Reference no: EM133333041

Chapter 6: The Courts in a Color-Blind Society

My main take away and new findings from this chapter is that racial disparities in the criminal justice system are well documented, and they can occur at every stage of the process, including pre-trial and trial. In the pre-trial stage, minority defendants are more likely to be held in jail while they await trial because they are unable to afford bail. This can lead to harsher plea deals, longer sentences, and increased pressure on defendants to plead guilty. Additionally, people of color and low-income defendants are more likely to be held in jail pretrial than white and higher-income defendants which is why I feel the sub topic section labeled "Differences in Perceptions of Courts" Is very interesting because it talks about how whites and people of color view the court systems completely differently and why they might feel this way. Another interesting part about this read was to learn that during trial, minority defendants may also face discrimination and bias. In previous classes at TCNJ we have discussed how prosecutors have been known to use their discretion in striking off or discarding prospective jurors of color, known as peremptory challenge, which can lead to discrimination against minorities in jury selection. This chapter was very eye opening to me on how our justice system has so many flaws that affect people of color and I feel that others should research more about specific cases where racial bias was present in courts and how these flaws have impacted minorities in order to advocate for change. Personally I feel that making court employees more diverse it can lead to less bias in decision making and better treatment throughout the whole CJS If we do not diversify and educate about our court system and its flaws we will fail to change in a positive way. In conclusion, this chapter taught me more about how minority defendants, particularly those who are people of color and low-income, face significant disparities throughout the criminal justice process, from pre-trial to trial. Addressing these disparities and creating a more fair and just pre-trial and trial system is crucial in reducing the harms of mass incarceration and creating a more equal criminal justice system.