Are African American juveniles more likely to be incarcerated than members of other groups?

Table of Contents

I.Introduction1

II.Literature Review1

a.How are alleged offenders processed in the juvenile justice system?1

i.Arrest by Police officers2

ii.Intake Juvenile Justice Officials2

iii.Processing3

iv.Adjudication/ Detention4

b.What are the factors behind criminal behavior?5

i.Race/Culture5

ii.Background/Family6

iii.Gender6

c.What are the variables?7

i.Diversion compared to White offenders7

ii.Incarceration compared to White offenders8

d.The role of schools8

i.School programs and policies9

ii.Behavior and emotional disorder9

III.Conclusion10

IV.References12

Are African American juveniles more likely to be incarcerated than members of other groups?

Introduction

Racial disparity is a common feature in the criminal justice system of current era. One in eight black males are imprisoned or sentenced to severe legal punishment per day. If it is compared to their white counterparts then only one in fifty-nine white males are imprisoned or legally charged on a given day. This shows a wide difference between the incarceration of African American juveniles and the members of other groups (Levinson & Smith, 2012).

This issue has been observed by not only the common men but the society as a whole. The justice department of the country also conforms to the fact that African American juveniles are incarcerated more than the majority groups as well as some other minorities groups (Hess & Drowns, 2009).

This paper aims to discover the process through which the alleged offenders are treated in the juvenile justice system. It also analyzes the factors that lead them to become criminals. The variables of diversion and incarceration as compared to white offenders are also discussed. Finally, the research identifies and scrutinizes the role of schools in preventing the criminal behavior among the African American juveniles.

Literature Review

How are alleged offenders processed in the juvenile justice system?

There are several factors that show the difference in the allegation process of African American juveniles and other American juveniles. Usually, the African American juveniles are prosecuted severely as compared to their white counterparts. Followings factors are analyzed to evaluate the level of discrimination between the allegations of black and white offenders (Levinson & Smith, 2012).

Arrest by Police officers

When police deals with a case that involves juvenile offender, they use the option of discretion to decide the proper course of action. The discretion by police is the selective enforcement of the law of prosecuting juveniles by the authorized police officers. The police officers are considered as the first group involved in the prosecution of the juveniles. They give a warning to the juveniles involved in the crime. If this action does not solve the problem then the juveniles are arrested for their crime. In some conditions, the juveniles are sent to the adult court of justice for starting a judicial inquiry of the case. Police officers may send the criminal or offender to the justice system or they have a choice to resolve the matter using conciliation (Siegel & Welsh, 2010).

The process of arresting the juveniles involves discrimination at each and every step. The African American juveniles are more likely to be arrested and charged fro their crime or offense then their white counterparts. The police officers release the white ...