AMERICAN INDIANS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN MINNESOTA

• NCJ Number: 68820
• Author(s): R BENJAMIN; C N KIM
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 64 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Minnesota Crime Control Planning Board (See Minnesota Criminal Justice Program); University of Minnesota
• Corporate Author: University of Minnesota
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: RESEARCH REPORT

Annotation

THIS REPORT PRESENTS A STATISTICAL COMPARISON OF THE TREATMENT OF AMERICAN INDIANS, BLACKS, AND WHITES FROM ARREST THROUGH INCARCERATION USING CASE DATA FROM THE MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION.

Abstract

IT IS THE FIRST OF TWO REPORTS WHICH ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE MINNESOTA CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. A SAMPLE OF 14,203 ACTUAL CASES WAS CREATED FROM THE DATA FILES OF THE MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION'S COMPUTERIZED REPORTING SYSTEM. ONLY ARRESTS THAT LED TO A FELONY OR MISDEMEANOR CHARGE WERE INCLUDED. THE STUDY FOUND THAT ARREST RATES WERE HIGHER FOR AMERICAN INDIANS AND BLACKS THAN FOR WHITES, WHILE ARRESTED WHITES WERE MORE LIKELY TO SECURE BAIL THAN INDIANS. ACQUITTAL OR DISMISSAL RATES WERE HIGHER FOR INDIANS THAN FOR WHITES, AND A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF INDIANS SPENT TIME IN JAIL WITHOUT BAIL ONLY TO HAVE THEIR CASES DISMISSED. WHITES WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE PROBATION THAN INDIANS, AND THE NORTHERN COUNTIES SEEMED TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST INDIANS MORE THAN THE TWIN CITIES AREA DID. FINALLY, ONCE INSIDE THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM, RACE DROPPED OUT AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN HOW A PERSON WAS TREATED. THE DATA IN THIS REPORT SUGGEST THAT THE NUMBER OF FELONY CONVICTIONS AND TOTAL CONVICTIONS WAS MUCH LOWER FOR INDIANS THAN FOR WHITES. THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT DISCRIMINATION IS EXPERIENCED NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE ONE IS BLACK OR AMERICAN INDIAN BUT, RATHER, BECAUSE BEING BLACK OR INDIAN TENDS TO MEAN THAT ONE WILL EXPERIENCE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND THAT THESE INEQUALITIES WILL TEND TO CAUSE DISCRIMINATION. RACE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CAUSAL FACTOR FOR CRIME; RATHER, THE VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH POVERTY--FAMILY INSTABILITY, UNEMPLOYMENT, LOW EDUCATION, ALCOHOLISM, DRUG ABUSE, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS--ARE MORE IMPORTANT. TABLES, A MAP, A GLOSSARY, AND 10 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. THE SECOND REPORT DESCRIBES THE QUALITY OF LIFE AVAILABLE TO MINORITIES IN THE TWIN CITIES AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF LOCAL POLICE PERFORMANCE.