While many claim that long tradition of racism in the United States ended with the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Today, African-American are disproportionately imprisoned by racist drugs laws, denied access to the economic and educational benefits, and robbed of their civil rights and human dignity by a general white supremacy that lurks just beneath the surface of our so-called democracy. Our criminal justice system creates a situation in which African-American men have greater than a 1 in 4 chance of going to prison compared to 1 in 23 for a white person. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
African American are adversely and disproportionately impacted by the American justice system. The justice system is having a devastating effect on every aspect of their lives. African-American are disproportionately represented in every part of the criminal justice system, from being racially profiled, stopped, arrested, prosecuted, sentenced, and incarcerated, to even being disproportionately placed on death row. African Americans are penalized without conscience, remorse, or constitutional protection. Truly, the overrepresentation of African-American in the criminal justice system negatively impacts their ability to gain employment, health, care, credit, federal …show more content…
Some of these may be the unusual and cruel punishment they give certain population. The ethical challenge social workers is to weigh the needs of the justice system against those of the offender. The social worker should take on the challenge by participating in the legislative action to mold social policy to create a balance between the justice system and the offender. Thus, the social worker can help the justice system provide more effective services to the offender, their families, and their communities as professionals by participating in the process. (Roberts and Springer, 2007
African American are adversely and disproportionately impacted by the American justice system. The justice system is having a devastating effect on every aspect of their lives. African-American are disproportionately represented in every part of the criminal justice system, from being racially profiled, stopped, arrested, prosecuted, sentenced, and incarcerated, to even being disproportionately placed on death row. African Americans are penalized without conscience, remorse, or constitutional protection. Truly, the overrepresentation of African-American in the criminal justice system negatively impacts their ability to gain employment, health, care, credit, federal …show more content…
Some of these may be the unusual and cruel punishment they give certain population. The ethical challenge social workers is to weigh the needs of the justice system against those of the offender. The social worker should take on the challenge by participating in the legislative action to mold social policy to create a balance between the justice system and the offender. Thus, the social worker can help the justice system provide more effective services to the offender, their families, and their communities as professionals by participating in the process. (Roberts and Springer, 2007