Criminal Justice Reform

12/12/2022

While the criminal justice system has disparities among race and punishments, they also have disparities among gender. Women are punished differently than men, the justice system has been known to be much more lenient on sentencing women. This article talks about these disparities in gender within the system.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-cout

09/12/2022

A century of harsh and extreme sentencing has left America with the world's highest incarceration rate. Overcrowded prisons, rehabilitation programs unfit to help high influx of prisoners, and repeat offenders are a result of unjust punishments. People are serving life-long sentences for excessive punishments for non-violent crimes. There is even a three-strike law most states have that mandate a lifelong sentence for a third felony conviction despite the nature of the crime. If someone does manage to get clemency or parole, they are usually set up for failure upon release. Bruce Western, a Harvard sociologist, breaks down moral failures within the justice system in his book, Homeward: Life in the Year After Prison.

Western, B. (2018). Homeward: Life in the Year After Prison. Russell Sage Foundation.

07/12/2022

Among fixing unjust punishments, racial disparities, and inequality across the board, there needs to be police accountability. Police are responsible for racial profiling, wrongful deaths, and even false confessions. Specifically, police are known for an interrogation process that leads to wrongful convictions due to false confessions during this specific technique. The Central Park 5 are a perfect example of racial profiling/discrimination and giving fase confessions. Not only were they put under emotional distress with no parental guidance despite their young ages, they were deprived of basic needs as well. Deprived of food, water, and sleep, they were in the perfect circumstances to manipulate into false confessions. This podcast, "James Trainum, Expert In False Confessions and Police Interrogation, Does Killler Cross!" discusses the interrogation techniques police use to get false confessions.

Rockind, N. & Trainum, J. (Hosts). (2021, June 14). James Trainum, Expert In False Confessions and Police Interrogation, Does Killler Cross! (No. 50) [Audio podcast episode]. In Killer Cross Examination. Rockind Law.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/james-trainum-expert-in-false-confessions-and-police/id1514842139?i=1000525473192

05/12/2022

A very specific case of racial disparity that many people don't know about is the case of Julius Jones. He was accused of murder in 1999 and put on death row for 19 years with no evidence of his involvement. Julius had an alibi and he didn't match the description described by a witness yet was still arrested. Not only was Julius called a racial slur by the cop who arrested him and a juror, Oklahoma also removed all black jurors but one during his trial. The DA pursuing this case suggested it was drug related violence perpeted by black men putting Julius at an even more unfair advantage. Julius was set up for failure from the beginning. Even when the actual murderer admitted to several inmates that he did the crime, the state still turned a blind eye up until 2021 when he was granted clemency just to continue serving life w/o parole. There are so many other people suffering life in prison for a crime they didn't commit, something has to change.

https://innocenceproject.org/julius-jones-death-row-oklahoma-what-to-know/

05/12/2022

This analysis discusses the death penalty and what factors increase the possibility of it. The main factors are race and economic inequality. A white man that's rich may commit murder the exact same way as a poor black man, the white man is not getting the death penalty. Unfortunately an injustice in our justice system is racial disparities with no sign of improvements.

Jacobs, D., & Carmichael, J. T. (2002). The Political Sociology of the Death Penalty: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis. American Sociological Review, 67(1), 109–131. https://doi.org/10.2307/3088936

29/11/2022

While Kim Kardashian may be a controversial celebrity, she is making waves in criminal justice reform. In this podcast she talks about her fight for change and justice.
Van, J. & Kardashian, K. (Hosts). (2022, April 6). Kim Kardashian’s Fight for Justice (No. 21) [Audio podcast episode]. In Uncommon Ground with Van Jones. Magic Labs LLC.

‎Show Uncommon Ground with Van Jones, Ep Kim Kardashian’s Fight for Justice - Apr 6, 2022

29/11/2022

"Crime, on the other hand, is a behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions." We have different types of crimes that result in different punishments. Although the justice system should be strict and all around fair in the way they punish people, they are unfortunately not. The criminal justice system needs to focus on reform. Focusing on ending unjust punishments, promoting police accountability, and eliminating racial disparities across the justice system.

7.3 Crime and the Law - Introduction to Sociology 3e | OpenStax