Hi everyone my name is Lauren (she, her, hers), and I’ll be providing some context on this week’s topic, systemic injustice, through the lens of the Prison and Justice systems.
The systematic oppression of minorities in America by Police, in the prison systems, and the criminal justice system as a whole is a long standing issue. Infact, according to historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad, America’s first from of organized policing was “slave patrols” in the pre-Civil War south. After emancipation, these organizations still continued police activities that were unique to the recently freed black community, effectively criminalizing the black American. Over time, this evolved into the organized police that we see today, and many of these racist undertones have been perpetuated and spread throughout the entire criminal justice process. According to The Sentencing Project: black citizens are four times as likely to be arrested than white citizens, and it doesn’t stop there. After arrest, they are also more likely to be convicted and more likely to be served a harsher sentence. Conversely, white men are consistently given lesser charges and treated with less aggression than their minority peers. This can be seen in many high profile cases, like that of Brock Turner a white, male student athlete who in 2016 was found guilty of three counts of felony sexual assault. He only served three months in jail before being released. His experience with the American justice system can very easily be attributed to the combination of his race, social status, and socioeconomic status. Those who do not share these attributes with him seldom see such mercy in court. This perpetuation of damaging, unfair treatment of black people and other minorities is a stark example of systemic injustice. These people’s freedoms and rights are being threatened without even the slightest semblance of just cause. Through the lens of the concept of self versus other, it would be clear that in this country, historically, the white man has been the self, and has viewed people of color as their inferior other. This has resulted in many long standing forms of systemic injustice
Sources:
Nellis, Ashley, and Henderson Hill. “The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons.” The Sentencing Project, 10 Jan. 2019, www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/.
Initiative, Prison Policy. “Visualizing the Racial Disparities in Mass Incarceration.” Prison Policy Initiative, www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/07/27/disparities/.
“American Police.” NPR, NPR, 4 June 2020, www.npr.org/2020/06/03/869046127/american-police.
Hi Lauren!
I really appreciate this post because it relates to many issues that are still prevalent in our country today. Something I would like to add is that a lot of this unfair treatment is a result of systemic racism. Systemic racism is ingrained in nearly every way people move through society in the policies and practices at institutions like banks, schools, companies, government agencies, and law enforcement. Disparities among races are prevalent in employment, wealth, education, home ownership, healthcare, incarceration, and more. Minorities are set up for failure by being placed in a lower category affecting their abilities to go through normal life experiences. These prejudiced assumptions are another main factor that lead to the uncomfortable statistics related to African Americans and the social justice system.
Lauren, I’m always astounded as I hear these facts as it’s truly unbelievable that as a country we could’ve allowed this to happen. As much as we want to say we’ve made so much progress since the abolition of slavery, that doesn’t change the fact that we still have so many more actions in order to right this wrong. I think today this is more relevant than ever, and it’s so important to see the systemic injustice that has been ingrained in our countries every day lives. I’m excited to learn of injustices more in depth so that we can speak up to those who don’t see this system and bring a perspective full of knowledge so that those individuals might actually see where their perspective comes up short, and even one-sided.
Hi Lauren! Your post this week is really eye opening. It was shocking to hear that America’s first organized police were “slave patrols”. It is fascinating to hear that slavery can be connected to modern day police. This made me question modern society and how we still allow individuals to be treated unequally. I wonder how we can improve the police and court systems in order to fulfill the promise of equality and objectivity. I wonder how America`s system compares to other countries. Do other countries also have the problem of inequality in their justice systems? If not, how did they solve it. It is devastating to hear how people can be treated differently based on something they have no control over.
Hi Lauren, I learned things from this post that I never knew were true but sadly make perfect sense in America. I always thought police formed from a neighborhood crime watch, but the actions of the police and the criminal justice system today align much more with the discriminatory slave patrols. We’ve come a long way since the Civil War era, but there is still so much more work to be done to end systemic racism. Every time I hear about an unfair court case I am shocked and appalled that America still lets race to play a factor in the legal process. You’re right when you say that historically in America that everyone who wasn’t white was the “other”, but I believe that our generation has the ability to make America a collective “One”.
Hi Lauren-
I think you did a great job of displaying the systematic injustices we have in the United States. I am glad our class is discussing this topic during the times we are currently facing in our country. I think that it is interesting that you pointed out the statistic dealing with charges and convictions between white and black citizens. Do you think that these charges depend on the strength of crime that a person commits? Do you think a white and black citizen would get the same parking ticket violation fee? Do you thinking a white and black citizen would get the same charge for murder conviction? I would love to hear others thoughts and what comes into play when officials determine crime sentences.
Hi Lilly, these are great questions for your own further personal research or even a writing project later in the class. There’s a lot of work and information available on racism in the justice system (as well as sexism and different forms of Othering). Hold on to these questions as points of reflection to help you work through the events happening in contemporary society.
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your context supplement. After reading your passage, I learned more information about systematic injustice. I know that systematic suppression was a long-standing problem in America. Actually, I often heard of some news reports that there are many inequality events that happened in America, like in police and politics. Taking a recently hot topic as an example, a white policeman used violence enforcement to kill one black person in Minneapolis and raise a mass of protest around America. Although there are many people who made the effort for fighting the black people’s rights. The systematic injustice seems rooted in America. There is still much injustice spread all over the corner of America, which represents that efending systematic injustice still has a long way to go.
Hi Lauren, you made a great and accurate connection with the current status of the Self vs Other in our modern times. While things have gotten better, we are still a long, long way from where we need to be in our society for everyone to be true equals. Our justice system has failed time and time again and needs to be flipped on it’s head and completely revamped. There was a similar occurrence here at Ohio State where a r*pe (the website won’t let me post this comment with that word) victim whom I am close to did not receive justice after being told the case was going to be a “slam dunk”. The offender was a white male and his mother is a well known lawyer who was able to get him off with a minor charge that does not relate in any way to a sex crime.
Hi Lauren, I really liked how organized your post for this week! I particularly liked that you brought up the Brock Turner case; it is such an outrageous and devastating example that I feel it is the best way to portray how bad the issue really is. Another big example of how black Americans are criminalized by police more often than white Americans is the recent case of Kyle Rittenhouse in comparison to the Tamir Rice murder. Tamir Rice was a twelve-year-old black boy that was shot by a Cleveland police officer for carrying a toy gun. Alternatively, Kyle Rittenhouse is a seventeen-year-old white male that murdered two innocent people during a protest with an automatic rifle. Rittenhouse, however, was able to continue walking through the streets toting an automatic weapon without the police feeling even an ounce of fear. Situations like these can sound hard to believe, but sadly that is the truth of the American police force- possibly even American society as a whole.
Hi Lauren, First of all I just wanted to say thank you. Today in the world there are racial injustices with the police almost every week it seems. I also never knew about the racist origins of police as slave patrol, and now I know about the history of the police. I also really like how you brought up the point about systemic racism with arrest and jail time. I also enjoyed how you used the example of Brock Turner to show just how much race and social status play a factor in the correctional system of America.
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for writing such a well thought out context presentation and one that really got down to the facts and history. This is often a harder topic to talk about because of stigma behind the subject. You took on this week like a pro, and so I am very thankful to have read your post. These numbers in your post are very alarming, and I am sad to say that this is not the first time I have heard numbers like these. Sadly, I’m sure many people in the criminal justice system know these numbers too, yet they do nothing about them. Thinking about current events, the educator/professor strike around the BLM movement has struct interests in me with watching many of this lectures on youtube. It would be very informative if a sociology professor would comment on these issues in a video about the system along with different socioeconomic factors that play into it. In, the end however, this is the cold truth with the U.S.’s criminal justice system and changes need to be made. POC need not be the “Other” anymore, we should be one.
Hey Lauren,
I really appreciate your presentation you did! It was very informational and the way it was written was well done, it flows amazingly and is very similar to today’s policing society and how blacks and whites are still treated very differently. I didn’t know that America’s first form of policing was called “slave patrols” to me that is just very wrong and racist. If they called themselves “slave patrols” what were they calling it when they arrested whites back then? The example that you brought up about Brock Turner was interesting because if that was a black man he either would be in jail for the rest of his life or killed by the police. It’s just crazy how the world back then and the world in todays society is exactly the same. No matter what color your skin is should it really matter what you did?
Hi Lauren!
Your presentation was fascinating this week! I learned a lot of new information surrounding police and how they began as “slave-patrols” in the south. The connections you made to modern day police and their treatment toward black Americans compared to first organized policing was especially surprising to me as it became clearer to see how they have not changed their ways from pre-Civil War times, considering it has been over 150 years. You further emphasized the mistreatment of minorities by also comparing their sentences to penalties faced by white people, such as Brock Turner, showing that minorities face harsher punishments. This post was shocking and well written as it becomes more apparent our country’s law enforcement is not much different than the time organized policing began.
This is important background information indeed, and information that I think more white Americans should be aware of. It is evident that white and black Americans have vastly different experiences with police and incarceration. King explains how he breaks the law and faces imprisonment because of his respect for justice and order, not because he disrespects it. He has to explain his point of view and walk the white clergymen through how unjust the laws are and how unequal the penalties are for breaking those laws, all while explaining that he respects and accepts the penalties he might face. It is akin to many people condemning rioters and looters louder than they condemn systematic police violence and the murders of innocent black people today. I think the fact you mentioned about the origin of an official American police force really gets to the heart of how corrupt and racist the institution is. It was put in place to control black people. To people who aren’t facing injustice on a daily basis it is easy to say to just follow the laws and respect authority, but that shows a profound misunderstanding of the realities of policing in America. It blames the victim and takes responsibility off of the people in power to change things for the better. Understanding the falsities of this point of view may be the key to creating a more equal, honest, and fair justice system in our country.
Hi Lauren
I thought you did a nice job writing this blog post. It was respectful and included good arguments backed by facts. It deeply disturbs me when I think about this topic but it is something we must not stop talking about, being exposed to and educating others on what is happening in our country. Our country has been built upon the ideals of the white man being at the top of the hierarchy and those are colors being the other. It is horrible sad and upsetting to know these systemic inequalities exists but people deny it – which is why it keeps happening. The more we can open this discussion up and educate others, the better chance we will have at making a change. The journey to freedom is not easy and it isn’t as quick as we would all hope it to be, I hope action comes sooner rather than later.
Hey Lauren!
I thought you had a very articulately written piece that was informative. The thing I appreciated most thought was that you included history. Although it is seemingly controversial and a bit of a touchy subject to talk about systemic injustices and racism in modern America today, there should be little to no controversy on the injustices of the past. The United States of America has a very murky history of racism and systemic injustices against a whole cluster of racial groups including, African-Americans, women, Asian-Americans, etc. I believe that explaining that today’s America as a direct correlation of yesterday’s America really brings your writing together.
Hi Lauren,
Your presentation this week was very eye opening and informative. I had no idea that the first organized police were slave patrols in the south. Based on recent events around the country this isn’t particularly shocking to hear but all the same it is disappointing. The fact that this isn’t common knowledge is a little concerning because it lets people stay ignorant to the systemic racism in the judicial system for far too long. I think the points you bring up about arrests and jail time show that this is clearly an on going problem and not simply the media creating a story. This being said I think that the younger generations of this country have started to identify and work towards positive changes so I am optimistic about the long term future although it will take a good amount of work to get there.
Hi Lauren,
I think you did a great job explaining the history of the police, but also relating it to our modern times. I did not know about the concept of the “slave patrols” developing into police, but it does make sense. In those times they use specific people to enforce certain rules, although that was to slaves and today it is enforcing rules to the general population, it is still very similar. The cases you describe and statistics you provide are defiantly heart breaking. It is discouraging to realize what certain aspects of our societies have developed into and certain “norms” or opinions that have formed. Will discrimination and stereotyping every go away? No, it is human nature to develop connections, opinions and impressions on people. But, the level of hate that our society has developed is out of control. This is defiantly an area that can and needs to be addressed.
I would just like to say my reply post was posted on Sept. 10th at about 9:05 pm, the date and time stamp on the post is incorrect.
Thanks Taylor, noted. Other students have had similar issues. You’ll still get your points.
Hey Lauren-
I really think you did an awesome job with you context presentation. I think that especially with the times we are living in right now and all of the social injustices going on in our world, we sometimes need to hear these facts as they still apply today! Sometime we forget that there is factual evidence behind these issues that make them proven injustices. I like that you did not just focus on stating the facts regarding African American men in the prison systems but you also spoke on the differences with that of white men in the system to show more detail. Again, i think you did a really great job on your post and thank you for all of the facts you presented us with!
Hello Lauren
Overall, I found your context presentation to be quite informative and really well written. I find the idea of “slave patrols” quite crazy, and how this eventually developed into what we have now in the police system. The difference in treatment when it comes to the law for race is quite an alarming statistic, but unfortunately it was, and still is present in the world today. Brock Turner getting such a short sentence for his crimes is something that I found crazy, and surely should have received a longer sentence. Overall, this was a very good presentation and brought with it very good information.
Hi Lauren,
You did a great job of talking about systemic injustices that people face due to wrong or unfair prison sentences. You have even clearly given an example of a classic case of such an injustice. It is unfortunate that even in the 21st-century minorities are being subjected to racism similar to the levels that existed hundreds of years ago. We have to collectively come together in dismantling any kind of systematic injustice especially anything related to race more now than ever. We have truly not advanced in life until we have eradicated this from our society.
Hi Lauren, I think this is very helpful for me. You talk about there are so many injustices in the police. You have given a lot of examples about how different results the different race people will be if they are arrested. I think this is unfair, and we can not treat them differently according to their race. Everyone is equal.
Hi Lauren! This post was very helpful to me in getting ready for our assignments this week. You did a very good job of explaining the systemic injustices that people face in the prison systems. I like to think that our nation has come such a long way since the abolition of slavery but there are so many more things that have to be done. I like how you mentioned the Brock Turner case because that was a clear and perfect example of a case of this type of injustice. One of the ways I think we could come together to put an end to these types of systemic injustices is if we are constantly talking about it and being opinionated in cases where systemic injustice shines through.
Hello Lauren, I really find this post was very eye opening. I had never heard the background of how today’s police came to be in regards of basically starting off as slave patrols and turning into today’s police force. And I think this history is very important in understanding why systemic injustice within our police departments and their actions towards individuals of color is still a problem. Also I agree that in terms of self verse others, white people are more likely to view themselves as higher than other races and I feel like until people can rewire their brains to understand that color doesn’t make a different in statue that systemic racism will continue.