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Racism and Racial Discrimination as Deviant Behavior

Student's Name

Department, Institutional Affiliation

Course Code: Course Title

Professor's Name

Date
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Abstract

Throughout the civil rights movement history, African-Americans have been at the forefront of
the fight for equal rights. Concerns have also emerged about the successive governments'
meticulousness in sustaining covert racism through heavy incarceration of the black population.
Comparatively, black people dominate the prison population, which is another subject of interest
for the study. The "Black Lives Matter" movement, a wave of massive protests by African-
Americans in recent years, is another example. That white police officers slew an unarmed black
person is the fundamental concern and issue of this campaign. Over the years, the United States
has experienced a steady stream of black deaths while white police officers lied about their acts.
As a result of this scenario and phenomenon, demonstrators looked motivated to fight for their
rights. Additionally, African Americans have a more challenging time finding work and
negotiating better employment terms than their non-African American peers. As a result,
American society is on a race-based foundation that does not value fairness and equal treatment.
Over the past years, there have been various sorts of racism in the United States that have gone
unaddressed.
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Table of Contents

Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
Statement of the Problem............................................................................................................................4
Hypothesis...................................................................................................................................................4
Design of the Study.....................................................................................................................................5
Review of the Literature..............................................................................................................................6
The Penalty Crimes Policy......................................................................................................................7
Obtaining Employment in Municipal Law Enforcement.............................................................................9
Application process...............................................................................................................................10
Background Investigation......................................................................................................................11
Basic Police Academy...........................................................................................................................12
Field training.........................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................12
References.................................................................................................................................................14
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................16
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Statement of the Problem

Racism has been a problem in the United States for a long time, and it's still a problem. In

the past, slaves were transported to the country to labor on the fields of white landowners.

Constitutional amendments over the years have made it illegal to discriminate against people

based on their race (Lamb, 2015). However, racial prejudice appears to have persisted in the

United States despite efforts to eradicate it.

Race or racial discrimination has long been a focus of sociology because of its adverse

effects on society. Racism has been a problem for many minority groups in the United States at

some point in their history. Some minorities, such as Native Americans and Black Americans,

continue to face racial prejudice. As Small and Pager (2020) explain, racial discrimination refers

to discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Preconceptions and prejudices may be to blame for

the disparity in treatment. In addition, some people mistreat other races because of their hate or

hatred for a specific race. Social science has revealed that the present forms of prejudice are now

more challenging to detect and conceptualize. Increasing social inequality between majority and

minority groups in the United States is evidence of racial discrimination's harmful impact on

society.

Hypothesis

H1: Discrimination against black people has continued to affect their racial dignity and

background, which is the reality of the current situation.

Design of the Study

Racism is one of the primary themes in this study. Racism is a broad concept that aims to

address the evolution of the United States of America's racial ideas throughout history. Racism

and the criminal justice system's unequal treatment of African-Americans are critical concepts.

The Black Lives Matter movement sprang on the belief that law enforcement has unfairly

targeted the black race. As a result, the subject of interest is the rising rate of incarceration. The

number of African-Americans who have died at the hands of police and their reasons for their

deaths is quite questionable.

Racism needs to and contextualized at all levels. Considering the demonstrators, activists,

and creators of the Black Lives Matter movement is essential. These topics will provide an

informed view of the genuine and significant concerns and difficulties they attempted to express

during their struggle. Consulting lawmakers is as government policymakers are appropriate to

communicate the realities of high black incarceration rates (Klein, 2017). The facts depict that

African Americans make up the most significant percentage of jail populations in the United

States. In this way, government employees will aid in explaining the ongoing plight of people of

color in the United States.

Further, scholars such as sociologists and historians can also explain the ongoing problem

of black discrimination in the United States. A researcher will provide relevant context to

understand better why disparities in the treatment of persons of different races continue to rise.

Finally, it is crucial to consider the viewpoints of people of different races to understand racial

discrimination better. Considering people's views from other races will help ensure validity,

reliability, and prejudice reduction.

For data validity and accuracy in this research, it is appropriate to collect data from both

primary and secondary sources because of the nature of this study phenomenon. Direct

interviews with the research participants would be the primary mode of data gathering. Survey

questions are another critical approach for gathering data about participants' thoughts and

feelings. Finally, researchers may see how people of color are treated daily compared to persons

of other races. For example, when they are in public places, are black people subjected to more

stringent security checks? Using secondary sources, such as websites, academic texts, prisoner

and worker records, and documentaries would allow researchers to dig further into African

Americans' issues. A primary goal of this field of study is to comprehend better the challenges

that African Americans face in their daily lives and the prevalence of racial profiling and

discrimination cases. These secondary records include films and websites that show the number

of African-Americans who perished at the hands of the police and the official information

reported that to justify their deaths. (Sanopa, 2017). This research will also bring the number of

police officers sanctioned or penalized for unjustly killing African Americans back into balance.

These are some of the issues that people experience when it comes to racial injustice.

Review of the Literature

Offenders of color in the United States are often punished unjustly due to their ethnicity

and race (Causadius&Korous, 2019. For crimes committed by people of color, sanctions are

harsher than those committed by white descent. Racial prejudice is widespread in the United

States, as seen by cases like these. In the health care industry, racial bias can exist. Black

Americans, Hispanics, mixed-race Americans, Whites, Asians, and American Indians were all

found to have racial discrimination prevalence rates of 31%, 27%, 29%, and 23% in the health

sector, respectively, according to a study on adolescent and adult health (Lee et al., 2019).
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Disparities in health care treatment are widespread and disproportionately affect the African-

American population. The vast majority of marginalized groups in the United States have

difficulty obtaining healthcare. Health results for minorities and people of color are inconsistent

because of the lack of access to excellent healthcare and poor living conditions. In addition,

many people are unable to afford health insurance. The long-term effects of racial discrimination

prevail in the health of racial minorities (Causadius&Korous, 2019). As a result of racial

prejudice, there is an increased risk of diabetes, anxiety, and hypertension. The loop of racial

discrimination in the health sector is apparent. Medical care is often out of reach for those who

fear it will be discriminatory, and as a result, they put their health and well-being at risk.

Only about 5% of the world's population are behind bars, but the United States has about

25% of the world's jail population. Approximately 40% of those behind bars are of African

American descent (Ferguson, 2019). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans

make up about 12.6% of the population (2010). It may be challenging to take this massive gap as

fact, but the fact that it is a devastating statistic cannot be disputed (Ritchie & James-Brown,

2017). For some, it is a sign of truth; for others, it is a dreadful element. What does this mean,

exactly, and why is the racial makeup of American prisons so lopsided? According to Kovera

(2019), for every 100,000 African American males, 4,777 are in jail. One-third of all teenage

African American males face conviction at some point in their lives (Romero, 2020). On. Racism

in law enforcement is immoral.

A relationship between slavery and early imprisonment exists due to the subordinate,

repetitive and segregated nature of slavery (Alexander, 2020). Once slavery was outlawed in the

South, the border was blurred even further as black people's compelled labor was a kind of

punishment for their criminal behavior. Since some African Americans in the South became
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'convicts,' the same legal modification supposed to protect their liberties led to their detention.

Black criminality became more prevalent as imprisoned African Americans grew (Peffley,

Hurwitz & Mondak, 2017). The process of racializing the police force in the United States had

begun.

The Penalty Crimes Policy

Significant social upheaval and development occurred during the 1950s and 1960s. When

racial inequality and injustice were relatively low, many people came together to fight for

equality and justice. People like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X emerged as powerful

agents of social change during this period. Many people in our country want to see an end to

racism, marginalization, and prejudice, and these two great intellectuals have led a movement to

make this happen (Alexander, 2020). The Civil Rights Movement would establish the foundation

for imminent American culture with its accomplishments and disappointments. When it came to

the fight for civil rights, many whites supported and even joined. However, some did not (Ritchie

& James-Brown, 2017). Racism's enthusiasm was as strong as ever. As with any time of social

change, an affiliated struggle began to preserve things constant under a new pretense as the

movement fought.

During the Civil Rights Movement, white supremacists (racists) began pressing for

harsher punishments for criminals. Conservatives firmly believed that civil disobedience was the

root source of criminality, thus equating civil rights legislation with law enforcement (Hetey &

Eberhardt, 2018). Many believe that the "tough measures on crime" agenda of those who oppose

equality and transformation is just a cover for their desire to stop African American prosperity,

as Romero (2020) claims. As crime rates rose in the 1960s, it benefited the black community. It

reinforced the connection between law and order and criminality and disobedience and societal
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disorder that followed the death of Martin Luther King Jr. Racially charged imagery fed the

debate over whether black civil rights led to an increase in crime.

The subsequent rise in incarceration rates was a direct result of Reagan's war on drugs. A

staggering 84% increase in the number of people imprisoned in the United States between 1985

and 1995 resulted from drug trafficking convictions Graham et al. (2020). Drug arrests were

roughly 400 percent more likely to lead to prison sentences between 1980 and 1990. (Cooper,

2015). Even though the war on drugs is a worthy idea, racial and punitive drug rules in this

struggle. The number of people imprisoned for drug offenses has increased across many ethnic

groups. Black communities have seen a marked increase since the implementation of anti-drug

policies. During the 1980s, the incarceration rate for African Americans nearly doubled, and by

2000, it had increased by over 26% from its 1983 level (Hetey & Eberhardt, 2018). On the other

hand, Ritchie and James-Brown (2017) claim that throughout the same period, the imprisonment

rate for white Americans was only eight times higher than in 1983. More than eighty percent of

drug convicts in some jurisdictions are of African American descent.

War on drugs policies and procedures have helped to advance racial segregation in

conjunction with law enforcement. Racial disparities in law enforcement have existed for

decades due to the widespread use of racial profiling in the name of the war on drugs. All levels

of law enforcement, from traffic stops to detentions, engage in racial profiling (Njoku, Ahmed &

Bolaji, 2020). For example, statistics on traffic stops show huge inequalities across races in

certain sections of the country regarding who is more likely to be stopped (Kovera, 2019). Many

states have evidence of police discrimination based on race, with African-Americans more likely

than whites to be stopped and questioned.

Obtaining Employment in Municipal Law Enforcement

The legislation prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment, including hiring,

firing, and pay for any job assignments, promotions and layoffs, and any other term or condition

of employment. Despite this, discrimination continues to occur daily. Law enforcement in the

United States is dealing with unprecedented challenges. Rebuilding public trust and legitimizing

law enforcement are two of the many issues that agencies of all sizes across the country face.

However, the department also confronts a much larger problem in attracting new police officers,

mostly unnoticed. With a society that is becoming more violent by the day, the police department

must maintain high standards of professionalism while ensuring that the candidate pool is large

enough to meet society's needs. In addition, law enforcement agencies are having difficulty

retaining their staff. The federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

received $ 1 billion to stabilize law enforcement posts as a strong indication of this difficulty

(Wilson et al., 2014).

A local police station's undesirable features have sparked attrition among officers,

resulting in many looking for work elsewhere. Racism is a significant factor in these kinds of

difficulties. Organizational concerns include the immediate supervisor's behavior, lack of career

progression, unfulfilled work expectations, insufficient feedback, limited recognition, and lack of

training and education (Smith, 2016). The continued exodus of baby-boom retirees also

contributes to attrition in law enforcement, which reduces agency expertise. As a result, officers

who are also members of the military force are being called upon to spend more time

constructing the nation and fulfilling other military duties. Since the terrorist attacks of

September 11, 2001, the United States has continued strengthening nations and maintaining

peace. It was, for example, involved in the conflict between Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Application process

The pool of potential police officers has a small number because of the more stringent

training standards. Diversity in today's community creates new and more complex challenges for

law enforcement agencies (Wilson et al., 2014). As a result, police work has taken on a broader

social focus. Due to these adjustments, police personnel will need to acquire new abilities

(Lehman, 2020). The officials must work with various people, communicate effectively, and

collaborate and associate with multiple stakeholders to succeed. Analytical and critical thinking,

problem-solving and IT abilities, and cultural competence are also necessary. In addition to

arresting people, police personnel must focus on their employment services, values, and

outcomes without being influenced by ethnic and racial prejudices. Due to racial and ethnic

discrimination, law enforcement agencies may be more selective in their selection process, which

reduces the number of competent candidates.

Background Investigation

Using racial profiling as an example, it is clear that race plays a significant influence in

law enforcement. In the same way that racial discrimination occurs when people face racial

prejudices when hired. Profiling is a form of prejudice based on stereotypes and is discouraging

because it is widely used by those tasked with keeping the peace (Kovera, 2019). Activists in the

social justice movement are outraged by the police's persistent racial profiling and discrimination

of the black population. As a response, many anti-police brutalities and anti-racial profiling

movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have emerged (Graham et al., 2020). Law enforcement

officers continue to jail and shoot the black populace on the pretext of criminality despite their

calls for racial equality and equal justice and prosecution.

Significant riots and demonstrations erupted around the world after the brutal murder of George

Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 (Njoku, Ahmed & Bolaji, 2020). Since George Floyd's death,

many police officers have often committed criminal acts, yet the government has done nothing

significant to combat this problem. Policymakers and academics are finding ways on how to

remove racial bias in law enforcement. With the execution of numerous plans, there have been

calls for legislation to improve effective policing. For example, installing body cameras has been

moderately beneficial in eliminating rogue cops from the system (Alexander, 2020). However,

racial prejudice and criminalization based on race still need to be addressed.

Basic Police Academy

Due to the increasing need for additional officers to reduce the scope of their work, the

Basic Police Academy can only do the bare minimum. Aside from that, they can put policies that

will make it easier to find and keep police personnel to fulfill the growing demand (Wilson et al.,

2014). They might plan and analyze demographic patterns and carry out surveys and interviews

with police officers to better understand their level of satisfaction with their jobs. A clear

understanding of the agencies' expectations would help them attract and reduce officer turnover.

As a second method of retaining police officers, the police academy can offer job previews and

ask for contracts from recruits

Field training

Many rural agency training programs have started to offer online versions of coaching

officers to alleviate the stress of long-distance travel for these officers. Using extended shifts to

give staff extra days off and web location outreach is another simple method law

enforcement may use to teach time management.

Conclusion

Discrimination based on race has been a hot topic in the United States for a long time.

The country's history of slavery and the Jim Crow laws, which imposed racial segregation,

appears to be deeply ingrained. Despite being only 5% of the world's population, 25% of

Americans are in jail, with 40% of these convicts being black. Because black Americans make

up just 13% of the people, these numbers are shocking. The American society still tolerates even

though slavery and other forms of slavery were abolished and made illegal long ago. African

Americans are more likely to be imprisoned in this country because of a long history of

discriminatory legislation. Due to the high number of convicted drug users, the war on drugs

targeted this demographic. The Black Lives Matter movement is one of many anti-discrimination

initiatives due to rampant racial injustice. The cold-blooded death of George Floyd in 2020,

which sparked significant protests and riots, was one of several cases of police brutality and

racial profiling against African American males. Even in America, racism seems to be an

ongoing problem. As a result, much has to be done to remove it from society.

.
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References

Alexander, M. (2020). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The

New Press.

Causadias, J. M., &Korous, K. M. (2019). Racial discrimination in the United States: a

national health crisis that demands a national health solution. Journal of Adolescent

Health, (2), 147-148.

Cooper, H. L. (2015). War on drugs policing and police brutality. Substance use & misuse,

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Ferguson, A. G. (2019). The rise of big data policing: Surveillance, Race, and the future of law

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Appendix