MID TERM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MID TERM - Essay Example Pick 5. Fill in spaces i to v, using short answers. Name the source; then, identify the problem(s) and the recommended (or inferred) solution. i ii iii iv v In a According to a study done by New Jersey by Dr. John Lamberth of Temple University in 1994, while African American drivers and Caucasian drivers committed roughly the same percentage of traffic violations, a startling statistic of 73.25 of the drivers stopped were African American drivers, while only 13.5% were of a different race. In 1993 a Maryland lawsuit named the police department as a defendant against Robert Wilkins, a Harvard Law student who felt that when the police stopped he and his family, searched them, and brought in drug sniffing dogs that it had been done due to his race. His point was proven â€Å"When a State Police memo surfaced during discovery instructing troopers to look for drug couriers who were described as "predominantly black males and black females,". (Harris) The use of racial profiling has created an atmosphere of hostility towards law enforcement within the African American community. Security becomes less stable when it has been made clear that o ne can do nothing other than wear a color skin in order to be subject to interruption of daily responsibilities. The issue extends to the statistics regarding length of sentences, incarcerations, leaving â€Å"In 1995, about one in three black men between the ages of 20 and 29 were under the control of the criminal justice system--either in prison or jail, on probation, or on parole.† (Harris) Gathering statistics on traffic stops is one way bring about awareness to law enforcement officials. Traffic stops can serve as a microcosm of the legal system. As well, a more uniform system of incarceration would help to lead the way in reducing the inequality of sentencing. Social reformation is needed to undermine the criminal stereotyping of African