Problem Statement
Race and crime problems in America are the mass incarceration of African Americans and the extraordinary disparities in the criminal justice system present between blacks and whites. In other parts of the world, racial progress emerges to exist but greater issues arise from racial disparities in the criminal justice. The disparities of black-white are in their housing, education, health care and employment with the ratio being at 2:1 or 3:1 (Adler, 2015). For instance, the unemployment rate of the blacks is twice that of their white counterparts. In the last few decades, the African Americans have had more and more opportunities, some have been freed from de jure discrimination that was a problem of race and crime in 1910 (Adler, 2015). At the same time, overt racial prejudice has resulted in socially stigmatized people where the black-white disparity in incarceration continues to rise. In today’s criminal justice system, there are more blacks; some are incarcerated, on parole or probation, and others awaiting trial, compared to the slaves in 1850 (Adler, 2015). We can also see that many black men are barred from exercising their voting right due to their high numbers in jails or prisons.
Today, prosecutors, police, judges, and legislators are known to use criminal history as a proxy for race and this has led to the establishment of a racial caste system (Alexander, 2012). The New Jim Crow advances this theory and we see that during Jim Crow’s era, blacks were mostly disenfranchised, discriminated against, prevented from bringing legal challenges, excluded from juries, and even denied their legal, political, civil rights. The same applies for today’s felons who are mostly African-Americans. The war on drugs in today’s society has contributed to the creation of a caste system as more than half a million people in America are in jail due to a drug offense. In the world, the United States is said to be having the highest number of incarceration rate while its violent crime rates are on the low. Majority of the people imprisoned in America due to a drug offense are blacks or Latinos. It is such events that have propelled the caste system to rely on the unchecked discretion of prosecutors and police officers.
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The rise of incarceration experienced by the black-white population in America is subjected to the fact that many are attuned to following a formally discriminatory legal regime (Adler, 2015). This falls under Jim Crow where law enforcement officers are seen to be targeting the inner-city minorities. We know for a fact that all races use illegal drugs, but officers will be seen surveying markets that have open-air drug points. Yet the drugs that are in constant circulation are in white neighborhood residences with an outdoor drug market. The drug dealers being arrested are blacks and the whites are left to continue peddling the drugs. The African-American communities are known to be users of crack cocaine. As such, officers overwhelmingly place their focus on cocaine users despite the fact that more overdose deaths are reported to be a result of heroin use.
Outline
Drug Abuse/Use
Abstract
Internationally, alcohol abuse, illicit and prescription drugs are a major health concern. Teens in the United States are using non-medically prescribed drugs, which results from the wider availability of the drugs in society. Initially, the drugs were made available for psychotherapeutics, but today they are used for non-medical purposes. Opioids, stimulants, and central nervous system (CNS) are the classes of prescription drugs often abused by adolescents. CNS encompasses the tranquilizers and sedatives used by many people, but the most abused are the pain killers that serve as pain relievers.
The problem arising is the fact that more and more people are drug users and according the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), approximately 5 percent of the world’s population were classified in 2010 as illicit drug users. It continues to state that 27 million people of the world’s adult population are classified as problem drug users. Heroin, cocaine, and other drugs are registered to cause 0.1 to 0.2 million deaths in a year yet alcohol abuse results in 2.5 million deaths annually (Chakravarthy, Shah & Lotfipour, 2013). Substance abuse is also known to cause significant morbidity. Studies conducted have shown that adolescent abuse correlates to them having a problem of drug addiction in their adulthood. From this, it can be inferred that many of the drug users start abusing the drugs at a very early age. The 15 to 24-year-old population are said to have accidental and intentional fatalities, which are associated with drug and alcohol use (Chakravarthy, Shah & Lotfipour, 2013). Drug use among the adolescent population results in high risks for school encountering underachievement, teenage pregnancy, delinquency, and depression.
Baltimore is considered to be one of the most dangerous cities in the US and an investigation was done by Fault Lines . They wanted to understand the fundamental interplay of race, crime, incarceration, poverty, and economics (Rewind, 2018). Discoveries from the investigation revealed that the war on drugs began long ago during President Richard Nixon’s regime. It managed to gain traction during Reagan’s years. This has resulted in a continued cycle of violence and economic repression among the poor people living in minority neighborhoods.
The individual and social implications of this problem are that more and more black men have come to accept prison and violence as part of their everyday life. The most pronounced social impact is the inequality in penal confinement that produces extraordinary rates of incarceration among young African American men. This has also affected the gross asymmetry of community and family attachment. Family attachments are distorted due to family members sent to prison, which results in the damage of mental and physical health of those left behind. As such, stress increases and economically, they become more insecure. The prospect of African American men remains bleak because officers offer them little or no help. These social outcasts have shared experiences joining them together of incarceration, crime, racial minority, poverty, and low education. The social and economic disadvantage and the presence of crystalized penal confinement is sustained over their life course and even transmitted to next generations. Such institutionalized inequality has seen the renewal of race and crime in many States in America. This social problem contributes to gaps in many domains that range from jobs and family life to that of mortality and health.
The “war on drugs” has failed to meet the demands of public health as marijuana and Ecstasy intake have increased sharply. Issues pertaining to teens’ attitudes about underage drinking seems are more relaxed and this is a disturbing revelation. Experts have asserted that there is a need to foster drug education and prevention programs in communities and schools despite of the drastic budgetary cuts. Experts continue to say that parents and caregivers should pay close attention to the warning signs of their teens’ drinking and other drug use. By so doing, they will intervene at an early stage and effectively help their teens, drug use need to be decriminalized.
The legalization or decriminalization of certain drugs such as marijuana has been seen to take effect in various states and this has seen drug policy undergo many changes. For instance, the courts now send someone to treatment instead of imprisoning them. Drug abuse policies in America address problems like how specific populations are affected by drugs, drugged driving, prescription drug abuse, and prevention methods. In essence, the policies help in preventing drug abuse and thus, educate the public on the dangers of drug use. To many Americans, addiction is a disease that needs treatment and management. The focus of governments in America according to 67 percent of the population should be more on drug rehabilitation treatment and not on criminal penalties for drug possession (Pew Research Center, 2014). The use of such prevention programs and policies as alternatives gives basis to sound evidence-based principles, which reduce substance misuse and other related harms. Other alternatives include the use of evidence-based behavioral and medication-assisted treatments (MAT) have managed to facilitate the recovery of teens from substance use disorders (Hill, 2017). Moreover, the programs prevents relapse and improve the teen’s outcome like their reduced criminal behavior and the spread of infectious diseases.
The society has placed emphasis on strengthening protective factors through the family. As such, they have introduced family prevention programmes that increase family bonds and the use of appropriate discipline among adolescents. An example is the multi-dimensional family therapy that gives focus to youth development by providing them with more effective coping and problem-solving skills. This comes in handy when making decisions and also helps families in improving their interpersonal functioning since they are a protective factor against substance abuse and other related problems. The other preventive programme incorporates the community and school that aim at increasing their school performance, reducing drug use, and learning skills that will help them manage their emotions and mood. Healthcare providers are also used in identifying substance abusers and this will eventually lead to their successful treatment (Chakravarthy, Shah & Lotfipour, 2013).
The “war on drugs” can be fought by looking at alternative responses other than arresting minor offenders such as making drug treatment options available. Defense counsel needs to be involved early enough in order to facilitate the attorney’s understanding of the case, counseling of the client, and the initiation of appropriate plea negotiations. Such cases can also be transferred to special purpose courts that have sufficient resources. As such, fashions disposition and sentence that imposes accountability and provides meaningful opportunities for defendants to change their lifestyle (Nellis, Greene & Mauer, 2008). Introducing thoughtful police policies which define protocols for police interaction with citizens are seen to be helping in decreasing crime rates among adolescent drug users. Departmental policies in police offices have also contributed to issues of racial disparity in solving crimes. Corrective policies and procedures are also being implemented in the courts to guard minority groups against racial bias.
Race and crime is a social problem affecting many countries across the globe. Nonetheless, the war on drugs is a concern for many developed countries like the United States because the prosecution of such law offenders has led to issues of racial disparities. The concern of the public on drug abuse is at a national and local level. This information needs to be furnished by conducting research that looks at identifying the affected communities plus the cause and onset of the problem.
Adler, J. S. (2015). Less crime, more punishment: Violence, race, and criminal justice in early
twentieth-century America. The Journal of American History , 102(1), 34-46.
The article looks at how the rates of incarceration have increased despite the decrease in violent crimes. The “war on crime” saw many African Americans excessively sentenced to length sentences. Adler managed to argue his points using a quantitative approach, which included numerous statistics showing a comparison of the white and black’s incarceration periods. Adler’s argument Adler show that the blacks experienced higher and longer periods of incarceration. In the article, the history of racialization of America’s prison system has been shown clearly and concisely. Adler states the importance of the topic because the conviction trends and sentences in regards to race continue to increase.
Alexander, M. (2012). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New
York, NY: The New Press.
Alexander’s book argues that America’s racial caste has not ended, but rather has been redesigned to function as a contemporary system. The “war on drugs” targets black men by decimating communities of color by focusing on incarceration and issues adult education. Mass incarceration in America continues to thrive as the promotion of colorblind societies continues to impact the political, social, and judicial environments of black people in the current and future states. Alexander manages to advocate for change in the laws pertaining to drugs in an attempt to reduce the rates of incarceration. Much of the information in the book revolves around race and crime as it relates to impoverished communities among people of color.
Chakravarthy, B., Shah, S., & Lotfipour, S. (2013). Adolescent drug abuse-awareness &
prevention. The Indian Journal of Medical Research , 137(6), 1021.
The article looks at the adolescent drug abuse-awareness and prevention has been a prevalent cause in America in an attempt to reduce the number of adolescents engaging in drugs. Adolescents abusing and using drugs continue to increase and this has resulted in a significant number of mortality and morbidity rates. A significant number of adolescents are bound to be drug users in the future. However, the article mentions the availability of interventions to curb these growing numbers and save the future of young generations. Chakravarthy, Shah, and Lotfipour, states the importance of parents, and community members in getting involved in the prevention of adolescents from engaging in drug use in the near future.
Hill, R. R. (2017). Medication-assisted treatment should be part of every family physician’s
practice: No. The Annals of Family Medicine , 15(4), 310-312.
The article looks at the increased number of medication-assisted treatment made available through the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Hills’ point-counterpoint is proposes for and against medication-assisted treatment being part of every family physician’s practice because it will require the intervention of specialists. This article is important because it looks at the interventions present in the society in curbing the growth of adolescents abusing and using drugs.
Nellis, A., Greene, J., & Mauer, M. (2008). Reducing racial disparity in the criminal justice
system: A manual for practitioners and policymakers . Washington, DC: The Sentencing
Project.
The project looks at racial disparity in existence by looking at the proportion of ethnic or racial groups within the system that is greater than the portion in a general population. The project looks at accountability issues presented in the police department when it comes to handling criminals in the society. It is important in this research because the article mentions the different available alternatives of handling the “war on drugs.” This is basically for use by practitioners and policy makers looking at reducing the racial disparity present in the criminal justice system.
Rewind. (2018, Jun 25). Race, crime and despair in Baltimore: Anatomy of an American City.
Aljazeera . Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/rewind/2018/06/race-crime-despair-baltimore-anatomy-american-city-180620122247332.html
Rewind reports on the investigations conducted on the soaring homicide rate in Baltimore. The report mentions of failure present in the war on drugs that has brought despair to people living in Baltimore. The black people in Baltimore saw the election of the first-black president as a breakthrough in fighting the war on drugs present in their community. Nonetheless, that was not the case. In fact, the number of people arrested due to drug-related charges continues to escalate. The report shows how the black people continue to accept their fates and identify prisons as their second home. This article shows the intensity of war on drugs by referring to a very notorious city in America.
Pew Research Center. (2014, April 2). America’s new drug policy landscape: Two-thirds favor
treatment, not jail, for use of heroin, cocaine . Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
The information is all about the treatments being favored by policy makers in dealing with drug peddlers in the society. The important information obtained is the statistics to show how many people prefer to use alternative treatment methods for people engaging in drugs. Most importantly, it refers to adolescents and gives them a chance to change their lifestyle.
References
Adler, J. S. (2015). Less crime, more punishment: Violence, race, and criminal justice in early
twentieth-century America. The Journal of American History , 102(1), 34-46.
Alexander, M. (2012). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New
York, NY: The New Press.
Chakravarthy, B., Shah, S., & Lotfipour, S. (2013). Adolescent drug abuse-awareness &
prevention. The Indian Journal of Medical Research , 137(6), 1021.
Hill, R. R. (2017). Medication-assisted treatment should be part of every family physician’s
practice: No. The Annals of Family Medicine , 15(4), 310-312.
Nellis, A., Greene, J., & Mauer, M. (2008). Reducing racial disparity in the criminal justice
system: A manual for practitioners and policymakers . Washington, DC: The Sentencing
Project.
Rewind. (2018, Jun 25). Race, crime and despair in Baltimore: Anatomy of an American City.
Aljazeera . Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/rewind/2018/06/race-crime-despair-baltimore-anatomy-american-city-180620122247332.html
Pew Research Center. (2014, April 2). America’s new drug policy landscape: Two-thirds favor
treatment, not jail, for use of heroin, cocaine . Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
