When it comes to drug offenders, racial profiling is practically expected. Race has become one of the easily available visual evidences that assist in identification of drug suspects, which, unfortunately, is harsh on African Americans. Most individuals, including lawyers, correctional staff, and police officers, tend to conclude that 95% of drug offenders are black. This is because the focus of attention is usually segregated by class and race. For instance, the police are particularly keen when they observe noticeable street corners in the low-income neighborhood. Additionally, attention is also dependent on the number of complaints. Nonetheless, such a view negatively affects the criminal justice system. The view that drug offenders are most likely to be black translates to the criminal justice system. For instance, African Americans' sentence is 4.1 times higher than whites from the same drug crime (Gaston, 2019). Moreover, there is the bias practice of discretion where prosecuting attorneys are highly probable to charge African Americans with drug-related criminalities that carry harsh judgments than their white counterparts. At times, Federal prosecutors are twice expected to charge blacks with drug felonies that carry a minimum sentence (Gaston, 2019).
I agree with Alexander on the view that all collateral consequences help ensure a racial caste system. Even after completing their sentences, African American individuals face obstacles when re-entering society. Such obstacles, which come from their criminal history and record, are noted in accessing the social safety net, exercising the freedom to vote, and securing housing and steady employment. As Alexander notes, such collateral consequences ensure that minorities can never rise up once convicted (Alexander, 2011). For example, in 2016, 6.1 million Americans were barred from voting due to a felony record (Gaston, 2019). When it comes to securing a job, blacks already face discrimination. Adding a criminal history to the situation makes it worse. A recent study indicated that employers are 50% more likely to give employment opportunities to whites with criminal records than blacks (Gaston, 2019). The collateral consequences contribute to the occurrence of crimes. Once they are denied access to necessary privileges, African American individuals are most likely to go back to their life of crime.
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References
Alexander, M. (2011). The New Jim Crow. Ohio St. J. Crim. L. , 9 , 7.
Gaston, S. (2019). Enforcing Race: A Neighborhood-Level Explanation of Black–White Differences in Drug Arrests. Crime & Delinquency , 65 (4), 499-526.
