Racial profiling is one of the problems in the United States. It is worth noting that criminal justice system has been accused of racial profiling criminals. Some of the institutions that are believed to focus on racial profiling include courts, police and correctional facilities. People who allege to have been profiled on race are the Hispanics and blacks. The trend on racial profiling in courts is on the decline. The Supreme Court in U.S held that racial profiling is against the constitution (Glover, 2009). Statistics show that racial profiling in courts affects the blacks. Based on the statistics it is evident that Blacks ae highly profiled, followed by Hispanic and then the Whites. The percentage include Black 52%, Hispanic 31% and Whites 10%. Also, it is evident that black men in prison receive longer sentences compared to white men who committed the same crime. The courts incarcerate most of the blacks in the United States. For example, out of 450 per 100,000 prisoners are whites.
The issues of racial profiling have existed for many years in the United States. The New Jim Crow continue to affect the United States criminal justice system. In fact, the criminal justice system is a formal caste system because it is an avenue to racism (Alexander, 2010). It is complex to make predictions on issues racial profiling in courts since it has become more institutional. Most of the issues related to racial profiling tend to go unnoticed. Also, the implementation of laws that prevent racial profiling and jury selection process tend to change the trends in the criminal justice system.
One of the problems was the jury selection. In the past, jury selection process was randomly done. Most of the judges who served in court were whites, which led to racial profiling during trials. In fact, the blacks did not believe in fairness in the criminal justice system. Prejudice and stereotype among the law enforcers are also another problems (Kops, 2007). The police have held that blacks are more likely to be criminals than blacks. Police engaging in an investigation are more likely to suspect a black than a white.
Police misconduct and corruption in courts are some of the current issues associated with racial profiling. Law enforcement agencies have been subjected to expensive litigation process over the civil suits. The relationship between the police and citizens is strained, which renders policing challenging issues. The current motivations towards racial profiling are the use of prejudice and stereotype (Muffler, 2006). In the United States, stereotype dominates the minds of many people, which affect decision making. On the other hand, the law and jury selection process tend to reduce the cases of racial profiling in court. The number of blacks and minorities serving in court have increased. The citizens have also informed of their rights, especially in challenging a matter that is in court.
The volatile political environment is one of the future challenges. The citizens will rise against racial profiling, especially on pedestrian and traffic stops. The court decisions in the future need to be streamlined towards justice and should not be based on racial profiling. In the recent past, people in the United States have opposed the court decision citing racism. Racial profiling will compromise the future of the young blacks. Citizens continue to mistrust the criminal justice system. In the general perspective, justice for all remains one of the debatable issues in the United States. The courts have been on the spot on issues of racial profiling. Racial profiling in courts should stop because it affects the entire operations in the criminal justice system.
References
Alexander, M. (2010). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: New Press
Glover, K. S. (2009). Racial profiling: Research, racism, and resistance. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield.
Kops, D. (2007). Racial profiling. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.
Muffler, S. J. (2006). Racial profiling: Issues, data, and analyses. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
