 100,000 black people, 2,200 black people are incarcerated, In
comparison to 100,000 white people, 380 of them are incarcerated (Wagner 2012). Due to the
pattern of school to prison pipeline and racial profiling these statistics are consistently rising.
For instance black people are 7 times more likely to be wrongly convicted of murder than white
people in the US (Lopez, Zarracina 2017) Within Juvenile facilities “African American juveniles
were more than 10 times as likely as white juveniles to be committed to secure facilities.” This is
due to the school to prison pipeline system which works in sending a high portion of black youth
into incarceration from schools. This system has become a trend were schools are able to
funnel youth from the education system into the juvenile and prison system. With policies like
“zero-tolerance” schools are able to “criminalize minor infractions of school rules”. Not to
mention, the fact that schools especially in poverty stricken areas with high minority numbers
have a police on campus leading to students being criminalized for behavior, which is
something that should be handle with then schools, adds to the increasing rate of young black
males being implemented into the prison system. However the blame is not only put to the
presents of police on campus but the fact that the education system has been racially profiling
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black students which is another factor and possible the most significant factor as to why they
are not only dropping out of school and missing out on educational opportunities but becoming
incarcerated youth.
The purpose of my research is to analyze the ways in which the justice system can be
improved in order to stop the disportionate rate of black people specifically black men being
incarcerated.
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Literature Reviews
William J. Moore does an exceptional job in the explanation of how black people have
been targeted in the US. Between 1877’s and 1960’s a collection of laws were put into place
that would establish the system of white supremacy known as Jim Crow Laws. In the late 1870’s
legislations were pass laws that would take away the rights of freed slaves after the civil war. In
1896 the courts made a landmark decision in the court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson
announcement the term “separate but equal”. This would allow for segregation to happen with in
states claiming that even though facilities like bathroom and school would be seperate they
would be “treated as equal.” These laws were in place to not only stop black people from being
able to prosper it played a big role in how they would not only see themselves but how the the
future would be. Being that these laws oppressed black people for so long even today in more
modern time there are laws that [act in replace of Jim crow laws. These laws contribute to the
Black people and specifically black men have been placed in a system for centuries that
prepare them for containment and pushed into a system like slavery. Moor does a good job at
explaining and analyzing jim crow laws and how they would affect they affected black people on
a large scale. His work would be more effective if he further analyzed how jim crow laws and
modern day laws are similar in ways that they put black men in jail. This would have provided a
deeper analysis of why things like mass incarceration happens. However Moor gives good
evidence on how jim crow laws still affect the way black people are impacted by recent laws .
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In order to shed light on the unjust actions against black and brown bodies at the hands
of police, author edmund andrews gives a adequate amount of evidence analyzing the data
taken from traffic stops in North carolina cities. He reveals that blacks and hispanics are more
likely to be stopped yet coppes are less likely to uncover illegal drugs and weapons than whites
and asians. (andrews) researchers at stanford university conducted a test that would analyze
the percentage of drivers that were perceived as suspicious and correlate it to the race and
genders of the driver. The research uncovered that police use a double standard when it comes
to searches. They will search black and hispanics even when they have very little evidence,
rather searching a white or asian person even if evidence is undeniable. Analyst have used two
types of test to analyze racial profiling: benchmarking and hit rate. Benchmarking is referred to
the comparison of of the population of that ethnicity compared to the rate ( in this case) they are
stopped. Therefor, the benchmark test discovered that in north carolina black people make up
10% of the population yet 30% of searches. ( andrews ) when using the hit test researched
discovered that “Police searched 5.4 percent of blacks and 4.1 percent of the Hispanics they
pulled over, but only 3.1 percent of whites”.( andrews). Both test unfolded statistics that would
prove racial discrimination against black and brown bodies. Even with those students
researchers took a step further conducting another test known as the threshold test. This test
would analyze four variables,the race of the driver, department of the officer making the stop,
whether or not a search was conducted, and whether any contrabands were discovered. The
study found that “police decided to search black drivers based on a 7 percent certainty that they
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These results confirm racial profiling in police and patrol officers. The evidence that
andrews provide gives another ___ on how mass incarceration of black bodies is happening.
Being that police use racial profiling to stop people traveling it opens doors to many other ways
they can push them into the prison system. As mentioned in Moors findings many modern laws
have been used at the hands of police as a way to conduct unnecessary searches. By police
officers using reasonable suspicion when it is really racial profiling has allowed them to use a
tactic that is called “stop and frisk” as a way to conduct searches. as the evidence shown in
Andrews finding officers usually do not find any contrabands there is still other ways to send
them to jail. One way is giving tickets. Being that you must show up to court for tickets it is easy
for many people to receive a warrant for failure to appear in court resulting in it being easier for
police to send them to jail. One limitation on this study is that Andrew's does not analyze the
percentage of black men that are stopped who are sent to college. This would have given the
research more depth showing how much of an affect racial profiling has on mass incarceration.
School to prison pipeline is also a result of mass incarceration. Segridge Lewis gives an
adequate amount of evidence that the school to prison disproportionately affects black students.
From elementary school black students are being funneled into the prisons. Being that most
schools have no-tolerance act administration leaves law enforcement to handle school issues
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rather than keeping them with in the school. This leads to many students being processed into
the system and sent to juvenile correction facilities rather than facing consequences at school.
This style of discipline has mostly affected black students and other students of color. Between
black and white students, black students are “1.9 more likely than white students to be
expelled”. Teachers plays a significant role into why this happens. Without adequate training
teachers make bias decisions between students color and white student that shows systematic
racism. This is what leads to “2.9 black students being more likely to be disciplined through
involvement of officers”(Quinlan 2016). Often teachers take biased sides believing that people
of color are more aggressive than white students. The article gives an important situation
example. He says if a white students in kindergarten bites another students the teacher looks at
it as a phase and does not see it as a threatening issue. However if a black students or other
student of color commits the same act it is seen as aggressive and dangerous behavior that
The result of teachers having these views is what leads to many black youth being put
into jail. In florida state black students make up “27% of the county’s public school population”
yet represent “ 51% of students being suspended or sent to a juvenile correctional facility” ( lych
2016) Quinlan does an exceptional job at explaining how the disciplinary acts that are taken in
school is what leads to mass incarceration. When students are being taken out of school for
behavioral issues it leads to an educational gap. This same gap is what leads to students
dropping out at high rates in the black community. “1 in every 4 black man will drop out and
become incarcerated” in comparison to “1 and every 14 white men”. The difference being black
men are more than 3 times likely to drop out and and become incarcerated than white people.
As stated previously by Moor there are many modern laws within law enforcement and other
institution that work as way to to contribute mass incarceration. Being that the there is an
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educational gap within students of color and specifically lack students the author gives a good
explanation on why there is often behavioral issues between black students. Being that they are
continually being disciplined and treated with unfair bias it leads to students giving up and
choosing to drop out. These results show that the schooling system plays a enormous role is
funneling black youth and specifically black men into college. By training teachers and
administrators in schools to be none-bias and to practice programs that does not disportionality
send black students to jail or increase the education gap mass incarceration would decrease
within the black community. Also leading to a decrease of high school dropouts.
Scholars article Speaks on how the incarceration of black men leads other black people
to prison around them, at trickling effect. The article states that the effect of a black man going
to jail is so harsh that there is great chance that he will lead others to jail around him as well. He
referred to it as a “ circle of incarceration” (scholars 2016) not only does being incarcerated
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leaves a cycle it leaves a higher chance you to going back to jail but it also adds to the fact that
the likelihood of an individual in your family like a son,cousin, or brother being incarcerated as
well. In addition being incarcerated hurts the chance of life after being release and even worse
if you are convicted and incarcerated for something that you did not do. “Black people are 13%
of the population but about 50% of defendants wrongly convicted of a crime” .( scholars 2016)
this study reveals that there is a disportionate percentage between the rate that black and white
people go to prison. The article states that “ one of every 15 black men is held in jail or state or
federal prison, compared to one of every 106 white males” this does a significant job at
explaining how it is possible that black people and white people face different outcomes in
situation like these.( scholars 2016) The arthur doesn't just stop at the percentage of
incarcerated black men. He also focuses on the fact that when they are sent to prison it causes
many problems at home. This could leave the family with many mental health issues often
causing other family members to create a cycle of incarcerated black people. Not to emotion
this adds this to the ideals that lewis was referring to when stating that black people face mental
health issues causing them to add to the cycle of incarceration when one person in the family
was sent to jail or prison. With then black and white families, “Connections to family members in
prison range from 6% for white males to 44% for black females”. (scholars 2016) Without the
coverage of this content it would be hard to understand why mass incarceration of black men is
so important. This content allows for the readers to to see where there is underlying racist and
bias factors leading to black people being targeted into the jail and prison system.
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Discussion of Finding
The purpose if this study was research the extent that black men are being incarcerated
in comparison to other races and how that has an affect on not only themselves but the black
community as a whole and how those numbers can be decreased. By researching many articles
about incarceration of black people including youth it because verty evident that there are
underlying factors that has placed black men disproportionately into jails and prison. How can
the united states justice system improve in order to stop the mass incarceration of black men?
The first finding that emerged from this study was the impact that the school system and
teachers have on mass incarceration. The school to prison pipeline plays a significant role into
why there is a high population of black people in the prison system. Often if black students are
not being directly funneled into juvenile correctional facility they are dropping out of school and
being funneled into the system by racial profiling and other “reasonable suspicion” actions as a
way to incarcerate them. Both Edmund Andrews and Segride Lewis gave forth evidence of how
mass incarceration is increasing at high rates due of these two components. Being that people
have been conditioned to believe that black people and especially black men are criminals and
aggressive it has allowed people to use profiling as a way to cover up discrimination and racism.
Not only does teachers play a role in why every 1 and 4 black men dropout and become
incarcerated but life out of school and how officers are profiling black youth and black men play
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Giving the history of black people in america most findings were not surprising. However
I was surprised to learn how much teachers and the schooling system play a big role into how
black men are being incarcerated at high rates. Not only does school physically funnel kids into
the prison system but mentally as well. Being that they are treated differently in class and told
they are more aggressive with addition of not getting the education and support it lowers self
confidence and ability to push themselves past struggles they face. Not to mention most black
students come from a background of poverty which contributes to why they do not believe that
Throughout my research a similar issue kept occurring within a lot of my sources. Black
population,juvenile population and jail population. I have found that even if the same crime is
committed between and white and black person a black person has a higher percentage not
only go to jail but to receive a higher sentence than a white person who has committed the
same crime. All authors within my source share a similar theme of their articles. The
disproportionate way that black people are treated in comparison when it comes to the criminal
justice` system. Often black people specifically black men are accused of that they did not
commit or they are receiving sentences that surpass the average amount of years that is
generally given to white people when it comes to the justice system and being convicted of a
crime. Sagdrige lewis speaks about the cycle of incarceration of black people coming from the
mental health issues that are faced from people incarcerated people. He speaks about the ideal
and the effects of having someone in jail mentally impacts people around that and can lead to
bad behavior in this case referring to the school to prison pipeline system that funnels black
youth into prison. While scholar speaks more to the side of a history of unproportionate
treatment when it comes to black and white and the bias of white people being treated with less
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consequences than those of black bodies. This shows that scholar is in an agreeance with
Lewis. Lewis argues that the history of jim crow laws have created modern day stereotypes and
assumptions that has lead to mass incarceration. Laws created in that time where racially
stigmatized and have developed into the laws that we have today causing black people to be
A deeper analysis of how the schooling system has affected the lens of black youth and
specifically men would be a good start of a new study. Being that the school system also affects
how other races view black people it would be good to address ways in which none-black
people of color and white people discriminate against black people and play a role in the
conditioning that starts the cycle of incarceration. Not only does the school system explain why
so many youth are being conditioned to go to jail it also explains why so many youth are
dropping out of school and why there is an underlining lens that officers and other officials use
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Conclusion
Ultimately black people are being placed into prison at high rates due to systematic
oppression from history and present white supremacy. Through these sources it is evident that
there is an underlying history that is talked about in Moor’s when mentioning early laws like
literacy test and segregation that were blatantly racist and ment to add to the systematic
oppression of black people which has transformed into redlining, gentrification , the prison
system and other tactics like reasonable suspicion . However as society norms are progressing
these truths are becoming more progressive and noticeable. In the study of Moor’s he talks
about how laws that were created and affected the lives of black people then and still affecting
Being that many of my sources addressed the disproportionate rate of black people being
arrested in comparison to white people, I was surprised not to see more information on how
money and classism plays a big role on the mass incarceration of black men and how the
justice system favors one race over the other. I was astonished on how many articles mentioned
the effects of incarceration after being released with comparison with mental health and how
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those to go hand in hand. These articles provide a general analysis of how the justice system
favors white people and penalize the black while using racist tactics to get more black people in
jail. Which is why black people make up 40% of the prison system yet we are only 13% of the
population. I have come to the conclusion that there must be more research done in how the
justice system itself can be improved to insure equality and to stop mass incarceration. In order
for the government to effectively do there needs to be systematic changes. One starting with the
educational system. If teachers were properly trained on how adequately address educational
struggles and behavioral struggles then students would not feel the need to drop out or to be
defiant in school. All teachers should be properly trained to not have bias when dealing with
students and restorative justice issues. This training would be required by all teachers when
they are studying to receive there teaching degree. Not only will this improve the rate of
graduates and dropouts in the black community. It will require teachers and administrators to be
responsible with their teaching style. This style of reconstructing the learning system will stop
the funnel of black students and black men into the prison system lowering mass incarceration.
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Sources
(Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences for Drug Offenders. By: Crelin, Joy, Salem
Press Encyclopedia, 2017)
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=3b4f322c-2320-4419-8dae-87c77760b54e%40sessi
onmgr101&bdata=#AN=126518370&db=t6o
( Racial Profiling debate. By: Quezzaire, Pilar DiLascio, Tracey M., Points of View,
2013)
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=3b4f322c-2320-4419-8dae-87c77760b54e%40sess
ionmgr101&bdata=#AN=89158296&db=t6o
( Prison Reform. By: Warnes, Kathy, PhD, Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2013)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=fa689f80-df27-4591-8959-23621c504fe2%40sessionmgr4
009&bdata=#db=t6o&AN=89550631 (
( Jim Crow laws. By: Moore, William V., Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2014)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=fa689f80-df27-4591-8959-23621c504fe2%40sessionmgr
4009&bdata=#AN=95342920&db=t6o
(Media bias. By: Aliprandini, Michael Flynn, Simone Isadora, Salem Press
Encyclopedia, 2013)
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=6e8eeb89-e79d-4c62-b468-1aad91e81280%40sessionmg
r103&bdata=#AN=89158246&db=t6o
Research and Reporting: Julie Tate, Jennifer Jenkins and Steven Rich
Design and development by John Muysken
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/police-shootings-2018/?utm_term=.3dbaffb51f75 (
washing post)
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https://www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/school-prison-pipeline/school-prison-pipeline-infographic (
school to prison pipline)
https://scholars.org/brief/measuring-social-impact-mass-imprisonment-americas-black-and-white-
families-and-communities
https://jjie.org/2017/10/25/social-media-the-new-school-to-prison-pipeline-for-black-youth/
https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/politics/blacks-wrongful-convictions-study/index.html
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