NCJ Number
56012
Date Published
1970
Length
150 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEXICAN AMERICANS BY POLICE AND COURT AGENCIES IN ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, AND TEXAS IS DOCUMENTED.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN IN 1967-68 BY THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS TO EXPLORE ALLEGATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEXICAN AMERICANS BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES IN THE SOUTHWEST. THE COMMISSION HEARD TESTIMONY FROM SOME 500 CRIMINAL JUSTICE EMPLOYEES AND PRIVATE CITIZENS; STUDIED MEXICAN-AMERICAN REPRESENTATION ON JURIES; AND SURVEYED THE PERSONNEL, COMPLAINT-HANDLING, AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS PRACTICES OF 793 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES (280 RESPONSES). THE REPORT DOCUMENTS FINDINGS ON TREATMENT OF MEXICAN AMERICANS BY POLICE AND COURTS, THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, AND EMPLOYMENT OF MEXICAN AMERICANS BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. A BLEAK PICTURE IS PAINTED OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEXICAN AMERICANS AND SOUTHWESTERN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. IT WAS FOUND THAT MEXICAN AMERICANS VIEWED CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES WITH DISTRUST, FEAR, AND HOSTILITY; THAT THEY WERE BEING SUBJECTED TO UNDULY HARSH TREATMENT BY POLICE; THAT THEY OFTEN WERE ARRESTED ON INSUFFICIENT GROUNDS, ABUSED PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY, AND SUBJECTED TO DISPROPORTIONATELY SEVERE PENALTIES; THAT THEY WERE BEING DENIED PROPER USE OF BAIL AND ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION BY COUNSEL; AND THAT THEY WERE SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERREPRESENTED ON GRAND AND PETIT JURIES. MEXICAN AMERICANS WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE EXCLUDED FROM FULL PARTICIPATION AS EMPLOYEES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, ESPECIALLY IN SUPERVISORY POSTIONS. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER BETWEEN SPANISH-SPEAKING CITIZENS AND ENGLISH-SPEAKING OFFICIALS FURTHER COMPLICATED THE SITUATION. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REMEDYING THE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE COMMISSION'S INVESTIGATION ARE DIRECTED TO CONGRESS, TO FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND TO THE STATES. SUPPORTING DATA AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)