Essay On Racial Disparity

Sociologically speaking, the debate is no longer about a breakdown of numbers, but rather why racial disparity, or the appearance of disparity, continues to occur. The first notable contributors to the growing incarceration rates is the judicial system itself; comprised of laws, those that hold up the laws, prosecute the laws, and sentence based upon the laws. Over the past 40 years there has been an increase in statutes and statute enforcement throughout the United States. This increase can be directly related to the number of incarcerations now being seen. Also, there have been increased statues on particular crimes such as drug offenses; which have directly affected the number of crimes reported and associated criminals within the system. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of incarcerated drug offenders, from 1980 to 2005, has increased from 19,000 to 250,000; an increase directly related to sanctions placed on drug related …show more content…
7). Lower education levels and higher illiteracy rates are more prominently found in areas withered with poverty, high unemployment rates, and requirement of federal assistance programs, such as welfare and food stamps.
Substance abuse and mental health conditions have also been attributed to majority of incarcerations within the United States. Habitual alcohol and substance abusers tend to have decreased inhibitions, and while under the influence, tend to act more irrationally; resulting higher risks of incarceration. Links between substance abuse and mental health issues increase an individual’s incarceration risk further. “In general, rates of mental illness among inmates are two to four times higher than among the general population (Lurigio, 2001)” (Herman-Stahl, Kan, and McKay, 2008,