The Criminal Justice System For African Americans

A problem that has risen over the past decade or so is the criminal justice system being against African Americans, but to be more specific is the criminal justice system being against African American males. The incarceration rate and the number of police brutality cases have been at all time high rises and the overall treatment African Americans receive from the criminal justice system. There have been numerous amounts of cases that have come to face dealing with African Americans and law enforcement. The types of cases that have caught the eye of the media and the people of the United States are the ones were law enforcement uses excessive force on an African American or killing an African American teen or adult. Other cases that have†¦show more content†¦The primary focus of the police is to keep the peace and enforce the laws on their mission and jurisdiction. Most of the problems that deal with African Americans start with law enforcement because that’s who they first encounter when a problem comes about. In court is where disputes are settled and justice is administered. Court consists of critical people who include professional and non professional people: the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney. The judge is someone who is elected who knows the law and can offer a final decision to dispose of a case. The prosecutor is a lawyer whose duty is to explain to the court the details of the crime committed and what evidence has been found. A defense attorney counsels the victim or the accused on the legal process, basically counseling them over the possible outcomes that could happen and how to make final decisions. The final step in the criminal justice system is a correctional center better known as prison. If things don’t go right in court, the offender will be turned over to the correctional authorities after being found guilty. Removing the offender from the general population and taking away their ability to commit anym ore crimes. As of today, people of color are still policed, wrongly incarcerated, and sentenced to death at a higher rate than Caucasians. In the article More Black Men Are In Prison today than were enslaved in 1850 by Ben Muessig, he states that â€Å"African