The Criminal Justice System Is Viewed As A Black Problem

The current crime and incarceration trends have declined since early 1990s, which in part is due to the current reforms that takes place within the criminal justice system, such as early release dates for drug charges and non-violent crimes (Mauer, 2011). The incarceration rates in the United States are â€Å"three to four times that of other industrialized nations,† and the punishment scale is viewed as â€Å"out of proportion to that of other industrialized nation† (Mauer, 2011). Mauer (2011) reported â€Å"in many respects the driving force of mass incarceration is the racial dynamic of criminal justice policy.† He points out that due to extreme incarceration rates among the African American community, the criminal justice system is viewed as a â€Å"black problem† (Mauer, 2011). At a national level, 80 percent of the populations incarcerated were of African American decent, which provides evidence that laws can be discriminatory (Mauer, 2011). The current crime and incarceration trend makes sense to me somewhat, and it also makes me uneasy. In my opinion, it makes no sense to keep individuals with drug related charges incarcerated for 24 years, which was the sentence Kemba Smith initially received (Mauer, 2011). I agree with the early release of drug and non-violent offenders, if they have been rehabilitated through education. I believe some crimes are committed based on the social learning theory. If someone has been taught to make a quick hustle versus gaining employment thatShow MoreRelatedRacial Discrimination And The Criminal Justice System1512 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough saying the criminal justice system is racist is a controversial statement, there is evidence and statistics that prove it to be true. Research and evidence validate the issue of racism to be undeniable. Equality and justice are out of reach with the racism that takes place in our criminal justice system and our country. Racial discrimination i s prevalent amongst the African American culture in issues regarding drug use, and incarceration which creates unfair inequality for this race. I willRead MoreRace and Crime1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe Uniform Crime Report statistics state that blacks are more frequently arrested than whites. While this may mean that blacks actually commit more crime, what are some other factors that may be driving the statistics? If black neighborhoods are under more police surveillance than white neighborhoods, what does this mean for crime statistics? Can you give examples of how blacks receive differential treatment in the criminal justice system? What are your thoughts? Remember to back your commentsRead MoreThe Effects Of Race On America Today1429 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversies surrounding the United states Justice System have been making the news headlines. What Americas are seeing is institutional inequalities that are creating racial conflict. Institutional inequalities have lead to racial oppression do to the power structure in the United States. Critical Race Theory provides an explanation showing that race is imbedded in American society today; can the theory explain why racial inequalities between the United States Justice System and citizens of different colorsRead MoreBlack And Minority Ethnic Offenders1373 Words   |  6 PagesClinks and The Black Training and Enterprise Group to discuss how the changing landscape of the Criminal Justice System could improve the outcomes for Black, And Minority Ethnic offenders (BAME). Following the meeting Baroness Young met the Secretary of State for Justice to seek his sup port to establish a task group. The Justice Secretary requested that the review included Muslim Offenders. The investigation and subsequent Young Review led by Baroness Lola Young, examined why young black and MuslimRead MoreThere Are No Children Here By Kotlowitz Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesThere Are No Children Here, Kotlowitz describes the experiences of Pharoah and Lafayette to highlight the racist and classist undertones existing within the criminal justice system of Chicago in the late 1980s. This essay will utilize the theory of critical criminology to illustrate the structures of inequality within the criminal justice system and the subsequent marginalization of youth that exists within the Henry Horner community, leading to youth deviance and violent crime. Beginning with a briefRead MoreRacial Profiling in Canada1166 Words   |  5 PagesRacial profiling is the act of selecting targets for criminal investigation not on behavioural merit, but exclusively on markers of personal identity such as race, ethnicity, and religious orientation (Perry, 2011, p.9). In other words, rac ial profiling is the by-product of subjecting individuals who are from a particular racial community to a higher degree of scrutiny and surveillance by criminal justice system agents when compared to other racial communities (Wortley and Owusu-Bempah, 2011, p.135)Read MoreHow unfair the justice system is in regards to race and the results of it.1743 Words   |  7 Pageshave higher arrest and conviction rates, face higher bail amounts, and are more often the victims of police use of deadly force than white citizens. When it comes to criminals, many people have a preconception of what a criminal is. Usually when people think of a criminal they picture a Black or Latino face. The thought of an Asian criminal is often related to Asian gangs. Interestingly enough, White people as a group are rarely associated with the thought of crime, even though they account for 70% ofRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Justice System1090 Words   |  5 Pagesor last person of the black minority to b e cheated by the justice system. Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans(Alexander). The justice system in America was set up to protect citizens while upholding social control and deterring crime. But the poor guidance within the system has caused racial disparities to persist at every level of the U.S. criminal justice system. All across the countryRead MoreEssay about The Criminal Justice System in USA1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe Criminal Justice System in the United States of America was established with noble intentions. The basis of the system can be traced back from the first book of the Bible Genesis, and the story of Cain and Able. The criminal justice system was established to be morally suitable for a growing diverse society. Moral dilemmas within the system arise from concerns related to principles of officials’ right and wrong behavior. These princ iples are often embedded into a culture of the human characterRead MoreRacial Disparity in Sentencing1728 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity of Phoenix Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice CJA/423 Ron McGee September 06, 2010 Abstract In this paper I will illustrate racial disparity in sentencing in the criminal justice system. The causes of racial disparity and the reasons it is on the rise, the research statistics, and the proposed solutions are discussed. Racial Disparity in Sentencing The intersection of racial dynamics with the criminal justice system is one of longstanding duration. In earlier times

World Peace Free Essays

21st the world is encouraged to recognize that day as a day of peace. I think it is quite easy for people to look at places around the world where there is clearly hostility going on, whether it be the Middle East, Africa, or inner cities in the United States, and think why can’t there simply be peace. To me peace is not about looking at places of hostility around the world and saying there must be peace there. We will write a custom essay sample on World Peace or any similar topic only for you Order Now Real peace around the world begins within you. Check inside and honestly answer the questions â€Å"Am I at peace within myself? â€Å"How do I express and encourage peace in my interactions with others? † Many people if they are honest are not at peace within themselves. They have allowed what is going on their physical world to disturb their peace. With their peace disturbed, they have either consciously or unconsciously disturbed the peace of those around them. I believe we must master peace within ourselves before we can hope to have authentic peace with anyone else. That is not to say that the two cannot be pursued simultaneously. There are wonderful organizations such as The Center For Non-Violent Communication, that can assist you in both recognizing the needs both within yourself and others so that you can have peaceful win/win conversations even in difficult circumstances. You can also make a conscious choice to release the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are responsible for disturbing your peace, and reprogram your subconscious mind to create peace in your life. In honor of International Peace Day 2009, I have created ten affirmations for personal peace within you, and ten affirmations for peace around the world. In a country, Peace is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility. Peace isn’t the absence of violence but rather the presence of justice. In a society, peace happens when different desires are in one agreement. Peace is based on many things, culture, education, family values, experience, history (to name a few) but the basis is the same—-to co-exist without war, killing, overpowering a fellow being. According to me, Peace is the feeling that all’s right with the world. When everyone around me in my family, my friend circle and my neighbourhood is happy, eager to love, accept and relate†¦ I feel at peace. Also, to me it means following what my heart says and sharing mutual trust and respect for people around me. However, in today’s world, peace and harmony face various threats. Terrorism, regional imbalance, economic disparity, and social inequality are some of the factors which threaten peace today. We all are so engrossed in our busy lifestyles and yet want our lives to be peaceful. We expect that peace to be omnipresent but what we need to realize is the fact that if we want peace- we have to live peacefully, love everyone, forgive, forget, etc. . It’s not enough to stand around asking if world peace will ever happen because that won’t do anything. Actions speak louder than any words. If everyone starts living the peaceful, loving way, things will change. But someone has to start and lead by example. Mahatma Gandhi once said â€Å"You must be the change you wish to see in the world. We can’t rely on anyone else to do this. We have to do these ourselves. Acceptance, compassion, and tolerance are the foundation of peace. Mahatma Gandhi showed that peace ends suffering and oppression, not by warring against an enemy but by bearing witness to wrongs and allowing sympathy and common humanity to do their patient work. Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa lived different aspects of peace, which was proven to be a viable way to achieve great things. A Human Approach to World Peace When we rise in the morning and listen to the radio or read the newspaper, we are confronted with the same sad news: violence, crime, wars, and disasters. I cannot recall a single day without a report of something terrible happening somewhere. Even in these modern times it is clear that one’s precious life is not safe. No former generation has had to experience so much bad news as we face today; this constant awareness of fear and tension should make any sensitive and compassionate person question seriously the progress of our modern world. World peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or peoples. World peace is a Utopian idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. Although the term is sometimes used to refer to a cessation of all hostility among all individuals, world peace more commonly refers to a permanent end to global and regional wars with future conflicts resolved through nonviolent means. How to cite World Peace, Essay examples

Azerbaijan free essay sample

The country was among the birthplaces of mankind and is located at the heart of ancient civilizations. Furthermore the country is known to be among the most progressive and secular Islamic societies. Aside from having been the first Muslim country to have operas, theater plays, and a democratic republic, Azerbaijan today is among the Muslim countries where support for secularism and tolerance is the highest. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. The Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion but the majority of people adhere to the Shia branch of Islam, although Muslim identity tends to be based more on culture and ethnicity rather than religion and Azerbaijan remains as one of the most liberal majority-Muslim nations. The pre-Turkic Azerbaijani population spoke an Iranian language called the Old Azeri language, which was gradually replaced by a Turkic language, now known as the Azerbaijani language from the 11th century onward until it became completely extinct in the 16th century. To distinguish it from the Turkic Azerbaijani or Azeri language, this Iranian language, is designated as the Azeri language (or Old Azeri language), because the Turkic language and people are also designated as Azeri in the Persian language. Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38Â ° and 42Â ° N, and longitudes 44Â ° and 51Â ° E. The total length of Azerbaijans land borders is 2,648 km (1,645 mi), of which 1007 kilometers are with Armenia, 756 kilometers with Iran, 480 kilometers with Georgia, 390 kilometers with Russia and 15 kilometers with Turkey. The coastline stretches for 800 km (497 mi), and the length of the widest area of the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea is 456 km (283 mi). The territory of Azerbaijan extends 400 km (249 mi) from north to south, and 500 km (311 mi) from west to east. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the countrys center. There are also three mountain ranges, the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains, together covering approximately 40 percent of the country. The main water sources are the surface waters. However, only 24 of the 8,350 rivers are greater than 100 km (62 mi) in length. All the rivers drain into the Caspian Sea in the east of the country. Since the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Azerbaijani government has taken drastic measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan. But national protection of the environment started to truly improve after 2001 when the state budget increased due to new revenues provided by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Within four years protected areas doubled and now make up eight percent of the countrys territory. Since 2001 the government has set up seven large reserves and almost doubled the sector of the budget earmarked for environmental protection. Azerbaijans diverse landscape affects the ways air masses enter the country. The Greater Caucasus protects the country from direct influences of cold air masses coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile, plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates. Rivers and lakes form the principal part of the water systems of Azerbaijan; they were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This is particularly evidenced by fragments of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The countrys water systems are continually changing under the influence of natural forces and human introduced industrial activities. Artificial rivers (canals) and ponds are a part of Azerbaijans water systems. From the water supply point, Azerbaijan is below the average in the world with approximately 100,000 m? year of water per km?. The first reports on the richness and diversity of animal life in Azerbaijan can be found in travel notes of Eastern travelers. Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks and stones survived up to the present times. The first information on the animal kingdom of Azerbaijan was collected during the visits of naturalists to Azerbaijan in 17th century. Unlike fauna, the conce pt of animal kingdom covers not only the types of animals, but also the number of individual species. There are 106 species of mammals, 97 species of fish, 363 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians and 52 species of reptiles which have been recorded and classified in Azerbaijan. The national animal of Azerbaijan is the Karabakh horse, a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse endemic to Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horse has a reputation for its good temper, speed, elegance and intelligence. It is one of the oldest breeds, with ancestry dating to the ancient world. Azerbaijans vegetation consists of more than 4,500 species of higher plants. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the vegetation is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other republics of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is divided into 10 economic regions; 66 rayons and 77 cities of which 11 are under the direct authority of the republic. Also, Azerbaijan includes the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. The President of Azerbaijan appoints the governors of these units, while the government of Nakhchivan is elected and approved by the parliament of Nakhchivan Self-ruling Republic. Tourism is an important part of the economy of Azerbaijan. The countrys large abundance of natural and cultural attractions make it an attractive destination of visitors. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s; yet, the Nagorno-Karabakh War during the 1990s crippled the tourist industry and damaged the image of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination. It was not until 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays. In the recent years, Azerbaijan has also becoming a popular destination for religious, spa, and health care tourism. Around 95 percent of the populations are Muslims. 85% of the Muslims are Shia Muslims and 15% Sunni Muslims, and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the Second highest Shia population percentage after Iran. There are some other faiths practiced among the different ethnic groups within the country. By article 48 of its Constitution, Azerbaijan is a secular state and ensures religious freedom. Of the nations religious minorities, Christians are mostly Russian and Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic (almost all Armenians live in the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh). The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences. Today, Western influences, including globalized consumer culture, are strong. National traditions are well preserved in the country. Some of the main elements of the Azerbaijani culture are: music, literature, folk dances and art, cuisine, architecture, cinematography and Novruz Bayram. The latter is the traditional celebration of the ancient New Year. Novruz is a family holiday. The traditional cuisine is famous for richness of vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Fresh herbs, including mint, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leeks, chives, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress, are very popular and often accompany main dishes on the table. Climatic diversity and fertility of the land are reflected in the national dishes, which are based on fish from the Caspian Sea, local meat (mainly mutton and beef), and an abundance of seasonal vegetables and greens. Saffron-rice ploy is the flagship food in Azerbaijan and black tea is the national beverage. Azerbaijan–Turkey relations have always been strong with the two often being described as one nation with two states by the ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibey due to a common culture and history, and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity and realize its economic potential arising from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea. The countries share a short border, with the Aras River separating Turkey from the Nakhchivan exclave for just a few kilometers. Today, the relationship with Azerbaijan represents the most important bilateral partnership in current Turkish foreign policy while Azerbaijani foreign policy affirms its relationship with Turkey as one of its most enduring bilateral relationships, as evidenced in aligned political affairs, mutual cooperation in the areas of trade, commerce, finance, technology, academics, as well as the arts and sciences; the sharing of government and military intelligence, and joint combat operations and peace keeping missions carried out between Azerbaijani Armed Forces and Turkish Armed Forces.