One of the relevant issues in modern justice is the issue of equality. Justice is a right to everyone despite his nationality, gender, or race. However, at times these variances have influenced justice system of the country. The financial status, gender, and race of a person have influenced how he is in the justice system of the country. The notion of creating stereotypes and associating these stereotypes with certain groups has influenced justice system in the country greatly. These stereotypes influence the arrest, prosecution, and verdict of a person. These stereotypes determine whether a person gets justice or not. The police, Judges, and magistrates have failed to separate their perceptions about various stereotypes from their duties. This has led to the denial of justice to people of some of these stereotypes.
Law enforcement is one of the major concerns the justice system. Every citizen in the country has the right to access security facilities and fair arrest. The issue of security in the country is an en issue in the country. The police have failed to provide security in areas of occupied by the poor. Areas occupied by the poor people have low security. The response of security officers to calls from these areas is slow compared to their response other areas. This has led to increased crimes in these areas. The slow police response to crimes in these areas has contributed to the growth of crime in these areas. Another issue in law enforcement is the magnitude in which the police take various crimes in the country. The magnitude in which the police take cases depends on the race and financial status of a person. Cases or the rich people are higher priorities compared with other cases (Lab, Steven 231). Investigations on cases of the rich are severe and tough and end up with the arrest of the culprits. In cases involving the poor, investigations are slow and shoddy. In most cases, the culprits are never found, and justice to victims of crime is denied.
Another issue in the justice system is the administration of justice. Race gender and economic status are some of the issues that influence justice administration in the country. The first step in administration of justice is the identification of a suspect. Law enforcement has developed stereotypes of criminals depending on their financial status, race, and gender. Research shows that there is a high probability for a black person to be arrested compared to a white person. In the previous decades, the blacks were considered criminal in nature and were discriminated by the justice. However, over the years, racial discrimination against the blacks reduced. In the modern day, racial stereotyping has to the Arabs (Barak et al. 143). With the increase of terrorism in the world, Arabs have become suspects just by the nature of their race. After the 9 11 attack, there has been unfair treatment of the Arabs, and they are treated as terrorists. This has led to the arrest and unfair treatment of many Arabs and Muslims living in the US.
The administration of justice among the poor depends on their ability to afford legal expertise. Unlike the rich in the society, the poor people cannot afford to pay lawyers. This has led to their poor representation in court cases. The fact that the poor cannot access the services of a lawyer of their choice leads to failure in implementing justice for the poor. The lack of quality services from the attorneys leads to poor representation on the court and eventual loss of the case. Another issue in administration of justice is the racial profiling in giving verdicts. In the past, the number of black people serving jail terms in America was high compared to the whites. The race of they had influence in the verdict of the criminal. Racial profiling alleged as the reason behind the death sentence of Duane Edward Buck in 1995 (Reasons et al 354). In the modern day, the Guantanamo Bay prosecutions are an example of how racial profiling affects the verdict of the judge. Being an Arab increases the probability of having a guilty verdict. This has led to unfair prosecution and detention of innocent Arabs in the United States.
Justice to all irrespective of their race gender of financial status has influenced the people’s perception of the justice system today. The failure of the justice system in providing justice to all indiscriminately has led to the people to the development of negative attitudes and perceptions about the system. Many of the people in these societies have lost trust in the judicial system and have opted for alternative methods of seeking justice. There has been an increase of crime in areas occupied by the poor people and the blacks because of failure to trust the justice system in the country (Reasons et al. 345). People in these communities have sought revenge for themselves, and this has led to the development of street gangs among these people. The failure to provide a credible justice system among the poor people in these communities has led to increased insecurity and crime.
References
Barak, et al.; Class, race, gender, and crime the social realities of justice in America. 3rd ed. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print
Lab, Steven P.. Criminal justice: the essentials. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Reasons, et al.; Race, class, gender, and justice in the United States: a text-reader. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2002. Print.
