10 short answers

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Chapter 1

Race, Ethnicity, and Crime:

America’s Continuing Crisis

Learning Objectives (slide 1 of 2)

You will understand the basic goals of the book as a whole.

You will have an understanding of how race and ethnicity are central to understanding crime and criminal justice in America.

You will be able to discuss recent trends in criminal justice, the current crime situation in America, emerging problems, and how all of these factors affect race, ethnicity, and justice.

Learning Objectives (slide 2 of 2)

You will be familiar with the difference between race and ethnicity. You will also understand whether or not these are really scientific categories, and how they are used by the U.S. Census and by criminal justice agencies.

You will understand the quality of commonly used criminal justice data (for example, arrests) and whether they provide an accurate picture of what actually happens in the justice system.

You will be able to discuss the difference between disparities and discrimination with regard to race and ethnicity.

The Present Crisis

Race and ethnicity

Linked to most criminal justice problems

“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.”

W.E.B. DuBois

Race and Criminal Justice Issues (slide 1 OF 3)

2014 Incarceration Rates in state and federal prisons

The incarceration rate for African American males was 6 times the rate for whites (2,724 vs. 465, respectively, per 100,000)

The incarceration rate for Hispanic American males was 2.3 times greater than the rate for whites (1,091 per 100,000)

Demographic changes = Criminal justice system challenges

Race and Criminal Justice Issues (slide 2 OF 3)

Rates of rape and sexual assault against Native American women are higher than for either white or African American women

Response is complicated

African Americans and white Americans are deeply divided about the role of race in American criminal justice

“Blacks are treated less fairly.. In dealing with police…”

84% of African Americans

50% of white Americans

Race and Criminal Justice Issues (slide 3 OF 3)

The Innocence Project has found that, among prisoners exonerated by DNA evidence, nearly 70% are people of color: 61 percent African American; 7 percent non-Hispanic white; and .5 percent Asian

The shooting of unarmed African American men has led to nationwide media attention and national movements

No way to know HOW overrepresented African American victims are as compared to white victims

The unemployment rate for African Americans is twice that of white Americans (11.3% vs. 5.2%)

Race and Perceptions

The crime issue as an expression of fear

Statistically, crime is intra-racial

African Americans report higher rates of victimization than white Americans and Hispanics

White Americans report a higher fear of crime

“Crime” is often coding for fear of social change

In Chicago, neighborhood organizations were formed based on racial changes

Racism in the Criminal Justice System?

Some assert this is a myth

MacDonald – Is the Criminal-Justice System Racist

Others point to systematic racism

Mauer, Director of the Sentencing Project

Cause of racial disparities

Heath MacDonald:

Disproportionate involvement in crime

Marc Mauer:

Disproportionate involvement in crime

Disparities in criminal justice processing

Overlaps of race and class effects

Impact of race neutral policies

The Colors of America (SLIDE 1 OF 2)

2000 Census Data:

82.2% White

12.8% African American

0.9% Native American

4.1% Asian/Pacific Islander

11.8% Hispanic*

(*Self-identified within other 4 categories)

The Colors of America (slide 2 OF 2)

2014 Census Data

62.2% White

13.2% African American

1% Native American

6% Asian/Pacific Islander

17.4% Hispanic*

(*Self-identified within other 4 categories)

Racial & Ethnic Categories (SLIDE 1 OF 3)

Race & ethnicity are controversial topics

Historically: “Major biological divisions of mankind” distinguished by appearance. Three major races: Caucasian, Negroid, Mongoloid

The Bell Curve

HOWEVER: Not biological; uniform logic does not exist

Official forms are inconsistent

Problem classifying those of mixed ancestry

Today: A social construct, based in artificial interpretations; not science

Racial & Ethnic Categories (slide 2 OF 3)

Racial connection to CJ?

Non-uniform categorization leads to notions of group superiority or inferiority

Categorizations (according to OMB) are social-political and not based on anthropology or science

To many scholars, these categories are not logical

Racial & Ethnic Categories (slide 3 OF 3)

Yinger uses a three-part definition of ethnicity:

(1) The group is perceived by others to be different with respect to such factors as language, religion, race, ancestral homeland, and other cultural elements

(2) The group perceives itself to be different with respect to these factors

(3) Members of the group ‘‘participate in shared activities built around their (real or mythical) common origin and culture.’’

Differences based on cultural customs

Food, language, religion

Ethnicity is extremely complex

Hispanics vs. Latinos, Arab-Americans

Race vs Ethnicity

Race

A social construct

Often applied by a politically / cultural dominant group to less powerful group

In American History:

“Drop of Blood”

“Nonwhite”

Ethnicity

Difference in groups based on cultural customs

Group is perceived by others to be different in respect to culture

Group perceives itself to be different in respect to culture

Members participate in shared activities around culture

Racial & Ethnic Categories

Problems with Categories

Multiracial Americans

The uses of these categories

Preferred labels within groups

Diversity within racial and ethnic groups

The politics of racial and ethnic labels

You Decide

Consider the following person

Paternal Grandmother - Native American

Paternal Grandfather – Mexican

Maternal Grandmother and Grandfather - Welsh

American Indian/Alaskan Native
Black/African American
Hispanic/Latino
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Asian
White

Category Check a box

Criminal Justice Data (SLIDE 1 OF 2)

How much more likely are unarmed African American men to be shot by police?

We don’t know

Why?

Sources of criminal justice data:

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

National Crime Victims Survey (NCVS)

Police-Public Contact Survey

National Prisoner Statistics (NPS)

Criminal Justice Data (slide 2 OF 2)

Problems with criminal justice data:

Some is self report; some isn’t

Hispanics sometimes counted as “white”

Native American complexities

Multiple jurisdictions (native and nonnative)

Underreporting to tribal authorities

Underreporting to federal authorities

Data on race/ethnicity varies nationally

Crime and immigration controversy

“With few exceptions, immigrants are less crime prone than natives or have no effect on crime rates”

Problems with immigration enforcement (SLIDE 1 OF 2)

Immigration is federal law

Usually enforced by federal government

Can be enforced by local agencies through complicated process

Being undocumented is not a crime; it is a civil offense

Problems with immigration enforcement (slide 2 OF 2)

Problems with local police enforcement of immigration:

“Invites discrimination” by police

Damages police-community relationships

44% of Hispanics less likely to contact police when they are victims in fear of being asked about immigration status

45% of Hispanics less likely to give police information about other crimes in fear of being asked about immigration status

70% of undocumented immigrants said they were less likely to contact police if they were victims of a crime

28% of U.S. born Hispanics were less likely to contact police if they were the victim of a crime in fear of being asked about immigration status

Strains local police resources

Geographical Information

Uneven racial & ethnic distribution in the U.S.

CJ officials might be poorly trained or have racial or ethnic biases

Federal government administration of CJ

Small role

State government administration of CJ

Large role

City government administration of CJ

Large role

Geography of racial and ethnic justice

Uneven distribution of racial and ethnic groups

California: 28% Hispanic

Iowa: 5%Hispanic

Maine: 1% Hispanic

National: 13% Hispanic

Important for crime and criminal justice

Criminal justice is a state and local responsibility

Large populations of these groups in one area gives them power

Disparity v Discrimination

Disparity

Difference not always about discrimination

Discrimination

Differential treatment not based on behavior or qualifications

Discrimination-Disparity

Continuum

Systematic discrimination

Discrimination within entire CJ system

Institutionalized discrimination

Disparities based on established policies

Contextual discrimination

Discrimination in certain situations

Individual discrimination

Discrimination by specific justice officials

Pure justice

No discrimination

Theoretical Perspectives

Conflict Theory

Asserts law maintains status quo with power base controlled by dominant group

Racial disparities in CJ are directly connected with all societal inequalities

Explains overrepresentation of minorities in CJ system

Cannot always account for individual situations

Conclusion

Race & ethnicity are complex and often misunderstood concepts

CJ data are problematic

Disparities & discrimination persist

Historical, economic, political realities are connected to CJ administration

Key Terms