Before break we were given readings entitled; “...and the Poor Get Prison,” by Jeffrey Reiman, “No Equal Justice: The Color of Punishment,” by David Cole and “The Mark of a Criminal Record,” by Devah Pager. These three readings dealt with criminal punishment among different races and classes. What I found most interesting was the lack of support and rallying for the minorities and poor to get out of crime. To me it would seem more logical to help people get back up on their feet after being in prison. As a nation I would think that we would like to help fill our streets and job market with people instead of our jail cells thus leading to become overcrowded.
In the article by David Dole, he states that “There is discrimination within the legal system, and that more minorities are getting arrested and punished for crimes that even whites commit.” He also gives the data that 90% of defendants are black and that 65% of drugs users for crack cocaine are white. It baffles me that we are not doing more to stop the users rather than the sellers. In class Angela mentioned that as soon as the drugs moved out to the suburbs and whites started doing more and more drugs, law enforcement focused their shift on those who were selling the drugs. Shouldn't the punishment be on both the seller and the user? To me it sends out a message that it is alright for people to use drugs but not sell them. I understand that it is easier for law enforcement to find homeless people who are trying to make a living (I do not support the selling of illegal drugs, but to some that is all they have) however those who are not poor are just as guilty and responsible for breaking the law. Yes, it does seem logical to stop the drug before it can be sold, but someone who has money will find better and easily ways to get drugs.
Why does it seem that every time I turn on a T.V. A black person is getting arrested for a crime? Occasionally I will see a white persons face, but more times than none it is a black person. Do Americans have a stereotype that only black people are evil and they cause the world all our pain and suffering? An interesting point that was brought up in class was the case of Bernhard Goetz, who shot four black men in a subway in 1982. Goetz only got fined for illegal gun possession. In class many people wanted to know how and why that was even fair. Some questioned what would have happened if he had been black and the boys he had shot would have been white? Goetz would have been put in jail for life with out question. In the article by Reiman, he said, “The upper and middle class are weeded out to never come within sights of a jail.” “Blacks are more likely to be fined and committed then whites, also blacks have an unlikely hood of early release, probation, reduced sentence as oppose to whites.” What makes whites untouchable? Is it that fact that many whites are in control? If we are not getting caught as much as blacks then surely their should be more crimes committed by whites then blacks. In a way this is happening with the fact the crimes committed by whites are far more clever and more corporate then those committed by the poor. Corporate punishment is less severe and more times than none their punishment is reduced.
So where is all this help for minorities and those who are poor? To me it is no where to be found people are wanting to keep those who are in prison in prison. In the article by Pager he shows that 2/3 of the prisoners return to jail within three years by committing more crimes, due to the lack of income and employment. Pager also shows that many employers are still basing their decision on race alone in regards to whether or not to call back someone for a job. We live in 2010, we should be overlooking the skin color and/or the ethnicity of people and look to see what really matters for jobs and success, the persons references and worth ethic?
Overall, I think we need to change the view of our court system and how much we let people get and not get away with things. If we are going to enforce something then we should do it fairly on every level. We should not be allowed to complain about crime, drugs and the poor any longer, because we are doing nothing to change how our society works. If we want things to change we need to change them, we need to make sure that those who are committing these crimes are being caught and we need to make sure that everyone is given the same opportunity otherwise the rich will continue to get away with everything while the poor are left with nothing but crime and going to jail.
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