Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System Racial conflict is defined as societal controversies related to variances in ethnic, cultural, or national affiliation. Specifically, racial conflict is the result of one dominant cultures control of differing cultures through economics, politics, social policy, and law. In the U.S. juvenile and criminal justice systems, the term racial conflict can be used to refer to discriminatory practices by those who work in the juvenile and criminal justice systems against minority persons (Akers Sellers, 2004). Recent literature expanding the racial conflict concern to include U.S. policy, murder as the result of identity internalizations, and merchant-consumer relationships is not discussed here (Walker et al., 2004). Instead, this paper examines the literature depicting racial conflict as a systemic and controversial topic in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Body Historical accounts of violent racial conflict have existed since before the 1800s and up to the present day. Likewise, the relationship between racial conflict, crime, and minority processing has been examined (Baldus, Woodworth, 1998). In addition to its explaining why some people commit crime, racial conflict has also been linked to disparate decision-making practices at both the arrest and the punishment stages for ethnic minorities. Specifically, African American males represent the most prevalent minority group at each of these stages. Empirical findings show that disproportionate minority confinement exists partly as the result of police discretion to arrest. Accordingly, minorities, particularly African Americans, find themselves at a disadvantage in the criminal justice system. Recent accounts of racial conflict in the criminal justice system came to the fore during the 1992 riots after a verdict of not guilty was returned for the officers involved in the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles, California. More recently, in 2005, racial conflict was linked to the governments response and policies after Hurricane Katrina in New orleans, Louisiana (Spohn, 2002). Specifically, victims of this natural disaster were outraged at the lack of governmental support and the assignment of the label refugee to American survivors in this largely minority populated area. To some, the use of the term refugee was symbolic of the perception that the survivors were outsiders to begin with. This was seized on by the national media, and the survivors were quickly recast as evacuees. Similar to disparities in the adult justice system, minority disparities in the juvenile justice system exist. Specifically, African American youth, similar to their adult counterparts, are disproportionately represented throughout the system. on one hand, criminologists argue that ethnic and racial minorities commit more crimes than their White counterparts and thereby have greater representation in the system. on the other hand, criminologists and sociologists argue that racial conflict in American society acts interchangeably with the law as a method to control minority power. Thus, as a result, disparities are found in arrest, charge, and confinement of African American youth when compared to White youth who commit the same serious and violent criminal acts. The larger implication here is consistent with the belief that racial conflict is supported and maintained by actors in the juvenile and criminal justice systems (Walker et al., 2004). Racial Conflict and Justice Research on the relationship between racial conflict and crime commission has examined interracial killings, economic and power competition, and disparities within the criminal justice system (Zatz, 2000). Racial conflict has been linked to delinquent behavior by juveniles and has been linked to school violence, juvenile homicide, gangs, theft, and other serious and violent crimes. one of the more engrossing questions facing criminologists and indeed our nation is whether the two justice systems are impartial. Criminologists have studied the relationship between judicial processes and discrimination, and some evidence suggests that ethnic minorities are overrepresented at arrest and, when compared to White offenders, are punished more severely. Similar results were found in examinations of pretrial processes where racial injustices in jury selection and judge bias against minorities were present. Whether or not African Americans and other ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system is not a question here, as official data provide a clear depiction of this disparity (Spohn, 2002). The concern here is, however, focused on why racial disparities continue to exist in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The existence of conflicts between police and racial/ethnic minorities has historically been related to riots that are often the result of racial conflict. Many researchers argue that juvenile and adult processing of ethnic minorities as the result of racial conflict continues and is maintained by the continuous cycle of analyses, recommendations, and inaction that have resulted in ineffective identification and reduction of racial disparities. Contrary to this argument, other researchers point out that racial disparities exist largely as the result of serious and violent offending patterns of ethnic minorities. Conclusion The literature is filled with options for reducing racial conflict in the criminal justice system. The argument is made that to effectively address racial conflict, research should be conducted at each stage of processing so as to increase the level of accountability of officials and agencies within jurisdictions where racial disparities continue to exist. others stipulate that researchers must identify the problem, change and create policies that effectively address the real concerns, and implement and fund programs dependent upon evaluative measures. At the theoretical level, many criminologists recognize that extensive changes within both the juvenile and the criminal justice systems are needed to address prejudices in the system that exist as the result of policies and practices. Hence, the argument of racial conflict and discrimination in the criminal justice system remains unresolved. Conflict theorists believe racial conflict is the reason for minority differences in criminal and even juvenile justice processing. Even so, differing arguments are presented stipulating that the empirical nature of racism is not measurable and thus is questionable. While there are two dominant opinions, it remains evident that many researchers hold the view that racial disparities as the result of racial conflict continue to exist and should be addressed in juvenile and criminal justice processing.

Tragedy In Genesis Essay -- Genesis Tragedies Tragedy Essays

Tragedy In Genesis People tend to view tragedy in cataclysmic and catastrophic terms. Every night on the news we hear murders, assassinations and bombings referred to as Atragedies.@ Tragedy need not be an event which affects the community at large. Rather, any event which teaches an important lesson to a specific person or a group of people can be viewed as a type of tragedy. While the Greek tragedies focused upon the catastrophic nature of tragedy, The Biblical Book of Genesis provides the reader with another tragic paradigm. Genesis describes tragic events which are neither catastrophic nor transforming. In fact, according to the Genesetic paradigm, tragedy need not end in death. Before entering into a detailed discussion of Genesis, we must attempt to define the term tragedy itself. Walter Kaufmann defines tragedy in an almost scientific kind of way. To him, every tragedy must fit into exactly the same mold in precisely the same fashion. He writes: tragedy is (1) a form of a literature that (2) presents a symbolic action as performed by actors and (3) moves into the center immense human suffering (4) in such a way that it brings to our minds our own forgotten and repressed sorrows as well as those of our kin and humanity (5) releasing us with some sense (a) that suffering is universal- not a mere accident in our experience, (b) that courage and endurance in suffering or nobility in despair are admirable- not ridiculous- and usually also ( c) that fates worse than our own can be experienced as exhilarating Kaufmann=s definition precludes seeing the notion of tragedy through a wider lens. His definition is all encompassing and requires many factors in order to be considered a tragedy. To him, very few writings are true tragedies. A tragedy must end in death (Aimmense human suffering@) for it to be included within the canon of tragedy. Seemingly, tragedy could not occur within the mundane as Kaufmann emphasizes that it must be a form of literature and performed by actors. Without suffering, a work of literature cannot be considered tragedy. Kaufmann=s definition was shaped by the works of Sophocles and Euripides. Although there were three primary tragedy writers in antiquity, Kaufmann does not seem to be able to cope with alternative modes of tragedy as expressed by Aeschylus. Instead of accepting the concept of dual definitions or para... ...c thing that could have happened to Jacob. Jacob responds to the news by Atearing his clothing, placing a sack across his loins and mourning for his son many days. All of the siblings attempted to comfort their father, but he would not be comforted. He said: I will go to my grave a mourner.@ It would seem that catastrophic tragedy has befallen the house of Jacob. However, the Aaudience@ is aware of certain factors which are not apparent to Jacob. Jacob really believes that his son is dead. At the same time that Jacob feels immense loss, Joseph is blessed with wealth and power in Egypt. As in all other Genesetic plays, positive experiences stem out of negative actions. The brothers had intended Joseph to be sold into slavery and he rises to become the Viceroy of the land. In fact, the Bible states that: AGod was with Joseph and he became a successful person in the house of the Egyptian.@ Act three opens with the meeting of Joseph and his brothers. They are accused of smuggling goods out of the country and are brought in front of the Viceroy. Since several years had passed and Joseph had matured, they did not recognize him. He asked them if they had any other brothers at home.

No Child Left Behind and English Language Learners

No Child Left Behind ( NCLB ) was intended to be instruction ‘s reply to â€Å" divide but equal. † Between 1979 and 2007, the figure of school age kids who spoke a linguistic communication other than English at place increased from 3.8 to 10.8 million ( NCES, 2009 ) . This represents an addition from 9 per centum to 20 per centum for this clip period. Spanish is the first linguistic communication of about 12 per centum of all pupils in public schools. More than 400 different linguistic communications are spoken by the 5.5 English Language Learners ( ELL ) in the United States. 49 per centum of Hispanic 4th graders were classified as proficient in basic reading compared to 77 per centum proficient white pupils on the same trial. In math, 69 per centum of Hispanic 4th graders were adept compared to 91 per centum for white pupils ( NCES, 2009 ) . Merely 4 per centum of 8th class ELLs and 20 per centum of pupils classified as â€Å" once ELL † scored at the proficient or advanced degrees on the reading part of the 2005 National Assessment for Educational Progress ( NCES, 2009 ) . ELLs have some of the highest drop-out rates. They besides are more disposed to be placed in lesser accomplishment groups. Since NCLB was implemented in 2001, there appears to be an addition in the figure of high school ELLs non having a sheepskin because they failed high-stakes trials even though satisfactorily finishing all other graduation demands. The United States is going more and more diverse both ethnically and linguistically. The per centum of ELLs in schools is on the rise more fleetly than the existent Numberss. While the figure of pupils with restricted ability in English has grown exponentially across the United States, their degree of academic accomplishment has lagged radically behind their linguistic communication bulk equals. ELLs academic public presentation degrees are significantly below those of their equals in about every step of accomplishment. In the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, merely 29 per centum of ELLs scored at or above the basic degree in reading, compared to 75 per centum of non-ELLs ( NCES, 2009 ) . The Good The NCLB Act has drawn a good trade of coveted consciousness to the achievement spread of ELL pupils. Under NCLB, the academic advancement of every kid, including those larning English, will be assessed in reading, math and finally scientific discipline and societal surveies. This will supply parents and instructors with information as to how good the pupils are executing and provinces will be held accountable for consequences ( NCLB, 2001 ) . The jurisprudence has generated some benefits for ELLs by pulling attending to these pupils, and doing their public presentation count. NCLB requires that pupils are to be tracked as a subgroup and instructors and decision makers are more concerned about what is working and what is non working. They besides are more aware of looking for what could work with ELLS. Most provinces now have criterions for kids larning English as a 2nd linguistic communication. Annual appraisals based on those criterions and marks are to guarantee more pupils are come oning and making English linguistic communication proficiency over clip ( NCLB, 2001 ) . NCLB requires that all kids, including ELLs range high criterions in English linguistic communication humanistic disciplines and mathematics. In add-on, Title III of NCLB requires ELLs to make proficiency in English in several countries including reading, composing, hearing, and speech production and that their advancement be assessed yearly ( Abedi, 2004 ) . Schools and territories must assist ELLs, among other subgroups ; do changeless betterment toward this aim as measured by public presentation on province trials, or hazard austere effects. States and territories must guarantee that there are extremely qualified instructors in all schoolrooms, including those with ELLs. NCLB does non order a peculiar method of direction for larning English and other academic topics. Districts and schools have the privilege to take the methods of direction that best meets the demands of pupils, including methods of teaching in another linguistic communication or in English ( NCLB, 2001 ) . The jurisprudence is flawed but it does concentrate on English linguistic communication scholars and makes their achievement count. The Bad Ells are the fastest turning population in our public schools and many of them are really born in the United States, the kids of immigrants ( NCES, 2009 ) . The challenges for ELLs are hard. This population continues to swell quickly in volume, with mostly surging concentrations in a little figure of provinces. Accurate ELL designation remains a challenge. As presently implemented, ELLS are to be assessed under the same conditions in testable topics as adept English talkers. Many provinces and school territories are non tracking high school graduation rates for ELLs ; the fastest turning population of pupils ( Zehr, 2009 ) . NCLB was supposed to rectify this. Merely eleven provinces met their answerability ends for ELLs under NCLB in the 2007-2008 school twelvemonth ( Zehr, 2009 ) . NCLB intended to do teacher quality betterment by holding instructors attain â€Å" extremely qualified † position. But â€Å" extremely qualified † does non intend the instructor of ELLs is extremely qualified to learn ELLs ( Harper & A ; de Jong, 2009 ) . High bets proving is coercing direction to alter from enquiry, lifelong larning to learning to the trial by utilizing a method called â€Å" drill and putting to death † . Teaching to the trial is extinguishing the chance for instructors to learn pupils higher order believing accomplishments ( Ravitch, 2010 ) . This reduces clip that instructors are able to learn creativeness, self guided enquiry, and motivational subjects for all pupils. Ells are being taught trial taking schemes alternatively of content related aims. The usage of trial homework worksheets and â€Å" bore and kill † exercisings does non turn to the demand for direction in academic English. To do equal annual advancement ( AYP ) , each territory and school is required to demo that every subgroup has met the province proficiency end in reading and math. Accurately measuring these pupils in English, which is compulsory by jurisprudence, is really demanding, dearly-won, and clip consuming. The cogency of AYP is in hazard when schools inconsistently label English proficient pupils ( Abedi, 2004 ) . NCLB gives provinces authorization to categorise ELLs. Different provinces and even school territories within a province usage different ELL categorization standards. Besides, the ELL subgroup stableness remains inconsistent when ELL pupils reach proficiency degree and are moved out of this group. This straight affects the truth of AYP coverage ( Adebi, 2004 ) . States with high ELL pupil populations in their school territories face greater challenges when learning ELLs and doing AYP as compared to provinces with sparse ELL pupil populations ( Abedi, 2004 ) . ELLs need clip and readying to larn academic English. Unfortunately, in many ways, NCLB is increasing the accomplishment spread by puting greater demands on instructors to supply trial tonss that will lend to the school doing AYP. Possibly, the most toxic defect in NCLB is its legislative bid that all pupils in every school must be adept in reading and mathematics by 2014, including pupils with particular demands, pupils whose native linguistic communication is non English, pupils who are stateless and missing in social advantage, and pupils who have every social advantage but are non interested in school assignment ( Ravitch, 2010 ) . If they are non, so their schools and instructors will endure the effects. What Can Be Done? Teachers must concentrate on learning reading. Abedi ( 2004 ) states that ELL pupils who are better readers perform better. Reading is the key to all academic topics and without adept reading accomplishments, all pupils, including ELLs will make ill on all trials ( Abedi, 2004 ) . Teachers should be learning and non worrying about ways to do certain that they make the tonss needed in order to maintain instruction. Focus on ELLs public presentation, both for persons and groups to place forms of betterment or deficiency of betterment, ideally utilizing multiple steps ( Adebi, 2004 ) . The ELL subgroups must stay stable over clip. When a pupil ‘s degree of English proficiency has improved to a degree considered proficient, that pupil is moved out and non counted in that subgroup ( Abedi, 2004 ) . Testing must be just for all pupils particularly ELLs. Academic accomplishment trials are constructed for native English talkers. Modifying linguistic communication on trial inquiries to decrease the degree of gratuitous lingual and cultural prejudice could increase public presentation of ELLs ( Abedi, 2004 ) . Lack of academic English accomplishments topographic point ELLs at a greater disadvantage for understanding what is being assessed. Testing should be fair for all pupils. NCLB has placed undue trial public presentation force per unit area on schools with big Numberss of ELL pupils. This is particularly unrealistic when schools may still fight with the same limited school resources as earlier. We must hold a clear vision of what is considered a good instruction ( Ravitch, 2010 ) . Goals should be meaningful and come-at-able and non based on a apparently unapproachable ideal. As a state of immigrants, it is perfectly indispensable that we meet the demands of those pupils larning English as a 2nd linguistic communication. It has long been a challenge within the schoolroom to at the same time learn English alongside the other mandated topics such as mathematics, composing, scientific discipline, and societal surveies. Along with this, best pattern learning modes must be identified and used and instructors must be given appropriate preparation to implement these best patterns. Along with this, support must be provided to adequately implement these learning best patterns. Teachers must hold preparation in order to transport out these aims. Last, lawgivers must look at NCLB and find its achievability. Is the authorization for each pupil to be adept in English linguistic communication humanistic disciplines and mathematics by the twelvemonth 2014 idealistic or realistic?

President Donald Trump’s Border Wall Great or Waste - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 726 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/05 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Donald Trump Essay Did you like this example? Although many were shocked when current President Donald Trump announced his initial running for presidency, and the nation was astonished by his winning of the race, what took more people by surprise was his first plan of action: building a wall between the U.S. and Mexican border. This oath has turned into the main argument between Trump and democratic leaders. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "President Donald Trump’s Border Wall: Great or Waste?" essay for you Create order More recently, this has become a much bigger problem. Trump has even decided he will follow through with a government shut-down if congress does not provide funding for this project. Trump has estimated the total cost of this wall to be around 10 million to 12 million dollars, but it has been projected to be close to 5 billion. This has caused a lot of controversy because many people believe that money could be put to â€Å"better use.† A good example of better use is that 5 billion dollars can provide Medicaid to 1.4 million people. This is especially frustrating to the people who are against the building wall due to the fact that there are many different projects of higher importance, such as the Medicaid, that would be more beneficial. President Trump has a history of being publicly derogatory towards Hispanics and putting the race in a box of all being illegal immigrants, hence his initial reasoning for the wall being built. His main social platform for this is Twitter, where he tweets condescending statements about other politicians and world leaders. In an interview, Donald Trump said â€Å"When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.† This has made many Americans believe Trump to be close minded and immature, presumably with good reasoning. This proposed wall is an example of an ethical issue with two sides, for and against. The basics of this wall consist of the following: 30 feet tall and built of solid concrete. Besides the obvious questions raised of overall effectiveness of the wall, those whom are against it have backed up they’re opinions respectively. The first negative impact, which happens to be the least acknowledged, is the effect it will have on the environment on both sides of the wall. It will destroy extreme amounts of habitats home to species that are endangered, thus the possibility of wiping them out completely. This list of animals includes jaguars, ocelots, and the Mexican gray wolf. Wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin has told NBC news in an interview that many different types of species depend on the areas surrounding the border for survival. Whether they cross the border for obtaining natural resources, for migration, or even because they reside where the wall would be located, building it would be a travesty for many different species. It goes as far as being proven that there are hundreds of different species that would not be able to fly over or find a way to get past the wall, therefore leaving them stranded on one side without viable resources they need for survival. The next negative impact is how it will, and already has, affect the economy as a whole. A great example of how it is affecting the economy is what has happened in San Diego since the wall was first announced and changes were made to distributions across the border. In 2015, a report came out stating that 6 billion dollars was brought into San Diego every year in commerce from across the border. Once the policies changed stating that was no longer prohibited, the city lost that income. Later after more restrictions were applied, it is estimated that 7.2 billion dollars were lost and 62,000 jobs were eliminated, leaving many citizens unemployed with no source of income. It is not only San Diego that has been affected by this economic crisis, either. The Rio Grande river is also located where the wall would cross. This river, which goes through a large chunk of Texas, is home to multiple vacation hot spots, tourist attractions, and hotels that draw in a large number of tourists yearl y thus creating a large source of income. Many local shops with independent owners reside here. The destruction of this area would diminish all of these by taking away a beautiful location to have them.