The issue I will be discussing about is racial disparities in the criminal justice system. I chose this specific issue because growing up in a low-income minority neighborhood I was exposed to the mentality that police officers were the enemy and that we were a main target of the criminal justice system. I was confused because I couldn't understand how a system who was suppose to provide peace and justice was creating fear among innocent citizens. So as I continued my education I started to become more aware of the large race discrepancies and disparities of inmates in the prison system, police arrests, and court sentences. These discrepancies and disparities are creating false images and portrayals of all black and brown people and their communities. These disparities are also contributing to the cycle of poverty by imprisoning black and brown people in low-income communities which makes it more difficult to find employment. I wish to continue studying this topic and helping reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system by majoring in sociology and criminal justice and hopefully one day working within the system to not only correct the flaws of the American criminal justice system, but also other criminal justice systems who find themselves with similar flaws that are targeting minorities.
Thesis:
Racial disparities in the criminal justice system are increasing and is contributing to the cycle of poverty in low-income and minority communities.