Equality in The Treatment of White Defendants and Black Defendants in The United States

I love being an African American, but in this day and age, it's a little scary. Every day when you walk outside, you never know what will happen to you. You merely must hope and pray that it's not you this time around. In today's world, things are often not fair, even though some laws state otherwise. Being Black in America, we don't get treated fairly, especially when it comes to the court system. I have noticed that Black defendants receive more jail time than White defendants, even if they commit the same crime. Decades of research have shown that criminal courts sentence Black defendants more harshly than White defendants (Alexander, 2012). I believe that White defendants should receive the same sentencing as Black defendants if they commit the same crime. I also think that they should be accountable for their actions and deserve to go to jail when they commit a crime, not just brush it off because of the color of their skin.

Parity in the Legal Treatment of White and Black Defendants in the United States

Equity states that it ensures individuals are not treated differently or less favorably based on their specific protected characteristics, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age (The Washington Post, 2017). If everyone is supposed to be equal, then what's wrong with the court system and the people there? If White people were treated the way Blacks are—which will never happen—this would be a big problem, and the government and courts would be actively fixing it. Slavery was abolished on December 18, 1865. So why does it feel like the courts and people are trying to bring slavery back but in a different way? It also seems like they are trying to get rid of all Black and minority people by either throwing them in jail for a long time or killing them.

Blacks are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at more than five times the rate of Whites and at least ten times the rate in five states (Carson, 2014). A few years ago, famous actor Stephen Collins, a White man, confessed to sexually assaulting three girls. Stephen Collins didn't receive any jail time. Another famous actor/comedian, Bill Cosby, a Black man, is facing a maximum of 30 years in state prison for raping women. Bill Cosby has lost his credibility, deals, and his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, while Stephen Collins just lost a few deals. I'm not saying that rape or sexual assault is right at all. However, Stephen Collins and Bill Cosby both committed similar crimes, and Stephen Collins should have received jail time for what he did. His jail time should have been the same as Bill Cosby's or at least close to his in years. What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong, and this is just wrong.

Conclusion

The laws should prevent wrongful jail time. Everyone should be equal and accountable for the decisions they make. White defendants should get the same time as Black defendants when committing the same crime or a similar crime. Research has shown that race plays a significant role in jail sentencing. In general, studies have found that more significant racial disparities exist in sentencing for nonviolent crimes, especially property crimes and drug offenses (Walker, Spohn, & DeLone, 2012). Wrongful sentencing must end! Everyone is equal and should be treated as such. If you do the crime, you need to do the time, no matter your ethnicity.

References

Alexander, M. (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press.

Carson, E. A. (2014). Prisoners in 2013. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The Washington Post. (2017). Equality in the U.S. legal system. Retrieved from [URL]

Walker, S., Spohn, C., & DeLone, M. (2012). The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America. Cengage Learning.